Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected President Donald Trump’s suggestion of possible U.S. military strikes against cartels, saying "it’s not going to happen." (Henry Romero/File Photo/Reuters)
"It’s not going to happen," Sheinbaum told reporters, noting Trump has previously floated U.S. military intervention to combat criminal organizations.
She said she told both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that while Mexico welcomes intelligence sharing, it will not permit foreign forces to operate within its borders. Sheinbaum said both U.S. leaders appeared to understand her position.
"We operate in our territory," she said, emphasizing Mexico’s sovereignty.
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U.S. soldiers take measures at the Mexican border after the Department of Defense signed a new order declaring 110,000 acres of land on the Mexican border as a National Defense Area at the request of President Donald Trump in New Mexico May 8, 2025. (Can Hasasu/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the Navy removed the signs after determining they were on Mexican soil. Sheinbaum said Tuesday that the International Boundary and Water Commission, the agency that defines the U.S.–Mexico border, had been called in to review the issue.
Witnesses said the signs were posted on Playa Bagdad, near where the Rio Grande flows into the Gulf of America. The signs said "Warning: Restricted Area" in English and Spanish and claimed the land was controlled by the U.S. military.
Sheinbaum later said the signs were installed by contractors working for a U.S. government agency, noting that the shifting riverbed often complicates the exact location of the border.
The disputed area is located near SpaceX’s Starbase launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, which operates under contracts with both NASA and the Pentagon. In June, Sheinbaum said her government was investigating reports of debris from a SpaceX test explosion that landed on the Mexican side of the border.
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The incident also reflects broader tensions between the two countries, including Trump’s earlier directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, a move Mexico has strongly opposed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mexicos-president-firmly-refuses-trumps-proposal-us-military-strikes-against-cartels