US pressing Mexico to allow US forces to fight cartels, NYT reports

THE United States is intensifying pressure on Mexico to allow U.S. military forces to conduct joint operations to dismantle fentanyl labs inside the country, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing U.S. officials.

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The US wants its special forces or CIA officers to join Mexican troops in raids on fentanyl labs, renewing the request after the January 3 Maduro raid.
Trump has escalated rhetoric, claiming cartels run Mexico and suggesting potential US strikes, while Mexico's President Sheinbaum firmly rejects military intervention.
Mexico says discussions with the US were constructive, but it maintains sovereignty and continues to decline offers of direct US military action.

U.S. officials want American forces, either Special Operation troops or CIA officers, to accompany Mexican soldiers on raids on suspected fentanyl labs, the report said, citing multiple unnamed officials.

U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News last week that cartels were running Mexico and suggested the U.S. could strike land targets to combat them, in one of a series of threats to deploy U.S. military force against drug cartels.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said this week that she ruled out a U.S. military intervention to combat drug cartels following a "good conversation" with Trump on security and drug trafficking.

The U.S. request to Mexico to use U.S. forces was renewed after Washington's forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a raid on January 3, the New York Times report said.

Sheinbaum has previously declined offers of military action from Trump.

Reuters could not immediately verify the New York Times report. The White House and Mexico's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside regular business hours.