Mexican president rejects Trump’s offer to deploy US troops against drug cartels

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Saturday that she had turned down a proposal from her US counterpart Donald Trump to send American troops into Mexico to assist in combating drug cartels, according to US local media.

During a public event, Sheinbaum confirmed a Wall Street Journal report published a day earlier, which revealed that Trump had urged greater US military involvement in Mexico's drug war, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"It's true," Sheinbaum said, adding that on some private calls with Trump in recent months, the US president said: "How can we help you fight drug trafficking? I propose that the United States Army enter to help you."

Sheinbaum said that she rebuffed his proposal, telling him: "No, President Trump, our territory is inalienable, sovereignty is inalienable. ... We can collaborate, we can work together, but with you in your territory and us in ours. We can share information, but we will never accept the presence of the United States Army on our territory."

According to a Wall Street Journal report on May 2, Trump allegedly said in a phone call with Sheinbaum on April 16 that the US troops he would send could help against the cartels in Mexico.