U.S. Pressures Mexico to Allow Joint Raids on Fentanyl Labs: Report

The United States is intensifying pressure on Mexico to permit U.S. military forces to take part in joint operations aimed at dismantling fentanyl production laboratories inside Mexican territory, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing U.S. officials. According to the report, American officials want U.S. personnel — including Special Operations troops or CIA officers — to accompany Mexican soldiers during raids targeting suspected fentanyl labs.

The renewed push comes amid increasingly sharp rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump, who told Fox News last week that cartels were effectively running Mexico and suggested the U.S. could strike land targets to confront them. Trump’s comments were part of a broader series of threats in recent weeks signaling possible U.S. military action against drug cartels linked to fentanyl trafficking.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, however, rejected the possibility of U.S. military intervention this week, saying she had ruled it out following a “good conversation” with Trump on security and drug trafficking. The New York Times report said the U.S. request was renewed after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a raid on January 3, though Reuters could not independently verify the claim. The White House and Mexico’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment outside regular business hours.

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