President Claudia Sheinbaum clarifies that U.S. officials never requested arrests of Morena politicians, reinforcing Mexico’s independent law enforcement and border security cooperation.
President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo categorically denied that the United States has ever requested the investigation or arrest of Mexican politicians from the ruling Morena party over alleged ties to drug cartels. Speaking from the National Palace on January 13, 2026, Sheinbaum framed the issue not only as a matter of diplomatic accuracy, but as a test of Mexico’s sovereignty at a moment of heightened regional tension.
“That topic has never been raised—neither in meetings nor in phone calls,” Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference. “There is no case in which they have told us: we have evidence, there is an arrest warrant.”
Her remarks came one day after The Wall Street Journal reported that senior Mexican officials had held private meetings to assess what it described as “unsustainable demands” from U.S. President Donald Trump, including the potential arrest of Morena politicians allegedly linked to organized crime. The report suggested these discussions intensified following the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro.
Mexico’s government flatly rejected that narrative.
A unified response from Mexico’s security leadership
Omar García Harfuch, head of Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), reinforced the president’s position, reiterating statements he made publicly in mid-2025. He said U.S. officials have never named Mexican politicians in bilateral meetings, stressing that when legitimate investigations exist, they follow formal legal channels—not informal political conversations.
“When there is a case, it comes through the Department of Justice with extradition requests or evidence shared institutionally,” García Harfuch explained previously, noting that Mexico’s Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Embassy support this account.
For audiences on both sides of the border—particularly Latino communities in the United States—this distinction matters. It underscores how cross-border security cooperation works in practice, and where its limits lie.
A phone call under the spotlight
The controversy gained traction after a January 12 phone call between Sheinbaum and Trump, their fifteenth conversation since taking office. According to Mexican officials, the roughly 15-minute call focused on shared security concerns, drug trafficking, trade, and investment. Trump raised Venezuela and again floated the idea of U.S. military assistance inside Mexico to combat cartels—an offer Sheinbaum said she rejected immediately.
“Our Constitution is very clear,” she said. “We do not agree with interventions.”
Sheinbaum described the exchange as firm but respectful, emphasizing that any notion of U.S. military operations on Mexican soil was ruled out.
Cooperation without subordination
In parallel, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente, calling for “tangible results” against fentanyl trafficking and organized crime. Mexico acknowledged the urgency but reiterated long-standing principles: shared responsibility, mutual trust, and cooperation without subordination.
Security analysts note that Mexico has backed up its position with actions. Over the past year, the government has expanded extraditions, increased drug seizures, and reported a significant reduction in fentanyl flows toward the U.S.—figures Sheinbaum cited as evidence that collaboration works when based on respect.
Political stakes at home and abroad
The Journal report warned that hypothetical arrests of Morena politicians could destabilize Sheinbaum’s political standing and inflame nationalist factions within her party. The president responded by drawing a clear line: any investigation must be led by Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office and grounded in evidence, not foreign pressure.
“Mexico collaborates as an equal,” Sheinbaum said. “I will never negotiate our sovereignty or territorial integrity. Never.”
As U.S.-Mexico relations enter a new phase—marked by security challenges, trade negotiations, and regional instability—Sheinbaum’s message is aimed as much at domestic audiences as international partners: cooperation is essential, but Mexico’s justice system answers only to Mexican law.
