Despite President Sheinbaum’s vow to block foreign operations, ICE claims leadership in dismantling cartel drug labs on Mexican soil.
The operation was confirmed by U.S. authorities in a social media post; they stated it was carried out in collaboration with agencies such as Mexico’s FGR and the Defense Ministry — despite President Claudia Sheinbaum’s past pledge to block U.S. operations in Mexican territory.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported on Wednesday that it led an operation to dismantle three clandestine narcotics and chemical precursor labs in Sinaloa.
In a social media post, U.S. authorities stated that the operation was conducted by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit in coordination with Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR), the Criminal Investigation Agency, the Defense Ministry, and the Navy.
While the U.S. agency did not disclose the quantity of drugs seized, it emphasized that the collaboration focused on “identifying drug precursor shipments coming from China and dismantling drug production labs operated by cartels in Mexico.”
Photos posted to ICE’s official X account showed security forces and what appear to be the interior of the dismantled clandestine facilities.
This marks a rare public acknowledgment of a U.S.-led operation conducted on Mexican soil — and raises political questions. Just months ago, President Claudia Sheinbaum stated unequivocally that she would never allow foreign security forces, including those from the U.S., to conduct operations in Mexican territory targeting cartels. The president emphasized national sovereignty as a core principle of her administration’s security strategy.
The apparent contradiction between the ICE announcement and Sheinbaum’s stance has prompted calls for clarification from lawmakers and policy observers. It remains unclear whether ICE’s reference to “leading” the operation implies a strategic role or symbolic leadership in a joint task force led by Mexican authorities.
Historically, collaboration between ICE and Mexican agencies has taken place primarily in intelligence-sharing and cross-border investigations — often without public disclosure. Past operations under the Mérida Initiative, for example, focused heavily on training and equipment support, with U.S. personnel working in advisory roles but not leading ground efforts.
If confirmed, this could represent one of the most direct involvements by U.S. agents in Mexico since those earlier frameworks were phased out under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who similarly emphasized limiting U.S. influence on Mexican soil.
In its social media statement, ICE wrote:
“The collaboration between ICE-HSI and the Mexican government helps stop drug production at the source, preventing deadly substances from being smuggled across our borders and onto our streets.”
Yet so far, there has been no official statement from President Sheinbaum or the Mexican federal government responding to ICE’s claims of leadership in the Sinaloa operation. The silence has fueled speculation about whether this was a coordinated effort or a mischaracterization of the U.S. agency’s role.
As fentanyl and synthetic drug trafficking remain top bilateral concerns, the future of cross-border cooperation may hinge on how Mexico reconciles sovereignty concerns with mounting pressure from Washington to curb cartel operations at their source.
