Sheinbaum reassures Mexico after US military moves raise concern: NPR

MEXICO CITY – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday expressed concerns about two recent movements of the US military in the vicinity of Mexico, which has led to a state of tension in the country since the attack on Venezuela.

On Friday, the US Federal Aviation Administration urged US aircraft operators to “exercise caution” when flying over the eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, Central America and parts of South America, citing “military activities.”

The president said that her administration waited a few hours until the US government provided “written” confirmation that there were no US military flights over Mexican territory. She said that the US government did not inform Mexico of any military operations.

The US government provided precise coordinates for where it was operating and Mexican authorities issued a statement saying the FAA warning had no impact on Mexico.

Then, photos of a US military transport plane on the runway of Toluca Airport, about 39 miles (63 kilometers) west of Mexico City, began circulating on social media.

Senator Clemente Castañeda, from the opposition Citizens Movement party, posted on the social platform

Sheinbaum described it as a “logistical” process that does not require Senate approval.

“The American plane landed, and government employees boarded that plane and headed (to the United States) for training,” Sheinbaum said. “Who allowed this? The Minister of Defense.”

Its Security Cabinet had posted on the X website on Sunday night that such training operations “are carried out in accordance with established protocols and adherence to bilateral cooperation agreements.”

Both events highlighted the sensitivity caused not only by the Trump administration’s unilateral action to arrest Venezuela’s then-President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month, but also by the subsequent renewal of offers and threats to take direct military action against drug cartels in Mexico.

Sheinbaum and Trump spoke again last week about the topic. The two governments continue to state that they will cooperate on security issues, with Mexico stressing that it will not accept violations of its sovereignty.

Security officials from both countries are scheduled to meet again on Friday in an effort “to continue to deliver concrete actions to enhance security cooperation and meaningful outcomes to confront cartels, and stop the illicit flow of fentanyl and weapons from crossing our shared border,” according to a joint statement issued last Thursday.