President Claudia Sheinbaum rejects possibility of US strikes amid growing border tensions – Firstpost

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday rejected the possibility of authorizing US strikes against cartels on Mexican territory, a day after US President Donald Trump said he was prepared to take whatever action is necessary to prevent drugs from entering the United States.

“That’s not going to happen,” Sheinbaum said, noting that Trump had previously suggested United States military intervention in Mexico to deal with criminal groups. He said he had repeatedly told them that cooperation was possible and that the US could share intelligence, but that operations within Mexico would remain under strictly Mexican control. He said he had conveyed the same message to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said he understood his position.

Trump, speaking on Monday, said, “Would I want to strike in Mexico to stop the drugs? Fine with me, whatever we have to do to stop the drugs,” he also said he was “not happy with Mexico.” Later that day, the US Embassy in Mexico shared a video on Twitter showing Rubio’s earlier comments saying that the United States would not take unilateral action in Mexico.

Officials address confusion over US signs posted on Mexican beach

While this exchange was playing out publicly, both Mexican and US officials were working Tuesday to determine what might have been the actual US incursion across the border.

On Monday, people arrived by boat at a beach in northeastern Mexico and set up signs marking land restricted by the U.S. Defense Department. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry reported that the Mexican Navy removed the signals, which appeared to be located on Mexican soil. Sheinbaum said the International Boundary and Water Commission, the binational body responsible for defining the boundary, is now involved.

The signs were buried in the sand at Playa Bagdad, near the point where the Rio Grande flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Written in English and Spanish, they warned that the area was restricted Defense Department property under the authority of the “Commander”, prohibiting any unauthorized access, photography or photographing.

On Tuesday, the US Embassy in Mexico shared a statement from the Pentagon confirming that contractors had erected signs marking “National Defense Area III” at the mouth of the Rio Grande. The Pentagon said that changes in water depth and topography had changed perception of the exact location of the border and that Mexican personnel removed six signs based on their understanding of the border. It added that the contractors will coordinate with the agencies concerned to prevent confusion in future.

Mexico contacted its Consulate in Brownsville, Texas and later the US Embassy in Mexico City. Sheinbaum said it was ultimately determined that contractors working for a U.S. government entity had installed the signs. He said the Rio Grande is changing its course and the border must be clearly defined under treaty obligations.

The site is close to the SpaceX Starbase, which is located next to Boca Chica Beach on the Texas side of the river. SpaceX’s rocket facility, linked to Defense Department and NASA projects, came under scrutiny in June when Sheinbaum said the Mexican government was investigating contamination after metal, plastic and rocket fragments were found over the border with Mexico following a test explosion.

The region remains sensitive, especially after Trump’s order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of Mexico, which Mexico rejected.