MEXICO CITY, Jan 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum quelled concerns about two recent movements of the US military in the vicinity of Mexico that have the country on edge 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 her administration waited a couple hours until the US government provided “written” assurance that there would not be any US military flights over Mexican territory. She said the US government had not given Mexico a heads-up about any military operations.
The US government provided precise coordinates for where it was operating and Mexican authorities issued a statement saying the FAA advisory had no implications for Mexico.
Then, images of a US military transport airplane on the tarmac at Toluca’s airport about 63km west of Mexico City began circulating on social media.
Senator Clemente Castaneda, of the opposition Citizen Movement party, posted on social platform X asking for an explanation from the government, because Mexico’s senate is supposed to approve sending Mexican troops abroad or allowing foreign troops into Mexico.
Sheinbaum described it as a “logistical” operation that did not require senate approval.
“The United States plane landed, public servants got on that plane and they went (to the US) for training,” Sheinbaum said. “Who authorised this? The Secretary of Defence.”
Her security cabinet had posted on X Sunday night that such training operations “occur in conformity with established protocols and in adherence to the bilateral collaboration agreements.”
Both events highlighted the sensitivity created by not only the Trump administration’s unilateral action to capture Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month, but the subsequent renewal of offers and threats to take direct military action against the drug cartels in Mexico.
Sheinbaum and Trump spoke again last week on the subject. Both governments continue to say they will collaborate on security issues, with Mexico emphasising that it will not accept violations of its sovereignty.
Security officials from both countries are scheduled to meet again Friday in an effort to “continue delivering tangible actions to strengthen security cooperation and meaningful outcomes to counter cartels, and stop the illicit flow of fentanyl and weapons from crossing our shared border,” according to a joint statement released last Thursday. — NNN-AGENCIES