President Claudia Sheinbaum wasted no time pushing back against remarks by U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, who on Wednesday called Mexico an “adversary” and accused it of “drugging our children.”
“She’s simply not well informed,” Sheinbaum said at her Thursday morning press conference. “There is significant cooperation between Mexico and the United States, and we’re close to finalizing a new security agreement.”
The president’s response came just hours before Mexico’s Defense Ministry and its U.S. counterpart released a joint statement highlighting recent bilateral military cooperation. According to Mexico’s Defense Ministry, the visits by top military officials from both countries resulted in concrete progress toward a new security framework.
Bondi’s comments were made during a U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, where she was questioned on national security threats. In her response, she lumped Mexico alongside Iran, Russia, and China, stating:
“Donald Trump has said it loud and clear: We won’t be intimidated and we’ll keep the United States safe, not only from Iran, but also from Russia, China, and Mexico … from any foreign adversary that tries to kill us—physically or by drugging our children.”
Bondi later suggested that Mexico’s role in the fentanyl crisis constituted an indirect threat to American lives. When asked directly whether Mexico was cooperating on the issue, she deflected, saying such matters should be discussed privately.
Her remarks coincided with the U.S. Treasury Department’s announcement that it had sanctioned three Mexican financial institutions over alleged involvement in laundering money for organized crime groups linked to fentanyl trafficking.
Tensions between Sheinbaum’s administration and members of the Trump Cabinet have been rising in recent months. Earlier in June, Sheinbaum rejected another accusation—this one from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem—claiming the Mexican president had incited violent protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids. Sheinbaum firmly denied the claim, calling it “unfounded and inflammatory.”
Despite the political rhetoric, military cooperation between the two countries appears to be strengthening. The recent agreement signed—known as the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA)—was described by U.S. Northern Command as a step forward in “bilateral military cooperation with Mexico.”
According to a statement from the command, ACSA is “an international agreement that will enhance interoperability and provide mutual logistical support for training exchanges between the U.S. and Mexican armed forces.” The agreement emphasizes shared responsibility, mutual respect, and sovereignty.