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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has pushed back on reports that President Donald Trump secretly authorized the Pentagon to use military force against Latin American drug cartels on foreign soil, including in Mexico.

Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, The New York Times released a report claiming President Trump had approved direct US military action against certain drug cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) (a step that goes significantly further than his earlier executive order issued on his first day back in office). That order, while initially seen as symbolic, set the legal groundwork for expanded Pentagon intelligence gathering, heavy sanctions on cartel members, and closer coordination with law enforcement. This new reported move builds on that foundation by potentially granting the Pentagon authority for special forces missions targeting cartel leaders abroad, marking a shift from simply tracking and sanctioning to preparing for direct strikes. So far, US operations have focused only on military surveillance flights along the border, expanded intel sharing, and CIA drone reconnaissance missions in coordination with Mexican authorities.

Getting into it: Sheinbaum responded bluntly to the reports, saying, “The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military. We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out.” She stressed that her administration had been informed an executive order was coming, but that she had been assured it had “nothing to do with the participation of any military or any institution in our territory.”

According to her, US agencies already present in Mexico operate under some of the strictest regulations in the world for foreign agents, and those rules will not be relaxed to accommodate unilateral military action.

Sheinbaum also reiterated that any such action would cross a “sovereignty red line” for Mexico, warning that history has shown US military involvement in Latin America tends to damage rather than strengthen security partnerships. She said that whenever the Trump administration has raised the possibility of American troops operating inside Mexico, “we have always said no.”

This all comes as legal questions have emerged in the United States over whether Trump could carry out such operations in Mexico legally. Those who believe it’s legal say that the designation of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations gives the United States broader authority to use military force abroad, especially if it’s a threat to US national security. To the contrary, critics argue that this authority has limits (particularly when dealing with the territory of a sovereign ally) and that any military action without Mexico’s consent would violate both international law and long-standing bilateral agreements.