President Claudia Sheinbaum denied that CIA operations are taking place on Mexican soil during a morning press conference in Mexico City on May 13 [1].
The denial follows a report by CNN suggesting the CIA was involved in the death of an operator from the Sinaloa Cartel. The tension highlights the delicate balance between national sovereignty and the security cooperation required to combat transnational organized crime.
Sheinbaum said the CNN report was "sensationalist and no tiene fundamento," which translates to having no foundation [2]. She said the allegations were "fiction the size of the universe" [3].
Addressing the nature of international cooperation, Sheinbaum said that any collaboration with the U.S. is governed by the National Security Law and the Constitution [1]. She said, "No hay operativos de la CIA en México," meaning there are no CIA operations in Mexico [1].
While the president denied direct operations, other reports have suggested a different nuance. SDP Noticias reported that the CIA provided intelligence support during an operation against a figure known as El Payín, though the agency did not participate directly in the field [4].
Sheinbaum said that the reports of covert agency activity are unfounded. She said that the Mexican government adheres to legal frameworks when coordinating with foreign entities to ensure that domestic laws are respected during security efforts [1].
“"No hay operativos de la CIA en México."”
This confrontation underscores the persistent friction between Mexico's insistence on sovereignty and the U.S. intelligence community's efforts to dismantle cartels. By framing the reports as 'fiction,' Sheinbaum is signaling a strict boundary against foreign intervention, even as the government continues to utilize legal channels for intelligence sharing to manage internal security threats.
