Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly confirmed she rejected U.S. military assistance from President Donald Trump, who was looking to help the country fight drug trafficking and violent cartels.
Responding to a Wall Street Journal report Friday that detailed the offer, Sheinbaum confirmed "it's true."
Trump reportedly called Sheinbaum and asked, "How can we help you fight drug trafficking?"
She told Trump the country will "never accept" the presence of the U.S. Army in its territory.
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"No, President Trump, our territory is inalienable, sovereignty is inalienable," Sheinbaum said. "We can collaborate. We can work together, but with you in your territory and us in ours. We can share information, but we will never accept the presence of the United States Army on our territory."
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In a written statement to Fox News Digital Saturday, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly highlighted coordinated efforts with Mexico to address border security.
"President Trump has worked with President Sheinbaum to advance border security collaboration with Mexico to the highest levels ever," Kelly wrote. "This robust cooperation and information sharing is delivering tangible results, including the removal of numerous cartel leaders to the U.S. to face justice and creating the most secure border in history."
Since taking office, Trump has continued to use CIA drones to conduct surveillance flights over the country in coordination with the Mexican government.
He has also formally named drug cartels "foreign terrorist" groups.
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However, Kelly said Mexico must do more to protect Americans from dangerous foreign terrorist organizations and "the drugs and violence they flood into communities on both sides of the border."
"We will continue exploring ways to enhance our efforts across the region to dismantle these transnational criminal organizations," she wrote. "We will make America safe again."
The Heritage Foundation, a top conservative group, released a report in January detailing how Trump could use the military to confront the border crisis.
It argued that Mexican cartels are continuing to grow, illegal immigration and narcotics smuggling have accelerated and U.S.-Mexico security cooperation has deteriorated.
However, the report noted direct military action against cartels should be a "last resort," preferring joint military action with Mexican coordination, Fox News Digital previously reported.
"In the appropriate context, unilateral U.S. military action may be employed to disrupt cartel activity and prompt cooperation from a resistant Mexican government," the group wrote.
The foundation claimed Mexico was unlikely to change its stance when Sheinbaum was elected despite the escalating threat from cartels.
Fox News Digital's Adam Shaw and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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