Mexico denies U.S. DEA statement on cross-border deal to fight drug cartels

'We have not reached any agreement,' a visibly annoyed President Claudia Sheinbaum said after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced a partnership.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum denied her administration had an agreement with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Tuesday, hours after the U.S. agency announced “a major new initiative” to collaborate in the fight against drug cartels.

Sheinbaum was referring to “Project Portero,” an effort announced Monday by the DEA, calling it a “flagship operation” against smuggling routes that move drugs, guns and money across the border.

“The DEA put out a statement yesterday saying that there is an agreement with the Mexican government for an operation called Portero,” Sheinbaum said during her morning news briefing.

“There is no agreement with the DEA. The DEA puts out this statement, based on what we don’t know. We have not reached any agreement, none of the security institutions (have) with the DEA.”

The U.S. embassy in Mexico and the DEA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sheinbaum said the only thing happening was a workshop in Texas attended by four members of Mexico’s police force.

The DEA statement mentioned that workshop, saying it had brought Mexican investigators to one of its intelligence centers to train with U.S. prosecutors, law enforcement, defense officials and members of the intelligence community.

The visibly annoyed president made her comments just days after generally positive exchanges between the two governments following another extension to ward off threatened U.S. tariffs and another shipment of 26 drug cartel figures to the U.S. from Mexico.