Sheinbaum assures legality of CIA drone flights in Mexico

MEXICO - President Claudia Sheinbaum ruled out that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) drone flights inside Mexican territory are illegal, as they are a collaboration between both countries to address security issues.

“There is nothing illegal. What there is is a collaboration and cooperation that has been going on for many years, it is not new. First, these flights are part of coordination, collaborations that have been taking place for many years between the U.S. and Mexican governments and many times it is at the request or, rather, every time it is at the request of the Mexican government, of collaboration of information to be able to address security conditions,” said the president.

Previously, CNN, referring to official sources, published that the CIA had notified the White House of the use of unmanned and unarmed aircraft inside Mexican territory.

The note does not mention collaboration with the government led by Sheinbaum to fly over an MQ-9 Reaper drone, which has been used to combat terrorism in Somalia, Pakistan and Yemen.

The New York Times, for its part, said that the flights were carried out to detect illegal fentanyl laboratories.

The president questioned the publications in the U.S. media and the fact that the national opposition is using them to try to weaken her government, which is not going to happen.

“They are not going to weaken us because we have principles and for us sovereignty is a principle, it is not negotiable. Secondly, because we always tell the truth”, the President added.

Luis Salazar Brehm, a drone specialist, stated that the stance of Mexican politicians, including President Sheinbaum, on the use of CIA drones in Mexico has been lukewarm, seeks to avoid a direct confrontation with the United States and relies on a nationalist narrative.

“The Mexican response has been officially and publicly tepid minimizing the issue as rumors or part of a 'campaign,' combined with discreet institutional calls for more information. There has not been, at least in the public eye, a diplomatic confrontation with Washington over the drones,” the specialist said.