Mexico Cityโข – Senator Marco Rubio asserted thatโข theโฃ Mexican government is currently the United States’ strongest partnerโ inโข regional security,aโ statement delivered during โฃa visit to Mexico City โคamid ongoing tensions between the โtwo nations.โค The Floridaโข Republican’s remarks, โmade during โฃa closed-door meeting with Mexican officials,โข stand in contrast โtoโ recentโข public disagreements and rhetoric from former President Donald Trump regarding โMexico’s cooperation on issues like drug trafficking and migration.
The โassertion comes asโ the Biden โadministrationโ seeks to navigate โa complex โrelationship โwithโฃ Mexico, balancing security concerns with economic interdependence. Despite recent disputes – including a โpublic correction from President claudia sheinbaum regarding a purported joint DEA operation โฃcalled Operative Goalkeeper, where sheโฃ stated, “There is no agreement with the DEA. They issueโ the statement, we do not know based on what”โข – โrubio’s comments โsignal a continued effort to โขfosterโข collaboration. Trump recentlyโข described Sheinbaum as “amazing, very elegant and beautiful,”โค but claimed โขher country isโค “directedโค by posters” andโฃ she is โค”veryโข scared” to โคaccept U.S. military assistance.
Rubio’s trip follows a February tour of otherโฃ Latin American nations – Panama, Costa Rica,โฃ Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, โฃandโค el salvador – โwhere he โขsecured an โคagreementโ with El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele toโฃ utilize the country’sโ megacรกrcel, a high-security prison, to house American prisoners, โand potentially migrants without criminal records.That tour focused on stemming undocumented migration, combating โฃdrug trafficking, and countering Chinese influence in โขthe region, objectives Rubio is now pursuing in Mexico.He previously described that tour as a “triumphal walk.”