Mexico’s security secretary Omar García Harfuch rebuked a CNN claim that the C.I.A. orchestrated the March killing of cartel operative Francisco Beltran. Officials say the agency supplied intelligence but did not act on the ground, insisting that Mexican forces carried out the explosive attack alone without American involvement.

President Claudia Sheinbaum dismissed Trump’s threat of unilateral military action, arguing that U.S. boots would breach sovereignty. She stressed that cooperation stays at intelligence‑sharing and training levels, with joint command centers but no on‑ground U.S. presence, a stance reinforced after two CIA agents died in a Chihuahua accident last month.

Both governments denied the claim, with CIA spokeswoman Liz Lyons calling the story "false and salacious." The incident risks straining U.S.-Mexico ties, potentially affecting cross‑border trade agreements and investment flows, as businesses weigh the political volatility surrounding anti‑cartel cooperation and the stability of supply chains in the region for 2026.

Ultimately, the dispute underscores that intelligence collaboration remains limited to shared data and joint training, with no on‑ground U.S. operation. Mexican authorities maintain that all counter‑cartel actions are conducted by domestic forces, a position that will likely persist until new evidence shifts public perception in the near future and policy.