Mexico City: Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said that she and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin agreed Thursday to maintain bilateral cooperation rooted in mutual respect.
Mullin arrived in the Mexican capital for a two-day visit following tensions in recent weeks over the deaths of two CIA agents at Mexico’s northern border and U.S. drug trafficking indictments against 10 Mexican officials.
Sheinbaum’s administration, which took office in October 2024, has attempted to balance cooperation with the Trump administration while also defending Mexico’s sovereignty amid repeated threats of possible U.S. military intervention.
After meeting with Mullin at the presidential palace, Sheinbaum shared a brief message on X stating that both nations would maintain cooperation based on mutual respect.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry later emphasized principles of sovereignty and “coordination without subordination” in a statement summarizing the talks.
Mullin, who became Homeland Security secretary in March following Kristi Noem’s departure, also held meetings with Mexico’s Security Cabinet during his visit.
Migration and Detention Concerns Discussed
Earlier Thursday, Sheinbaum confirmed she intended to discuss the deaths of 15 Mexican migrants in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers since 2025.
The deaths prompted diplomatic protests from Mexico’s government and renewed scrutiny over detention conditions in the United States.
Sheinbaum said Mexican consulates have been instructed to carry out daily visits to detention facilities holding Mexican nationals.
Mexico also announced in March that it planned to bring the cases before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
The Foreign Ministry’s statement highlighted migration cooperation as another major topic during the meetings.
Officials pointed to a significant decline in unauthorized crossings by Mexican citizens at the U.S. border, describing migration levels as the lowest seen in roughly 50 years.
Drug Investigations and CIA Agent Deaths Fuel Tensions
Despite the recent tensions, Sheinbaum ruled out discussing the criminal cases involving 10 Mexican officials who were indicted by U.S. authorities.
In late April, the New York Attorney General’s Office announced indictments against Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha, Culiacán Mayor Juan de Dios Gámez and eight current and former officials on charges including drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession.
Rocha and Gámez temporarily stepped aside from their positions while Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office opened investigations.
Former Sinaloa officials Gerardo Mérida and Enrique Díaz surrendered to U.S. authorities last week.
Relations between Washington and Mexico City became further strained following the deaths of two CIA agents and two officials from the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office on April 19.
The officials died when their vehicle plunged into a ravine in the mountainous region between Chihuahua and Sinaloa, an area where authorities had recently dismantled a clandestine synthetic drug laboratory.
The incident prompted a formal diplomatic protest from Mexico after officials said they had not been informed about the presence or activities of the U.S. agents inside Mexican territory.
Mexican authorities specifically objected to operations carried out in the opposition-governed state of Chihuahua without prior coordination.
Despite the tensions, both governments signaled that security and migration cooperation will continue as they navigate increasingly sensitive political and criminal challenges along the border.
