Mike Baker

Mexican forces would remain in command, but American personnel would be present on the ground, providing intelligence, planning support, and real-time tactical advice.

It's a level of involvement that Mexico has long resisted.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has acknowledged that tension.

After a recent phone call with Trump, she said the U.S.

president, quote, generally insists on the participation of U.S.

forces, while making clear that her government does not see such involvement as necessary.

She described Trump as, quote, receptive and said the two sides agreed to keep working together, diplomatic language that on its face sounds cooperative, but also underscores just how far apart they remain.

That gap is widening as Trump signals impatience with the pace of Mexico's cartel crackdown.

In an interview with Fox News, he made clear that Washington sees this as the next phase of a broader campaign.

Trump said, quote, We've knocked out 97 percent of the drugs coming in by water.

We're going to start now hitting land.

Mexican officials, trying to avoid escalation with Washington, have floated counter-proposals.

Instead of joining raids, they suggested deeper intelligence sharing and a larger U.S.

role inside Mexican military command centers.

U.S.

advisors are already embedded in Mexican command posts, supplying intelligence that Mexican forces use to plan and execute anti-drug operations.

The dispute now is over how direct that American role becomes.

And this is where pressure starts to build.

Some U.S.

officials argue that Mexico's leverage is narrowing as Washington weighs more aggressive options.