Analysis-Mexico condemns attack on Venezuela while seeking to avoid its fate

Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum holds her morning press conference after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Colombia and Mexico could also face military action if they do not reduce the flow of illicit drugs to the United States, at Palacio Nacional, in Mexico City, Mexico January 5, 2026. REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

MEXICO CITY, Jan 6 (Reuters) - In the ‌wake of the U.S. attack on Venezuela, the Mexican government has found itself traversing the most delicate balancing act since President Donald Trump began his second ‌term: strongly condemning the operation while doubling down on bilateral cooperation lest Mexico find itself in Trump’s crosshairs next.

On Saturday, hours after the elite U.S. ‌special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in their home, Trump floated the prospect of U.S. military action inside Mexico, saying drug cartels are “running” the country and that “something is gonna have to be done with Mexico.”