By The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump proposed sending American troops into Mexico to help her administration fight drug trafficking but that she rejected it.

Her remarks to supporters in eastern Mexico came in response to a Wall Street Journal article published the day before, describing a tense phone call last month in which Trump reportedly pressured her to accept a bigger role for the U.S. military in combating drug cartels in Mexico.

“He said, ‘How can we help you fight drug trafficking? I propose that the United States military come in and help you.’ And you know what I said to him? ‘No, President Trump.'”

She added: “Sovereignty is not for sale. Sovereignty is loved and defended.”

White House National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt said in a statement later Saturday that Trump has worked closely with Mexico’s president “to achieve the most secure southwest border in history.”

This story was originally produced by WLRN, South Florida’s only public radio station at 91.3 FM, as part of a content sharing partnership with MIA Media Group. Read more at WLRN.org