Navy Seal Training Exercise in Mexico

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Tell me about Navy Seals training exercise in Mexico





The most recent and prominent Navy SEALs training exercise in Mexico involves a joint program that began on February 15, 2026, and is scheduled to run through April 16, 2026.Mexico's Senate unanimously approved (with 105 votes in favor, 0 against, and 1 abstention) the temporary entry of 19 members of U.S. Navy SEAL Team 2 into the country. This was at the invitation of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, aimed at enhancing Mexico's capabilities to combat drug cartel violence through better-trained special forces.The exercise, officially titled “Enhancing Special Operations Forces Capability” (or "Mejorar la Capacidad de las Fuerzas de Operaciones Especiales" in Spanish), focuses on:Strengthening individual and collective tactical skills.
Improving operational compatibility and interoperability between U.S. Navy SEALs and Mexico's Naval Special Operations Unit (under SEMAR, the Mexican Navy/Secretaría de Marina).
Areas like infiltration techniques, surveillance/reconnaissance in hostile environments, urban combat skills, convoy tactics, precision shooting, sniper procedures, maritime infiltration, coastal raids, and tactical combat casualty care.

It takes place at Mexican naval facilities in the state of Campeche, specifically:The Marine Infantry Specialized Training Center (CENCAEIM) in San Luis Carpizo (also referred to as Luis Carpizo).
The Naval Sector in Ciudad del Carmen.

The SEALs arrived via a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane, and they are authorized to bring full armament and equipment for the training (but this is strictly a training mission, not combat operations or direct action against cartels).This is framed as bilateral cooperation to build Mexico's capacity against organized crime, with supporters noting it aligns with U.S. pressure (including from the Trump administration) for stronger action on drug trafficking. Critics, including some leftist outlets, have raised concerns about sovereignty and historical U.S. interventionism in Mexico.Note that this is not the U.S. SEALs conducting independent operations or "hunting cartels" inside Mexico—reliable reporting emphasizes it's a controlled, time-limited training exchange. Similar joint trainings have occurred before, such as U.S. Green Berets (7th Special Forces Group) training Mexican marines in Campeche in early 2025

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