MEXICO CITY - Mexico is "firmly" confronting the drug cartels, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday, defending her government's strategy against organized crime.

Her remarks came in response to US President Donald Trump's warning that Washington could use military force if Mexico does not intensify its fight against drug trafficking.

Speaking at the National Palace in Mexico City, Sheinbaum highlighted her country's progress in reducing violence and drug-related crimes.

"There has been an almost 50 percent decline in intentional homicides, 2,500 laboratories have been dismantled or destroyed, and people have been arrested," she said, adding that the flow of fentanyl from Mexico to the United States has been reduced.

Sheinbaum also noted that the Trump administration's National Drug Control Strategy, released on Monday, acknowledges the seriousness of drug abuse in America. She stressed the need for stronger US measures to curb arms smuggling into Mexico and emphasized the importance of maintaining bilateral cooperation based on mutual respect and sovereignty.

Relations between the two countries have grown tense under Trump, who has labeled Mexican cartels as "terrorist organizations."