President Donald Trump has threatened in a phone call with his Mexican counterpart to send US troops to stop "bad hombres down there" unless the Mexican military does more to control them itself.
An excerpt of a transcript of the conversation, obtained by The Associated Press, did not make clear who exactly Trump considered "bad hombres," - drug cartels, immigrants, or both - or the tone and context of the remark, made in a Friday morning phone call between the leaders.
It also did not contain Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's response.
Still, the excerpt offers a rare and striking look at how the new president is conducting diplomacy behind closed doors.
Trump's remark suggest he is using the same tough and blunt talk with world leaders that he used to rally crowds on the campaign trail.
A White House spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.
The phone call between the leaders was intended to patch things up between the new president and his ally.
The two have had a series of public spats over Trump's determination to have Mexico pay for the planned border wall, something Mexico steadfastly refuses to agree to.
"You have a bunch of bad hombres down there," Trump told Pena Nieto, according to the excerpt seen by the AP.
"You aren't doing enough to stop them. I think your military is scared. Our military isn't, so I just might send them down to take care of it."
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