Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday accused the US Department of Defense ( Pentagon ) of espionage, saying his government would protect information related to its national defense.

The Mexican president said in his daily press conference that the Mexican media had received, in part, leaks from the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

"We will protect the Navy and Defense Department's information because the Pentagon is spying on us and many media outlets in Mexico are leaking information provided by the DEA," he said.

Lopez Obrador emphasized that his administration would protect state information for reasons of national security and also in defense of Mexico's sovereignty.

The president's remarks came a day after he accused the US Drug Enforcement Administration of "arbitrary interference" and "arrogance" over its infiltration of the "Sinaloa" drug smuggling gang.

The US government alleges that Mexico is responsible for the illegal smuggling of fentanyl into its territory.

In response, Mexico said that the United States was not doing enough to combat the reasons why its population turned to illegal drugs.