by the El Reportero staff and news agencies
In response to the recent designation of several Latin American drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned the United States against any military intervention in Mexico.
“This cannot be a pretext for the United States to invade our sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said. “With Mexico, it is about collaboration and coordination, never about subordination, interventionism or invasion.”
Sheinbaum’s statement followed the announcement by the U.S. State Department to include Mexican cartels such as Jalisco Nueva Generación and Sinaloa, as well as the Venezuelan group Tren de Aragua, on the list of foreign terrorist organizations. This measure fulfilled a promise by former President Donald Trump in 2024, aimed at confronting the influence of these cartels within the U.S. and abroad.
The designation opens the door to more aggressive measures, including military interventions. Following the announcement, Trump adviser Elon Musk suggested that cartels would be “eligible for drone strikes.” Despite this, Sheinbaum was firm in her opposition to unilateral military intervention. “The Mexican people will never accept foreign interventions, intrusions or any action that undermines the sovereignty of our nation,” she declared.
The president reaffirmed Mexico’s commitment to protecting its sovereignty and resisting external influence on internal security issues. While her government has authorized the use of US surveillance drones to monitor cartel activity, she clarified that this authorization does not include military operations, but is limited to intelligence gathering.
Reports have also emerged about the use of unarmed MQ-9 drones by the CIA and RC-135V aircraft by the US Air Force for intelligence missions within Mexican airspace. These activities have raised concerns in Mexico about violations of its sovereignty.
Recently, the Mexican Senate Commission authorized the presence of U.S. Special Forces for “training missions” in Mexico, fueling debate over U.S. involvement in the country’s internal security. Sheinbaum has advocated cooperation based on mutual consultation and shared responsibility, not unilateral U.S. actions.
In addition to opposing the terrorist designation, Sheinbaum warned that this move could lead to further violations of Mexican sovereignty. She expressed concern that the U.S. could use the fight against terrorism as a pretext for military action inside Mexico. She also threatened to expand a lawsuit filed by Mexico against U.S. weapons manufacturers if the cartels are recognized as terrorist groups.
The lawsuit claims that much of the weapons used by Mexican cartels come from the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 74 percent of weapons seized from Mexican criminal groups come from U.S. manufacturers. “If these cartels are declared terrorists, we will expand the demand to include arms manufacturers and distributors, who could be seen as complicit,” Sheinbaum said.
Trump’s pursuit of the terrorism designation began with an executive order on his first day in office, ordering the State Department to evaluate the possibility. Trump justified the move by claiming that cartels had engaged in violent and destabilizing actions in the Western Hemisphere, which not only threatened U.S. interests but also flooded the country with drugs and violent gangs.
While the immediate response to the designation will likely focus on legal and financial measures, Sheinbaum’s opposition highlights the complexity of the issue, particularly regarding the balance between U.S. anti-narcotics policies and Mexico’s sovereignty. As tensions between the two countries rise, the future of bilateral cooperation to confront cartel violence remains uncertain.
