Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has strongly warned the United States that her country will never tolerate an “invasion” of its sovereignty, as tensions flare over the U.S. designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations. Sheinbaum’s remarks, made on Thursday, came in response to Washington’s recent move to label eight Latin American drug trafficking groups including powerful Mexican gangs like the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels as terrorist organizations.
Addressing the press, Sheinbaum stated, “They can call them whatever they want, but with Mexico, it is collaboration and coordination, never subordination or interventionism, and certainly no invasion.” She emphasized that Mexico would continue to cooperate with the U.S. on addressing drug trafficking but would not allow outside interference in its sovereignty.
The U.S. action has intensified pressures on Mexico to curb the illegal flow of drugs and migrants across their shared border. President Donald Trump had previously threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico unless more aggressive action was taken against narcotic cartels. Sheinbaum’s administration is seeking to avoid those tariffs by enhancing joint efforts with the U.S. in the fight against cartels.
Further escalating tensions, Sheinbaum revealed that Mexico would intensify its legal efforts against U.S. gun manufacturers, accusing them of negligence in allowing weapons to be sold and later smuggled into Mexico, where they often end up in the hands of drug traffickers. She hinted that the lawsuit could eventually accuse these manufacturers of “complicity” with terrorist groups.
In an interview on social media platform X, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to reassure Mexico, stating that the U.S. would continue to work in partnership with the country to target the newly designated criminal groups. However, Sheinbaum’s comments suggest growing frustrations with the U.S. approach, especially as the possibility of military action looms. There has been increasing speculation that the terrorist designation could open the door to military measures against cartels, including drone strikes, as suggested by U.S. figures like tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Sheinbaum confirmed that U.S. drones have been used to monitor Mexican cartels for years, particularly in the search for fentanyl production labs. Despite this cooperation, the threat of military action has sparked resentment in Mexico, particularly given the historical context of territorial losses to the U.S. in the 19th century.
In response to the escalating situation, Sheinbaum pledged to introduce a constitutional reform in Congress aimed at protecting Mexico’s “integrity, independence, and sovereignty,” including safeguarding against foreign incursions by land, air, or sea.
Meanwhile, Canada, also facing the threat of tariffs from the U.S., has joined in labeling several drug cartels as “terrorist entities,” including the Gulf Cartel, the Sinaloa Cartel, and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
The debate over the U.S. designation is part of a broader struggle between Mexico and its northern neighbor over control of the drug trade. Mexico continues to contend with the consequences of weapons smuggling, with estimates suggesting that between 200,000 and 750,000 guns are trafficked from the U.S. into Mexico each year, fueling widespread violence.
With drug-related violence claiming around 480,000 lives since 2006, Sheinbaum has quietly adjusted her predecessor’s “hugs not bullets” strategy, which focused more on addressing the root causes of crime, in favor of more aggressive security operations. Recent drug seizures and troop deployments to the U.S. border reflect Mexico’s shifting approach, in part to appease Trump’s tariff threats.
This week, Mexican authorities also made significant arrests, including two high-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel, signaling a more assertive stance in dealing with drug-related violence.
