Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum firmly rejected any possibility of US intervention on Thursday, declaring that Mexico would “never tolerate an invasion” of its sovereignty after Washington designated eight Latin American drug cartels as terrorist organizations.
The move by the Trump administration increases pressure on Mexico to combat narcotics trafficking and illegal migration while also raising concerns over potential military action. Mexico, seeking to avoid sweeping 25-percent tariffs threatened by Trump, has ramped up cooperation in the fight against cartels, including the powerful Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa organizations.
“They can call them (the cartels) whatever they want, but with Mexico, it is collaboration and coordination—never subordination or interventionism, and even less invasion,” Sheinbaum stated.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to ease tensions in an interview on X, but speculation persists over the implications of the terrorist designation. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, an influential figure in the Trump administration, suggested the move could justify drone strikes on cartel targets.
On Wednesday, Sheinbaum confirmed that the US has been using drones for intelligence gathering on cartels, an operation that has existed for years. Reports from The New York Times indicate that Washington has intensified covert drone surveillance in search of fentanyl labs, escalating Trump’s campaign against drug trafficking.
Historical sensitivities fuel Mexico’s resistance to US military threats, as the country lost half its territory to the US in the 19th century. Sheinbaum announced a constitutional reform proposal to safeguard Mexico’s territorial integrity, ensuring protection against foreign incursions by land, air, or sea.
Meanwhile, Canada, also under threat of Trump’s proposed tariffs over drug and migration flows, joined the US in labeling seven drug cartels as “terrorist entities.” The sanctioned groups include the Gulf Cartel, Sinaloa Cartel, Michoacan Family, United Cartels, MS-13, TdA, and Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Mexico Adjusts Strategy
Mexico has long argued that US-made firearms fuel cartel violence, with an estimated 200,000 to 750,000 weapons smuggled across the border annually. Despite strict domestic gun control, drug-related violence has claimed approximately 480,000 lives since the military was deployed against cartels in 2006.
While Sheinbaum has ruled out a direct military confrontation with the cartels, she has shifted away from her predecessor’s “hugs not bullets” approach, which focused on social programs to reduce crime. Instead, her administration has announced large-scale drug seizures, increased troop deployments to the US border, and arrested key cartel figures—all moves seemingly aimed at securing Trump’s temporary pause on tariffs.
