Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Thursday her intention to propose constitutional reforms aimed at safeguarding the country's sovereignty amidst concerns that the U.S. military could potentially cross the border to pursue Mexican drug cartels.
The move comes in response to the Trump administration's recent designation of six Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, sparking fears of potential U.S. military intervention within Mexico.
Sheinbaum emphasized that the Mexican people will not tolerate any form of foreign intervention that threatens the nation's integrity, independence, and sovereignty.
The designated Mexican cartels include the Sinaloa, Jalisco, Zetas, Gulf Cartels, Cartel Unidos, and 'La Nueva Familia Michoacana,' along with international groups such as the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).
Mexico was not consulted about the U.S. decision to designate these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, according to Sheinbaum.
Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had previously implemented restrictions on how foreign agents could operate in Mexico, requiring transparency and notification of Mexican authorities. Sheinbaum aims to enshrine these limits in the constitution to reinforce Mexico's sovereignty.
Sheinbaum also proposed a second constitutional reform to impose stricter penalties on both Mexican nationals and foreigners involved in gun trafficking.
Mexico has consistently urged the U.S. to enhance efforts to prevent the smuggling of firearms into Mexico from the United States.
