Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced plans to propose constitutional reforms to reinforce national sovereignty in response to the United States’ recent classification of several Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
The decision by Washington has intensified concerns about the potential for direct US military intervention on Mexican soil. During her Thursday press briefing, Sheinbaum declared, “The people of Mexico, under no circumstances will accept interventions, interference or any other act from abroad that is harmful to the integrity, independence and sovereignty of the nation.
” She emphasized that the proposed reforms would extend across the entirety of Mexico’s territory—covering land, water, airspace, and maritime areas. Recent reports, including coverage by CNN, indicate that US MQ-9 Reaper drones have been operating within Mexican airspace to monitor cartel activities—a move tied to an aggressive border security policy.
Alongside these actions, Mexican officials have expressed alarm over US spy plane activity near the border, despite such flights reportedly staying within international and US airspace. The planned constitutional amendments specifically target articles 39 and 40, which affirm Mexico’s independence and sovereignty. Under the proposed changes, any intervention related to investigations or prosecutions would require the explicit authorization and collaboration of the Mexican state, in line with the relevant laws.
Criticizing the US for bypassing any consultation with the Mexican government before labeling criminal groups as terrorist organizations, Sheinbaum warned, “What we want to make clear with this designation is that we do not negotiate sovereignty; this can’t be an opportunity by the United States to invade our sovereignty.” She further added, “They can call cartels whatever they decide, but with Mexico it is collaboration and coordination—never subordination, no interference and even less invasion.
”In a related effort, the president is also set to introduce a separate reform aimed at curbing arms trafficking. This initiative would target any national or foreign individual involved in the illicit manufacture, distribution, disposal, transfer, or smuggling of weapons into Mexico—a pressing issue given that estimates suggest between 70% and 90% of the firearms recovered at crime scenes in Mexico originate from the United States.
