Mexican President Responds U.S. Designation Of Cartels As Terrorist Organizations, Warns Against Violating Sovereignty

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to her U.S. counterpart Donald Trump's administration's designation of six Mexican drug cartels as "terrorist organizations," emphasizing that the country will continue fighting the criminal groups in "collaboration" with the United States, but will not tolerate foreign interference "and certainly never invasion."

The new classification, announced on Wednesday, prohibits Americans from providing "material support or resources" to these groups and paves the way for stricter law enforcement actions directed at them. DOGE head Elon Musk floated a possible implication of the designation. "That means they're eligible for drone strikes," he wrote.

In her daily press conference on Thursday, Sheinbaum said the Trump administration issued the designation without consulting the Mexican government first— "It is their decision alone," she revealed. The Mexican president then reaffirmed Mexico's commitment to combat drug trafficking, particularly synthetic drugs, but firmly rejected any chance for foreign interference.

"Beyond whatever name they assign, we clearly share with the U.S. government the fight against these criminal groups, particularly due to the violence they bring to our country—This cannot be an opportunity for the United States to invade our sovereignty. They can call them whatever they want, but with Mexico, it is collaboration and coordination—never subordination, never interference, and certainly never invasion," she said.

The six Mexican drug cartels designated as "terrorist organizations" by the U.S. are:

• Cártel de Sinaloa
• Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG)
• Cártel del Noreste
• Cártel del Golfo
• La Nueva Familia Michoacana
• Cárteles Unidos

In response to Trump's designation, Sheinbaum also announced plans to introduce two constitutional reforms aimed at protecting Mexico's sovereignty and preventing any foreign intervention on Mexican soil.

The president once again drew attention to the origin of arms used by cartels, highlighting that 74% of weapons seized in Mexico are smuggled from the U.S., and announced an expansion of legal action against arms dealers aiding cartel violence.

The development comes as the Trump administration moves forward with its promised crackdown on drug trafficking. On January 20, Trump directed the federal government to revise existing national security and counter-narcotics strategies to pursue the "total elimination" of Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs).

On February 5, 2025, the U.S. Attorney General released a memorandum titled "Total Elimination of Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations," which outlines President Trump's directive to shift federal strategy from mitigation to eradication of cartels and TCOs through aggressive prosecutions, resource reallocation, and enhanced law enforcement coordination.

Additionally, the foreign terrorist designation strengthens Trump's ability to deport foreign nationals tied to these groups, with the administration considering the use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to bypass court proceedings for gang-related deportations.