President Sheinbaum made her position clear: "Let there be no confusion: What we defend is sovereignty. They can call it whatever they want, (but) if that decree relates to extraterritorial actions, we do not accept those." In this sense, she called for Trump to focus his efforts on investigating and tackling money laundering structures in his own country.
Sheinbaum criticized the order from the U.S. Department of Justice requesting the elimination of drug cartels, urging to start with his own country. She stated that Mexico is willing to coordinate and collaborate in the fight against organized crime, but emphasized that it is about coordination and not subordination or external interference.
Just a month after taking office, the administration of Donald Trump issued a decree that includes several Mexican criminal organizations on a 'blacklist.' Among them are the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, United Cartels, Northeast Cartel, Gulf Cartel, and the new Michoacan Family. This implies that receiving material or resource support would be punished more severely, weakening the structure of these groups in case of receiving weapons or income illegally.
In response to this situation, Sheinbaum proposed reforming Articles 19 and 40 of the Mexican Constitution to protect the country from any external interference. She even mentioned the possibility of a "U.S. invasion." Former president Felipe Calderón agrees with the leader on the risk of designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations, explaining that they generate terror due to the violence they exert on the population.
Calderón warned that this designation would allow for an abusive policy by the United States, which could involve the country in matters it should not intervene in. He recommended that Mexico collaborate with the United States and take Trump's warnings seriously. He also recalled a period of good relations between the two countries during his administration, referred to as 'Mexico Moment.'
Regarding Sheinbaum's stance on the designation of groups as terrorists, she made it clear that her government does not defend organized crime and rejects any association with drug cartels.
