Mexico will not tolerate any U.S. military intervention on its soil, President Claudia Sheinbaum declared Thursday after Washington officially designated Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.
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“This cannot be an opportunity for the U.S. to violate our sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said. “With Mexico, there is collaboration and coordination—never subordination, intervention, or invasion.”
The Trump administration on Wednesday classified eight Mexican cartels as terrorist groups, including the country’s two most powerful drug organizations, the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order upon returning to the White House, stating that the cartels pose a “national-security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime.”
The designation has fueled speculation about potential U.S. military action against cartel operations in Mexico. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has taken on a significant role in the Trump administration, suggested on social media that the designation “means they’re eligible for drone strikes.”
While experts believe direct military action remains unlikely, Trump’s unpredictable decision-making leaves the possibility open.