Mexico's president vows to protect national sovereignty after US cartel terrorist designation

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday she will propose a constitutional reform aimed at further protecting Mexico's national sovereignty, after the U.S. designated various Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

"The Mexican people will under no circumstances accept interventions, intrusions, or any other action from abroad that are detrimental to the integrity, independence, or sovereignty of the nation... (including) violations of Mexican territory, whether by land, sea, or air," Sheinbaum said during her regular morning news conference.

The United States on Wednesday designated the Sinaloa Cartel and other Mexican drug cartels as global terrorist organizations, a move that comes as concerns mount among some Mexican officials that U.S. President Donald Trump may be setting the stage to take unilateral military action inside Mexico, an idea floated repeatedly during his presidential campaign.

Sheinbaum said Mexico was not consulted by the United States about the decision to designate the groups as terrorist organizations.

Mexico has long opposed the move, arguing the cartels are not motivated by political ends like others on the terror list, but by profit.

The designation risks complicating international business in Mexico, including the operations of U.S. companies. It could also shift the legal landscape for U.S. asylum claims, potentially hurting migrants who are forced to pay extortion or ransoms to cartels, as they could be accused of supporting a terrorist organization.

Sheinbaum said on Thursday she would also propose a second constitutional reform that would stiffen the penalties for Mexicans and foreigners who engage in arms trafficking, which is a top diplomatic issue for Mexico, as most guns used in crimes in the country are trafficked from the United States.