Mexico faces intensified cartel conflict amid US terrorist designations

Mexico is facing a renewed conflict with drug cartels, shaped by shifting domestic security strategies and new international designations. Following the previous administration's 'abrazos, no balazos' policy, current Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch is restructuring the federal security apparatus. This includes the creation of a new federal intelligence and investigation corporation to compensate for the operational focus previously held by the military.

The conflict has gained international dimension following a January 2025 decree by the United States, which classified several major Mexican criminal organizations—including the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and the Gulf Cartel—as terrorist organizations.

Concurrently, journalist Anabel Hernández has raised allegations regarding historical links between political figures and organized crime. In her book 'Narcocracia', Hernández claims that the administration of former President Felipe Calderón possessed testimonies dating back to 2010 that alleged links between Andrés Manuel López Obrador and drug trafficking resources during the 2006 presidential campaign. These claims are based on testimonies from former criminal operatives, though they remain journalistic allegations rather than judicial findings.