In a week marked by high-stakes security maneuvers, diplomatic negotiations, and the ever-present shadow of organized crime, Mexico finds itself at the crossroads of domestic reform and international pressure. From the halls of Congress in Mexico City to the waters of the Caribbean and even as far as Atlanta, the nation’s security apparatus and its relationship with the United States are under intense scrutiny and transformation.
On September 3, 2025, the U.S. military took a dramatic step in its ongoing war on drugs, sinking an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean and killing 11 alleged members of the Venezuelan crime syndicate Tren de Aragua in international waters. According to The Wall Street Journal, this marked the first time the U.S. has acknowledged a direct military strike against Latin American drug cartels since the Trump administration authorized the Pentagon to use force against these groups earlier in the year. The operation, which followed the deployment of U.S. warships to the south Caribbean, was both praised and condemned across the region. Some Caribbean officials, facing their own battles against narcotics smuggling, expressed support. Others, including prominent human rights advocates, decried the action as a breach of legal norms and a dangerous precedent.
“Donald Trump ordered a summary execution by applying the much more permissive rules of war to what is a law enforcement situation,” said Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch and now a visiting professor at Princeton University, as quoted by The Wall Street Journal. The move, critics argue, breaks from the decades-old U.S. Coast Guard practice of capturing traffickers and bringing them to trial, rather than opting for lethal force.
The day after the strike, Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Mexico City for talks with President Claudia Sheinbaum. The agenda was clear: security cooperation and the ongoing fight against powerful drug cartels. At a press conference, Rubio declared, “We have reached a historical level of cooperation,” highlighting the transfer of dozens of cartel members wanted by the Trump administration as evidence of unprecedented bilateral coordination. Both countries agreed to form a high-level group to regularly coordinate on security matters, from countering cartels to eliminating clandestine border tunnels and stemming fuel theft.
Yet, even as the U.S. lauds these developments, Mexico’s government remains deeply cautious. President Sheinbaum has made it clear that while Mexico is committed to law enforcement cooperation and intelligence sharing, it will not allow U.S. troops to operate on its soil in antinarcotics missions. According to The Wall Street Journal, Sheinbaum turned down President Trump’s offer to deploy U.S. troops to dismantle Mexican cartels, insisting on the inviolability of Mexican sovereignty. “Each one in his own territory,” said Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico’s foreign minister, underscoring the limits of cooperation.
Mexico’s own security strategy is undergoing a fundamental shift. In mid-August 2025, the Defense Ministry announced the Estrategia de Intercepción Terrestre de Tres Barreras (Three Barriers Land Interception Strategy), aiming to halt the movement of drugs, weapons, and migrant traffic along key national routes. This initiative, reportedly part of Mexico’s security agreements with the USA, is a cornerstone of President Sheinbaum’s National Security Strategy, which has been submitted to Congress and is now awaiting debate.
A key—and controversial—element of Sheinbaum’s plan is the strengthening of Army intelligence to consolidate its role in public safety. According to Small Wars Journal, this has sparked concerns about a growing imbalance in Mexico’s security apparatus. Critics, including civil society groups and opposition parties, worry that increasing military control over intelligence could lead to coordination problems, a lack of transparency, and even human rights violations. The debate is further complicated by competing proposals: Omar García Harfuch, Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, is advocating for the creation of a civil intelligence and investigation service with 10,000 agents, signaling a push for greater civilian oversight.
The roots of this tension run deep. During the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024), militarization of public security increased, despite initial assurances to the contrary. López Obrador famously called for “abrazos, no balazos” (hugs, not gunfire), yet expanded the military’s roles in state affairs. The U.S. CIA’s World Factbook notes that the Mexican military is responsible not only for defending the nation’s sovereignty but also for internal security, disaster response, border control, and even managing strategic infrastructure such as ports and airports. The 2019 constitutional amendment granting the president authority to use the armed forces for internal security—upheld by the courts through 2028—has only cemented the military’s central role.
As Congress, now controlled by Sheinbaum’s Morena Party, prepares to debate the National Security Strategy, the stakes are high. The outcome will shape not only the future of civil-military relations in Mexico but also the delicate balance of cooperation and sovereignty in U.S.-Mexico security ties.
While these debates unfold at the highest levels, the effects of the security crackdown are being felt far beyond Mexico’s borders. On the morning of September 4, 2025, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation at a Hyundai facility in Atlanta led to the apprehension of 475 people. According to WSAV, the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta confirmed that 23 of those detained were Mexican nationals. The detainees were transported to an ICE Processing Center in Folkston, which is slated to become the largest immigration detention center in the South.
Consulate personnel have been active, meeting with detained Mexican workers, verifying their physical condition, providing legal advice, and maintaining contact with families. Most of the detainees opted to sign voluntary departure agreements and are expected to return to Mexico in the coming days, though the exact numbers remain undisclosed. The incident highlights the cross-border consequences of toughened security measures and the ongoing challenges faced by migrant workers caught in their wake.
Meanwhile, the Mexican navy remains one of the U.S.’s most important partners in stopping the flow of drugs, especially cocaine, through the Pacific corridor. Yet, as one senior Mexican naval officer told The Wall Street Journal, if the U.S. were to ask Mexico’s navy to engage in lethal force against traffickers, it would not only be illegal under Mexican law but could also severely damage the hard-won trust between the two militaries.
Looking ahead, Secretary Rubio made it clear that the Trump administration intends to expand lethal strikes on drug cartels in the region. “What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them,” Rubio said. “It’ll happen again.”
As Mexico navigates these turbulent waters—balancing domestic reform, international cooperation, and the demands of sovereignty—the choices made now will echo for years to come, shaping not only the nation’s security landscape but also its place on the world stage.
