IN THE past six weeks hostile pressure against Mexico from Washington has increased significantly, with a combination of lawfare and covert action.

The first public information indicating such action emerged when it was reported that, on April 16-17, four individuals had died in a road accident in the northern state of Chihuahua, two of them Mexicans (state police) and two US citizens (CIA agents).

There are indications that four or more CIA agents have been operating in Chihuahua which is illegal and unconstitutional for foreign agents to participate in enforcements actions in Mexico.

Also their presence, even in an advisory capacity, is a prerogative of Mexican federal authorities — state governments cannot invite them without prior authorisation by the federal government, normally the foreign secretary’s office. 

Chihuahua governor Maru Campos of the right-wing PAN party tried to justify this on the grounds of fighting crime, ignoring the key issue that it is unconstitutional and an infringement of sovereignty.

President Claudia Sheinbaum declared that there must be an explanation by the state government and by the US embassy, and the Mexican attorney general’s office started an investigation which will almost certainly lead to serious charges against Campos and others.

Sheinbaum, with her usual astute caution, avoided political polemic, insisting that it was not even a matter of ideology but of the law and the constitution.

Lawfare in action

The legal assault on Mexican sovereignty took a new turn on April 28 when the US Department of Justice, via the Southern District Court of New York, issued arrest warrants with extradition orders against 10 Mexican politicians, beginning with the state governor of Sinaloa, Ruben Rocha Moya, for alleged links to organised crime. 

This unprecedented action brought an immediate response by the Mexican attorney general’s office, pointing out that no arrest warrant is valid unless accompanied by clear documentary evidence, which was not the case; that even if such evidence did exist it must first be investigated by Mexico; and that the extradition treaty requires preliminary confidentiality of the identities of the accused, which had already been violated by the public US statements. 

Sheinbaum also insisted on the need for due legal process, and declared that if no firm evidence is presented, it is clear that the motivation for these accusations is political.

“It must be absolutely clear: on no account will we allow interference or intervention of a foreign government in decisions which belong exclusively to the Mexican people. Truth, justice and defence of sovereignty: that is our position.”

Treason by conservatives

Sheinbaum has also pointed out that it is the historic characteristic of Mexican conservatives to betray their own country for partisan gain: they are no different from Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who sold out Mexico in the disastrous US invasion of 1846-48 including the Gadsden Purchase in 1853, or the defeated conservatives who invited the French invasion of 1862.

She also declared that while her government would not protect any public official proven to be guilty of a crime, never before in history had US justice attempted to extradite a serving Mexican governor, mayor or senator, as was now the case.

La Jornada newspaper pointed out in its editorial of April 29 that the Chihuahua secretary of public security boasted that an entire floor of his department’s offices was occupied by US Drug Enforcement Agency and other officials. State government collaboration with US agents appeared to be systematic and not incidental.

In Sheinbaum regular morning press conference of May 19 Manuel Pedrero, a young and very diligent progressive journalist, revealed that he had received from the official Instagram account of the US embassy a personal message inviting him to participate in the “fight against false narratives.”

Pedrero did not reply, but noted a subsequent report in the Guardian alleging that the US Department of State was promoting global efforts to recruit journalists and influencers.

Sheinbaum thanked Pedrero for the information and pointed out that while the embassy had a right to contact him, it must not intervene in Mexican politics.

Pedrero also referred to the Chihuahua affair, showing a photograph of a state police van which displayed, alongside its state badge and identification, the letters “NYPD” and a New York state badge. Again, Sheinbaum thanked him and said that if accurate it was clearly illegal.

She went on to indicate that the extradition treaty with the US is supposed to be equal and reciprocal, but while since Amlo’s inauguration in December 2018 Mexico has sent over 90 indicted criminals to the US, Washington has not handed over a single individual in response to the 269 requests made by Mexico — 36 cases had been denied and the rest remained pending.

Yet another dubious matter recently revealed was a wide-reaching migration and security agreement signed in 2022 by Campos and Texas Republican governor Greg Abbott, apparently covering many matters which should be the preserve of federal governments on both sides of the border.

On May 21 Sheinbaum received the US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and insisted that while co-ordination will continue, operations in Mexico by US agents are not allowed.

Reaffirmation of sovereignty and solidarity

In her press conference the next day she said that some sectors of the US government (not all) have shown a lack of respect. She also declared that the US has a long history of interventionism in Latin America and that Mexico will always defend its own sovereignty and the principle of sovereignty and self-determination of all countries; she did not mention Cuba, but the context is clear enough.

On May 24 Sheinbaum reminded Mexicans that June 2 is the second anniversary of the general elections in which she and the Morena party with its allies had triumphed, confirming the continuation and further advance of the 4T Transformation.

She called on all citizens to celebrate and reaffirm the Transformation and the defence of Mexican sovereignty with mass rallies throughout the country on Sunday May 31.

David Raby is a retired professor of Latin American history, a freelance journalist and co-ordinator of the UK Mexico Solidarity Forum. He can be contacted on david.raby@mexicosolidarity.org.uk and on X @DLRaby.