Mexico's president warned Friday that foreigners engaging in espionage not authorized by her government will face severe punishment under planned constitutional reforms announced after Washington designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Claudia Sheinbaum outlined two proposals sent Thursday to Congress, which is dominated by her coalition, after Trump targeted eight Latin American drug trafficking groups, including six from Mexico. 

"Any foreigner who carries out an activity that is not within the framework of collaboration, coordination and the national security law, if arrested, will be given the most severe penalty possible," she told a news conference. While Sheinbaum has pledged to cooperate with Washington, she warned Thursday that her country would never tolerate an "invasion" of its national sovereignty, amid concerns about possible US military action against cartels. 

She said her planned constitutional reforms would protect "the integrity, independence and sovereignty of the nation" including against the violation of its territory by land, air or sea. It would also prohibit any foreign participation in investigations or prosecutions without the country's authorization, she added. Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in the White House last month saying that the cartels "constitute a national security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime."

 Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has been given a prominent role in the Trump administration, suggested the designation "means they're eligible for drone strikes." But US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington's preference was "to work in conjunction with our partners in Mexico." Sheinbaum confirmed this week that US drones were spying on Mexican cartels as part of a collaboration that she said had existed for years.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)