Mexican Politicians Call for ‘Terrorism’ Term when Referring to Cartel Attacks

January 26, 2026
10:56 am

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Mexican politicians are pushing back hard against their own government's soft-pedaling of cartel savagery, demanding that hyper-violent attacks—like the recent massacres leaving dozens dead in places like Guerrero and Sinaloa—be officially labeled as terrorism. This comes despite President Claudia Sheinbaum's stubborn insistence that these aren't terror acts, but mere social issues tied to poverty and inequality. It's a classic case of semantic gymnastics: by refusing the terrorism tag, Mexico's leaders avoid the legal and international obligations that come with it, like deploying full military force or seeking U.S. counter-terror aid. Sources close to the debate, including opposition lawmakers and security experts, argue this denialism has allowed cartels to morph into de facto terrorist organizations, complete with IEDs, assassinations of officials, and control over entire regions—echoing tactics of ISIS or al-Qaeda, but fueled by fentanyl profits flooding north. The context here is Mexico's decade-plus hugs not bullets disaster under the Morena party, where downplaying cartel power has led to over 180,000 murders since 2018, per official stats. Sheinbaum's predecessor, AMLO, famously partied with cartel bosses while U.S. cities choked on their poison, and now her administration clings to the same delusion. Calling it terrorism would shatter the narrative that guns—not governance—are the problem, exposing how Mexico's 99% civilian disarmament (only 0.06% of citizens legally own firearms) leaves everyday people defenseless against narco death squads armed with U.S.-sourced weapons that Mexico hypocritically blames on American gun shops. For the 2A community, this is a stark warning shot: when governments neuter self-defense rights and coddle monsters by euphemism, tyranny fills the void. It underscores why the Second Amendment isn't optional—it's the firewall against imported chaos. As cartels eye U.S. border towns for expansion, imagine the horror if American disarmament advocates got their way. Politicians north of the border take note: label evil correctly, or it metastasizes. Arm up, stay vigilant—this isn't just Mexico's fight.

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Mexican politicians are pushing back hard against their own government’s soft-pedaling of cartel savagery, demanding that hyper-violent attacks—like the recent massacres leaving dozens dead in places like Guerrero and Sinaloa—be officially labeled as terrorism. This comes despite President Claudia Sheinbaum’s stubborn insistence that these aren’t terror acts, but mere social issues tied to poverty and inequality. It’s a classic case of semantic gymnastics: by refusing the terrorism tag, Mexico’s leaders avoid the legal and international obligations that come with it, like deploying full military force or seeking U.S. counter-terror aid. Sources close to the debate, including opposition lawmakers and security experts, argue this denialism has allowed cartels to morph into de facto terrorist organizations, complete with IEDs, assassinations of officials, and control over entire regions—echoing tactics of ISIS or al-Qaeda, but fueled by fentanyl profits flooding north.

The context here is Mexico’s decade-plus hugs not bullets disaster under the Morena party, where downplaying cartel power has led to over 180,000 murders since 2018, per official stats. Sheinbaum’s predecessor, AMLO, famously partied with cartel bosses while U.S. cities choked on their poison, and now her administration clings to the same delusion. Calling it terrorism would shatter the narrative that guns—not governance—are the problem, exposing how Mexico’s 99% civilian disarmament (only 0.06% of citizens legally own firearms) leaves everyday people defenseless against narco death squads armed with U.S.-sourced weapons that Mexico hypocritically blames on American gun shops.

For the 2A community, this is a stark warning shot: when governments neuter self-defense rights and coddle monsters by euphemism, tyranny fills the void. It underscores why the Second Amendment isn’t optional—it’s the firewall against imported chaos. As cartels eye U.S. border towns for expansion, imagine the horror if American disarmament advocates got their way. Politicians north of the border take note: label evil correctly, or it metastasizes. Arm up, stay vigilant—this isn’t just Mexico’s fight.

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