President Claudia Sheinbaum has dramatically reshaped Mexico’s security approach in her first months in office, earning rare praise from U.S. President Donald Trump and shifting the tone of bilateral relations that had grown increasingly hostile.
According to a recent report by the Financial Times, Sheinbaum’s aggressive crackdown on organized crime and pivot from her predecessor’s softer stance has helped thaw tensions with Washington, particularly under Trump’s second presidency. Trump, who previously blasted Mexico over what he called its “intolerable alliance” with drug cartels, has now commended Sheinbaum as “a wonderful woman” for her efforts to stem fentanyl smuggling into the United States.
“She’s remarkable,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, while some of Trump’s fiercest allies in Congress — once outspoken critics of Mexico — now describe the country as “willing partners” in combating transnational crime.
Facing a surge of violence at home and mounting pressure from the U.S., Sheinbaum swiftly abandoned the “hugs not bullets” strategy of her mentor and predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Instead, she has launched a more hardline offensive on organized crime, reviving federal policing, enhancing cooperation with the U.S., and dramatically boosting arms and drug seizures.
In her first 100 days, Sheinbaum’s administration reportedly seized over 100 times more firearms and 2,000 times more drugs than under López Obrador during a comparable period. She has also overseen the arrest of more suspected organized crime figures in six months than her predecessor did during his entire term.
Central to this transformation is Omar García Harfuch, Sheinbaum’s security chief and a former police officer who survived a cartel assassination attempt. Under her leadership, he has been granted expanded powers and is building a new elite federal police force to replace the one dismantled under the previous administration.
“It’s an enormous contrast in terms of expertise,” said Eduardo Guerrero, a Mexican security analyst. “We went from amateurism to a professional in security.”
In a bold show of cooperation, Sheinbaum delivered 29 high-profile drug traffickers to the U.S., including a long-sought cartel boss, bypassing the usual extradition protocols. The unprecedented move has been matched by increased intelligence sharing and surveillance collaboration between the two countries.
Despite early signs of progress — including a 15% drop in homicides and declines in other crimes — Mexico still faces grave challenges. Disappearances remain near record highs, and brutal cartel violence continues in regions like Sinaloa, where families fear sending children to school amid turf wars.
Critics caution that the administration’s visible alignment with U.S. security priorities may come at the expense of deeper systemic reforms. Falko Ernst, a Mexico-based security expert, warned that Mexico’s current approach may be “playing the PR game” to satisfy U.S. demands rather than enacting a long-term strategy.
Compounding the challenge is Mexico’s fiscal reality. With the country facing its largest budget deficit since the 1980s, Sheinbaum has been forced to slash the security budget by double digits, leaving García Harfuch reliant on the military and underfunded local forces — often plagued by corruption.
While Sheinbaum’s actions have helped defuse Trump’s more aggressive rhetoric — for now — the future of U.S.-Mexico relations remains uncertain. Reports from NBC and others suggest that Washington is quietly considering drone strikes against cartel targets inside Mexico, a potential red line for Sheinbaum’s left-leaning government.
As the Financial Times noted, although the U.S. has praised Mexico’s recent efforts, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to deter further pressure from the Trump administration. “Whether that’s going to suffice, and that’s going to just let Trump ease its more aggressive policies on Mexico? I question that,” said Lila Abed of the Wilson Center.
