How Mexico Locked In Its Militarized Police State
- Mexico has formally integrated its National Guard under military control following a 2024 constitutional reform passed by the Chamber of Deputies, according to an analysis by Andrew Ivey...
- The 2024 constitutional reform officially places the National Guard, a force originally designed to bridge the gap between civilian policing and military operations, under the direct authority of...
- The transition occurs during a period of heightened diplomatic and security pressure from the United States, specifically under the Trump administration.
Mexico has formally integrated its National Guard under military control following a 2024 constitutional reform passed by the Chamber of Deputies, according to an analysis by Andrew Ivey for War on the Rocks. President Claudia Sheinbaum has embraced this structural change, finalizing a process that analysts describe as the entrenchment of a militarized police state.
Constitutional Shift to Military Control
The 2024 constitutional reform officially places the National Guard, a force originally designed to bridge the gap between civilian policing and military operations, under the direct authority of the armed forces. This move follows warnings issued by Andrew Ivey in 2021, when he argued that Mexico was moving toward a militarization trap. In that earlier analysis, Ivey noted that the creation and deployment of the National Guard risked permanently embedding military logic into domestic security.
The transition occurs during a period of heightened diplomatic and security pressure from the United States, specifically under the Trump administration.
The Evolution of the Militarization Trap
The current state of Mexican security reflects a trajectory that began years prior to the 2024 reform.
This structural decision is now backed by the current administration under President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has accepted the military’s expanded role in domestic governance.