Mexico as America's Adversary? Unpacking Pam Bondi's Warning

Mexico is no longer a passive neighbor—it is an active node in a geopolitical and criminal network increasingly aligned with America’s adversaries.

I. Introduction: A Bombshell Statement

Strategic Insight: Mexico is no longer a passive neighbor—it is an active node in a geopolitical and criminal network increasingly aligned with America’s adversaries.

On June 25, 2025, former U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi ignited controversy by grouping Mexico alongside Iran, Russia, and China as one of America's top adversaries. Delivered in the context of escalating Iran-Israel tensions during a Capitol Hill session, her declaration went beyond diplomatic caution. She framed Mexico not just as a problematic neighbor, but as an active threat—facilitating espionage, trafficking weapons, and "poisoning American youth" through fentanyl.

Rather than a rhetorical flourish, Bondi’s statement points to three overlapping threat vectors: narcotics warfare, strategic alignment with U.S. rivals, and cartel-collusion with terrorist entities. These trends have deepened under the Morena regime, spanning the administrations of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018–2024) and Claudia Sheinbaum (2024–present).

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II. Narcotics Warfare: The China–Mexico–U.S. Fentanyl Pipeline

Strategic Insight: Mexico is no longer merely failing to stop fentanyl; it has become the operational base of a binational supply chain—with China supplying and Mexico distributing—that is killing 100,000 Americans annually.

Bondi's strongest claim rests on the fentanyl crisis. Over 100,000 Americans die annually from opioid overdoses, many involving fentanyl produced in Mexico using Chinese precursor chemicals. Two dominant cartels—CJNG and Sinaloa—manage industrial-scale operations across Mexican territory, flooding the U.S. with lethal synthetic drugs.

Chinese organized crime groups, notably the Zhang network and other triads, facilitate the movement of precursors and assist with money laundering via Chinese-owned shell companies and real estate operations in Mexico. The U.S. Department of Justice and Treasury have sanctioned dozens of such facilitators.

Even more troubling, Mexican authorities under Morena have failed to meaningfully disrupt cartel supply chains. U.S. officials, including former DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee, have repeatedly expressed frustration over Mexico's lack of cooperation and the shrinking scope of joint operations since 2019.

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III. Espionage and Strategic Alignment with Adversaries

Strategic Insight: Mexico may not launch direct attacks—but by enabling, hosting, and tolerating adversarial actors, it is amplifying hostile influence within the Western Hemisphere.

Bondi’s comparison of Mexico to Russia and China may appear extreme—until one considers the evidence:

• Russia: According to Gen. Glen VanHerck (U.S. Northern Command, 2022), Mexico hosts the world’s largest contingent of Russian GRU agents outside Russia. The 2023 Operation Perseus uncovered Russian arms traffickers supplying cartels with military-grade weapons, including SA-7 surface-to-air missiles—threatening U.S. law enforcement aircraft.

• China: Through Conacyt-sponsored academic exchanges, Mexico has sent students and researchers to Chinese universities with ties to military or AI applications. Reports published by Global Americans and the Wilson Center note growing concerns over knowledge transfer and ideological indoctrination.

• Cuba: Cuba’s influence over Morena, evident through high-level visits, ideological alignment, and intelligence-sharing practices (e.g., medical brigades), reflects Cold War-style methods of state penetration. A 2021 CRS report documented Cuba’s intelligence footprint across Latin America, with Mexico flagged as a priority target.

These examples don’t suggest Mexico is a puppet of foreign adversaries—but they do demonstrate a pattern of drift, increasingly aligning Mexico with states that challenge U.S. interests.

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IV. Terrorist Linkages: Iran and Hezbollah via Mexican Cartels

Strategic Insight: Iran has already sought to weaponize Mexican cartels as tools of terrorism on U.S. soil. The enabling conditions still exist—and may be worsening.

Bondi’s reference to terrorist threats implicates Mexico through one alarming precedent: In 2011, Iran’s Quds Force attempted to hire Los Zetas to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington. Though foiled, the plot was a stark wake-up call for counterterrorism agencies.

Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, continues to operate via proxy networks in Latin America. Operation Titan (2008–2016) uncovered a money laundering scheme involving Hezbollah, Los Zetas, and Colombia’s La Oficina de Envigado. DEA and Colombian authorities seized over $23 million linked to narcoterrorism.

Mexico’s ungoverned territories and cartel logistics have been exploited by such actors for decades. The shift under Morena has seen diminished pressure on these networks, with fewer financial intelligence investigations and stalled bilateral cooperation.

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V. Aiding the Infrastructure of Adversaries: Venezuela, Colombia, and Beyond

Strategic Insight: Mexico’s partnerships with Venezuela, Colombia, and Cuba supply the criminal and ideological infrastructure for the threats Bondi identified—even if she did not name these nations directly.

Though not named by Bondi, Venezuela, Colombia, and Cuba are instrumental in sustaining the ecosystem Bondi critiques:

• Venezuela: The Cartel de los Soles, embedded in the Venezuelan military and government, ships cocaine to Mexico in exchange for weapons and money laundering routes. Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s transnational gang, operates inside Mexico with ties to human trafficking and migrant extortion. Maduro’s regime maintains friendly relations with Morena, with public visits and bilateral cooperation.

• Colombia: Colombia is the primary source of cocaine trafficked by Mexican syndicates. Cartels also recruit ex-FARC and ELN fighters, bolstering tactical capability. AMLO and Sheinbaum’s overtures to Colombia’s leftist government under Gustavo Petro have prioritized ideological solidarity over joint security.

• Cuba: Ideologically, Cuba remains Morena’s intellectual and strategic ally. Cuban influence permeates health, education, and political training programs in Mexico. Intelligence-sharing and cadre exchanges occur under the guise of medical or academic cooperation.

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VI. Final Assessment: Was Bondi Right?

Strategic Insight: Bondi’s warning is not hyperbole—it is a forecast rooted in observable trends of security degradation, ideological realignment, and foreign collusion.

Pam Bondi's inclusion of Mexico among America’s top adversaries sparked diplomatic outrage—but closer examination shows the claim is grounded in evidence. From fentanyl trafficking and state-backed espionage to ideological convergence and terrorist facilitation, Mexico’s posture under Morena has shifted dangerously.

Critics may argue Mexico retains formal ties to the U.S. and cooperates selectively on security. Yet the trendline is clear: under AMLO and Sheinbaum, Mexico has distanced itself from the West and tilted toward an illiberal, anti-U.S. axis.

Mexico may not match Iran, China, or Russia in power—but in enabling, hosting, and tolerating their tactics and allies, it has become a strategic risk.

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Sources:

• InsightCrime. (2023). The Maduro-Hezbollah Nexus. https://insightcrime.org

• Global Americans. (2024). How is China Involved in Organized Crime in Mexico?

https://theglobalamericans.org

• San Diego Union-Tribune. (2023). Mexicans, Russian Mob New Partners in Crime.

• Congressional Research Service. (2021). Latin American Terrorism: The Cuban Connection.

• Reuters. (2025). Mexico’s Security Chief on Cartel Recruitment.

• DEA Reports. (2023–2024). Operation Perseus, Operation Titan, Fentanyl Precursor Networks.

• U.S. Northern Command. (2022). Posture Statement to Senate Armed Services Committee.

• Wilson Center. (2023). China-Latin America Academic Exchange Risks Report.