What Is Mexico’s New National Guard Law? Everything You Need to Know
Mexico's Congress approves new National Guard Law, fully militarizing the force as Sheinbaum advances AMLO's security legacy.
June 2025 marked an important inflection point in Mexico’s democratic tradition under the Sheinbaum administration. The president announced a package of sweeping security reforms to be sent to Congress, aimed at restructuring Mexico’s approach to public safety and intelligence architecture, and Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies approved the new National Guard law.
There are three distinct, but interrelated reforms:
The New National Guard Law
The National Intelligence and Investigation System Law*
The General National Public Security System Law*
Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies passed the National Guard Law, 349 votes in favor (Morena and allies) to 132 votes in opposition. The Mexican Senate passed the legislation on June 30th, with 75 votes in favor and 34 in opposition.
The other two laws* were introduced and approved by the Chamber of Deputies in the last week of June. More information about these new laws can be found here.
From Civilian Force to Military Command: The Evolution of Mexico’s National Guard
One of the signature “achievements” of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO) administration was the development of Mexico’s National Guard in 2019 and the subsequent 2024 constitutional reform that placed the National Guard under the control of Mexico’s military, or more specifically, the Secretariat of National Defense (also known as Sedena). AMLO originally billed the National Guard as a civilian security force, an effort to “return the military to its barracks” after more than a decade of violence spurred by then-president Felipe Calderón’s War on Drugs. AMLO argued that establishing a new force would ensure transparency and accountability, while also combating corruption.
AMLO’s Vision: A Civilian Security Force to Combat Corruption
Whereas supporters of the reform argued that this move would strengthen the National Guard and make it more efficient, opponents argued that this reform marked an irrevocable and undeniable shift toward increasing militarization in Mexico – particularly given the National Guard’s expanding and increasingly prominent role in civilian activities, including customs enforcement, immigration control, and even infrastructure construction projects like the controversial Tren Maya. Opponents argued that granting the military control over the National Guard “further reduced government transparency,” potentially leading to increased rates of impunity and posing a significant threat to human rights.
In 2023, Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled AMLO’s attempts to shift control of the National Guard from the Public Safety Ministry to the military unconstitutional. Nevertheless, during the last week of AMLO’s presidential term, Congress approved the reform, thus placing the National Guard under the control of the Mexican military.
Sheinbaum’s National Guard Law: What is Mexico’s National Guard?
Nine months later, the Sheinbaum administration introduced a package of reforms aimed at further institutionalizing the National Guard’s role. The reform consists of a new National Guard law and changes to eight secondary laws. The new National Guard law stipulates that the Mexican National Guard is a permanent and professional public security force that consists of police-trained military personnel. The law fully militarizes the once civilian National Guard. The National Guard will be “administratively and operationally” linked to Mexico’s military and adapt the National Guard’s organizational structure to follow that of the military, making National Guardsmen subject to military criminal jurisdiction. Moreover, the head of the National Guard is to be appointed by the Mexican Army and to hold the rank of Major General.
What Can the National Guard Now Legally Do?
Most notably, and concerningly, however, the reform grants the National Guard newly established intelligence powers, including permission to conduct covert operations, tap phones (with court-ordered approval), and request geolocation and usage data from telecommunications companies. The reforms also permit the National Guard to collaborate with the police to carry out joint operations. With the approval of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the National Guard is eligible to conduct criminal investigations.
The Return of Soldiers to Politics: Echoes of Post-Revolutionary Mexico
The reform also introduces a special form of “military leave” for active-duty soldiers and National Guardsmen to permit them to run for elected office and hold civilian government positions. Critics argue that this poses a fundamental threat to Mexico’s democracy by blurring the line between the military and the civilian government, a separation established in the wake of the Mexican Revolution to prevent military overreach into politics. Permitting members of Mexico’s military to hold public office presents the possibility of concentrating power in the hands of the military, thus potentially accelerating Mexico’s shift toward authoritarianism. Sheinbaum has pushed back against this criticism, stating that the Constitution of 1917 and the 1986 Law of the Mexican Army and Air Force, and arguing that the criticisms against the reforms are “pure ignorance.”
Militarization’s Ripple Effects on Democracy and Bilateral Cooperation
The implications of these reforms extend well beyond Mexico’s internal security architecture. For Mexico’s democracy, they threaten to erode the carefully maintained separation between civilian and military power that has anchored political stability since the post-revolutionary period. By expanding military jurisdiction, granting intelligence powers to the National Guard, and opening pathways for military personnel to hold civilian office, the reforms raise serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and the protection of human rights. These changes also have important ramifications for the US-Mexico relationship. As both countries deepen cooperation on security, migration, and trade (particularly amid growing interest in nearshoring) the militarization of Mexico’s domestic governance risks undermining shared commitments to democratic norms and the rule of law.