MEXICO CITY — In a move that has sent shockwaves through the Latin American political landscape, Alejandro Moreno, the president of Mexico’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), has formally requested that the United States State Department designate Mexico’s ruling party, Morena, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
The petition, which marks an unprecedented escalation in the friction between Mexico’s opposition and the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum, seeks to leverage U.S. federal law to scrutinize the political movement founded by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Moreno, a prominent and vocal critic of the current government, publicized the written request via social media, framing the move as a necessary step to "save Mexican democracy" from what he characterizes as an entrenched narco-state.
The formal request submitted to Washington is built upon a series of grave allegations regarding the relationship between the Morena party and organized crime syndicates. Moreno, who leads the country’s third-largest political force, asserts that there is a documented pattern of collusion between high-ranking Morena officials and criminal cartels.
"The petition is based on the clear and evident links between MORENA and organized crime groups. There are clear precedents," Moreno stated in his public address.
In the document, Moreno draws a direct historical parallel to the Spanish political party Batasuna, which was outlawed in 2003 after being identified as the political wing of the armed separatist group ETA. Moreno argues that Morena functions in a similar capacity, providing a political facade for criminal interests. "Today we point to a similar case in Mexico, where organized crime, in alliance with MORENA, has interfered in electoral processes, operated with political backing, and received protection in return," Moreno wrote in the petition.
The PRI's decision to seek international intervention comes at a time when Morena holds a near-hegemonic grip on the Mexican state. Since its breakthrough victory in 2018, the party has expanded its influence to include the Presidency of the Republic, total control of both chambers of the Federal Congress, and gubernatorial control over 24 of Mexico’s 31 states—representing jurisdiction over more than 70% of the national population.
However, Moreno and other opposition leaders point to a disturbing correlation between Morena’s rise and the deterioration of national security. Since 2018, indicators of violence have reached historic highs. The country has seen a marked increase in forced disappearances and a surge in political violence, with candidates from all ideological backgrounds being targeted by cartel-linked assassins during election cycles.
"Mexico cannot normalize having political power linked to organized crime," Moreno added. "The country deserves a clean government with no ties to the criminals who have filled the nation with violence."
While Moreno’s rhetoric is pointed, the legal path to an FTO designation is notoriously difficult. Under U.S. law, the Secretary of State must demonstrate that an organization engages in terrorist activity that threatens the security of U.S. nationals or the national security of the United States. To date, Moreno has not publicly released the specific evidence or intelligence dossiers submitted to the State Department to back his claims of direct collusion. Legal analysts suggest that while the U.S. has designated various Mexican cartels as significant criminal threats, applying a terrorist label to a democratically elected ruling party of a major trade partner would be a radical departure from traditional diplomacy.
The Sheinbaum administration has characterized the petition as a desperate act of "treason" by an opposition that has lost its footing with the Mexican electorate. Morena officials have dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated, designed to invite foreign interference into sovereign Mexican affairs.
The move also places the U.S. State Department in a delicate position. With the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) up for review and ongoing cooperation required on migration and fentanyl trafficking, a formal response to the PRI’s petition could have significant ramifications for bilateral relations in 2026.
As the petition makes its way through bureaucratic channels in Washington, the domestic atmosphere in Mexico remains tense. For Moreno and the PRI, the move is a high-stakes gamble intended to internationalize the struggle against Morena’s dominance. For the ruling party, it is further evidence of an opposition that they claim is willing to jeopardize national stability for political gain.
"The world must see what is happening in Mexico," Moreno concluded. "We are no longer just dealing with political differences; we are dealing with the safety of a continent."
