A weapons and ammunition seizure at the United States-Mexico border, Mexico’s upcoming judicial elections and the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup were among the issues discussed at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Wednesday morning press conference.
Here is a recap of the president’s March 19 mañanera.
Sheinbaum celebrates seizure of weapons bound for Mexico
A reporter asked the president about the announcement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that it had seized 16 firearms, 26 magazines and 182 rounds of ammunition during an outbound examination of a vehicle at the Del Rio Port of Entry in Texas on Monday.
“I’m glad you asked,” Sheinbaum said.
She highlighted that the Mexican government reached an agreement with its U.S. counterpart under which Mexico committed to working to stem the northward flow of narcotics and migrants and the United States committed to work to avoid the southward flow of firearms.
Sheinbaum described the CBP’s announcement of the firearms seizure in Texas as “very good.”
“… It means that they’re inspecting vehicles that come to Mexico from the United States. … So we see that the [bilateral security] coordination is in fact working,” she said.
Del Rio CBP Officers Shut Down Mexico-bound Weapons Smuggling Attempt: @DFOLaredo @CBP officers at #DelRio Port of Entry seize 16 weapons, 26 magazines, 182 rounds in outbound examination. @TxDPS is investigating. Read more: https://t.co/wnwgAwkHKC pic.twitter.com/I7k2aFtsKq
— CBP South Texas (@CBPSouthTexas) March 18, 2025
“We’re continuing with the [Northern] Border Operation to prevent fentanyl, in particular, from reaching the United States and they’re helping us so that weapons don’t arrive in Mexico from the United States,” Sheinbaum said.
In a statement, the CBP said that three of the 16 weapons seized were “5.56mm AR-style rifles.”
High-powered weapons smuggled into Mexico from the United States often end up in the hands of drug cartel members who frequently use the firearms to commit serious crimes including murder.
Following Monday’s confiscation, Del Rio Port of Entry director Liliana Flores said “that frontline CBP officers take CBP’s border security mission seriously, and this large outbound weapons seizure reflects our firm commitment and resolve to uphold that mission.”
“Large weapons seizures like these, coupled with ongoing coordination between state and federal law enforcement partners exemplify our continued efforts to help keep our border communities safe and secure, on both sides of the river,” she said.
While the CBP said it seized “a significant cache of weapons, magazines, and ammunition” on Monday, there is plenty more work to be done in order to significantly reduce the number of firearms coming into Mexico from the United States. The Mexican government has estimated that at least 200,000 guns are smuggled into Mexico from the U.S. each year.
No security threats to upcoming judicial elections, says interior minister
A reporter asked Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez whether there were any security risks that could threaten the staging of Mexico’s first-ever judicial elections on June 1.
“No, not at all, but we’re continuing to review [the situation],” Rodríguez said.
“We see that in some places, sometimes the residents themselves don’t allow the installment [of voting centers] due to usos y costumbres,” she said, referring to an Indigenous governing code used in some parts of Mexico.
The interior minister also said that the National Electoral Institute — which is organizing the judicial elections — knows that it “can always count on the support of the [federal government’s] security cabinet.”
“… We will look at what is necessary, everything that is necessary” to guarantee that the judicial elections are not threatened by insecurity, Rodríguez said.
“That’s the instruction we’ve received from the president,” she added.
There are concerns that organized crime groups could seek to influence the outcome of the judicial elections in order to install judges that are sympathetic to their interests and thus hand down favorable rulings and/or lenient sentences in cases involving their members.
It is that kind of corruption that the federal government says it is aiming to get rid of in the nation’s judiciary with the election of new judges, including Supreme Court justices.
The elections will take place on June 1 thanks to the Congress’ approval of a controversial judicial reform last year.
2026 FIFA World Cup update
A reporter asked the president whether she could dedicate part of a future mañanera to providing an update on the progress the Mexico City, Jalisco and Nuevo León governments have made in preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada.
“Yes,” responded Sheinbaum.
“We’re going to meet soon with [Mexico City Mayor] Clara [Brugada]; she’s very advanced on a lot of issues, and Rosa Icela [Rodríguez] has been reviewing all the 2026 World Cup issues,” Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum added that Nuevo León Governor Samuel García and Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus have also been “very involved” in the preparations for the World Cup, which will be held in June and July of 2026.
Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara will host matches at the quadrennial tournament, the world’s most-watched sporting event.
Sheinbaum said that FIFA president Giovanni Infantino will soon come to Mexico to assess the country’s World Cup preparations himself.
“I don’t remember the date, but he’s going to come soon. We’re working [on the World Cup], and with pleasure we’ll present [the progress that has been made] so that everyone knows what to expect,” she said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
