Sheinbaum Dispatches García Harfuch and Defense Secretary to Sinaloa; Morena National Council Elects Ariadna Montiel as New Party President

At her Monday May 4 mañanera, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced two major developments. First, on the security front, Sheinbaum confirmed she had ordered Public Safety Secretary Omar García Harfuch and Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo to travel directly to Sinaloa to coordinate with newly installed interim Governor Yeraldine Bonilla Valverde — signaling federal intent to stabilize the state following Rocha Moya's departure. The dispatch of the two most senior security officials reflects the administration's awareness that Sinaloa state — already ground zero of the ongoing Chapitos-Mayiza cartel civil war — faces compounded governance risk. Sheinbaum cited security metrics under her administration: a 70% decrease in fentanyl trafficking volumes, a 97% reduction in illegal border crossings during the 10,000-strong National Guard border surge, and 644 clandestine drug labs dismantled across 17 states, with 2 million+ fentanyl pills seized and 29 high-value cartel targets transferred to U.S. custody. Second, Sheinbaum reported the results of the Morena National Council meeting held over the prior weekend: the party elected Ariadna Montiel Reyes as Morena's new National President, replacing Luisa María Alcalde Luján who had transitioned to the Executive Legal Office (Consejería Jurídica) effective May 1. The National Council also defined Morena's strategic priorities for the second half of 2026 in preparation for the 2027 midterm elections — which will contest all 500 Chamber of Deputies seats, 17 governorships, and thousands of local offices, making it the largest midterm in Mexican history. The first formal USMCA bilateral negotiating round remains scheduled for the week of May 25 in Mexico City.