Mexico targets American gun smugglers in response to naming cartels terrorists

• The designations prompted worries in Mexico about the U.S. military crossing the border to target the cartels, AP reported.
• Trump allies prior to his inauguration reportedly discussed a "soft invasion" of Mexico to target cartels with cross-border special forces operations or drone strikes.

Driving the news: Sheinbaum said at a press conference Thursday that the proposed reforms would shore up Mexico's sovereignty by ensuring foreign agents can't operate in Mexico without the permission and collaboration of the Mexican government, per AP.

• The reforms would also include calling for the highest penalties to be applied to foreigners who are found guilty of smuggling and distributing guns.

Zoom out: The U.S. is a major conduit for the flow of weapons into Mexico each year, helping fuel gun violence in the country.

• Earlier this month, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) introduced legislation aimed at curbing the supply of guns from the U.S. to Mexico.

• Roughly 200,000 to 500,000 American-made guns are trafficked into Mexico each year, primarily from sources like unlicensed gun dealers and straw purchasers, they said.

Reality check: Updating the country's constitution is just a first step in a long road towards prosecuting offenders of gun smuggling.

• The Mexican justice system has a large case backlog that can lead to delays in prosecutions. Statistics show that only about 40% of incarcerated people in Mexico have actually been convicted of a crime.

Go deeper: Who are the Latin American cartels the U.S. labeled as terrorist organizations