Congressman Greg Stanton of Arizona, along with Representatives Joaquin Castro of Texas and Sara Jacobs of California, has introduced the No Unauthorized War in Mexico Act. The proposed legislation would prevent taxpayer funds from being used for any military action in Mexico that lacks Congressional approval.
The bill was introduced following recent U.S. strikes off the coast of Mexico and comments by former President Trump on Fox News indicating plans to target cartel operations on Mexican territory.
Stanton said, “Trump is threatening to start a military conflict in America’s own backyard. In no uncertain terms, unilateral military action against Mexico would be disastrous. This entire episode already threatens to undermine our two countries’ deeply intertwined economies and real cooperation to disrupt the illicit drug trade. America’s security goals must be achieved by working in partnership with Mexico, not attacking it—and certainly not without Congressional authorization.”
Castro added, “Launching the United States into another unnecessary—and unauthorized—war in Latin America is a destabilizing move that will come back to haunt the nation. My constituents in San Antonio don’t want the U.S. to spend billions in another war that risks destabilizing the region, mass migration, and human rights abuses. My legislation, the No Unauthorized War in Mexico Act, would protect our relationship with a close ally and prevent wasting taxpayer dollars on military force in Mexico.”
Jacobs stated, “War with Mexico—whether authorized or not—would put American and Mexican lives at risk and wreck America’s relationship with our most important trading partner. Bombing Mexico won’t successfully address the fentanyl crisis or the problems posed by the cartels; in fact, it could fuel both and provoke the cartels’ retaliation against American citizens. That’s why I’m proud to co-lead the No Unauthorized War in Mexico Act, which would prohibit any taxpayer dollars from being used to wage a reckless and lawless war against Mexico. We must do everything possible to stop the U.S. from making a catastrophic mistake that we can’t take back.”
Last week, Stanton and Castro sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing strong opposition to unilateral military action in Mexico without consent from both Congress and Mexican authorities. Jacobs joined this effort along with 72 other House Democrats.
Greg Stanton has represented Arizona’s 4th District since winning elections against Kelly Cooper in both 2022 (56% to 43%) and 2024 (52.7% to 45.5%).
More information about this legislation can be found at https://stanton.house.gov/2026/1/stanton-castro-jacobs-introduce-no-unauthorized-war-in-mexico-act
