The Secretariat of National Defense not only patrols the streets: it also seeks to control the courts.
With the judicial election on June 1, where positions in the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation and key courts will be renewed, the Mexican Army has entered the game.
It doesn't do so from the rear. It does so with candidates, structure, and operation.
One million votes at stake
The election, unprecedented in the country, will have an estimated participation of just 10% of the electoral roll.
That equals about 9 million votes.
With more than 300,000 active personnel and the power to mobilize their families, Sedena could contribute more than one million votes.
Enough to tip the balance in at least one of the contested seats.
Military profiles
Sedena, under the command of General Ricardo Trevilla, has already defined its strong cards:
- Ricardo Sodi Cuéllar, former president of the Superior Court of Justice of the State of Mexico.
- Zulema Mosri Gutiérrez, magistrate of the Federal Administrative Justice Court.
Both are on the ballots to reach the Supreme Court.
Religious and military ties
Sodi Cuéllar has a conservative profile. He comes from Anáhuac University, linked to the Legion of Christ.
That academic network has been a bridge between the Army and private education for years.
Sedena has channeled millions of pesos in scholarships and agreements with schools like the Instituto Cumbres, exclusive for military leaders and their children.
They have even organized seminars on National Security at these universities, with direct participation from generals like Salvador Cienfuegos.
Judiciary in uniform
Zulema Mosri is the wife of General Rafael Macedo de la Concha, former attorney general under Vicente Fox.
Her closeness to the Army and her current position in administrative justice make her ideal to expand military influence in the judiciary.
Neither her neoliberal origin seems to be a problem for Sedena, as long as she guarantees institutional protection.
The background: Sedena wants protection
With Claudia Sheinbaum, the Army has lost contracts, projects, and political presence.
The Secretariat of Security, now under Omar García Harfuch, has taken the center of the strategy.
Without public works or an open portfolio, the new field of power is the judiciary.
Placing a minister—or minister—in the Court, with green loyalties, could be the insurance Sedena needs for what's coming.
And they are already voting on it.
