Mexico’s government has sued Google after it renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” on Google Maps following Trump’s order.
President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the lawsuit on Friday, May 9, 2025, during a press conference, criticizing Google’s decision to adopt the U.S. naming directive.
It could be recalled that on January 20, Trump signed an executive order to rename the northern part of the gulf as “Gulf of America” under U.S. jurisdiction.
Google followed the order by updating U.S. map labels to reflect “Gulf of America” for users inside the United States.
Rhetorically, Google Maps now shows “Gulf of Mexico” in Mexico, and “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)” for all other global users.
Sheinbaum said the renaming overreaches U.S. authority and mislabels Mexico’s sovereign territory in violation of international naming practices.
In February, Sheinbaum warned of possible legal action unless Google reversed its decision on the map label change.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry also urged Google through official letters not to alter the historically recognized name of the body of water.
Google defended the change, citing its policy to follow official local naming standards within each country’s recognized boundaries.
Cris Turner, Google’s VP for Government Affairs, said the company applies “longstanding map policies impartially and consistently across all regions.”
Sheinbaum argued Trump’s executive order only applied to the U.S. continental shelf, not to Mexican or Cuban-controlled waters.
Mexico controls 49% of the gulf, the U.S. controls 46%, and Cuba governs 5%, according to Sovereign Limits boundary data.
“What Google is doing is renaming Mexico and Cuba’s waters—Trump’s order didn’t apply there,” Sheinbaum told reporters in February.
The Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for over 400 years and remains globally recognized by governments and institutions.
Google began showing “Gulf of America” for U.S. users shortly after Trump returned to office and signed the directive.
Republicans in the U.S. House passed the Gulf of America Act 211–206 to support codifying Trump’s renaming order into law.
The legislation now heads to the Senate, where debate is expected over its implications for international naming and diplomacy.
The lawsuit adds diplomatic pressure on Google amid rising tension between Mexico and the United States over regional sovereignty.
Mexico demands Google revise its Maps label to respect international law and historical naming conventions used worldwide.
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