Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has publicly denounced Americans suffering from addiction as the cause of her country facing a new set of tariffs from the Trump administration. She chose to condemn the victims of cartel drug trafficking, rather than the ruthless drug lord who enjoys Mexican government protection.
During a morning press conference, President Sinbaum said tariffs that overnight tariffs were unfair and would have a negative impact on both countries.
“The governments in that country (USA) must also address the opioid consumption crisis that has caused so many deaths in the US,” Sinbaum said. “It's a deep public health issue they have to deal with.”
The comment is a retort to a recent publication by the White House, which announced the implementation of tariffs in Mexico, claiming that “Mexican drug traffickers, the world's leading fentanyl trafficker, will operate unhindered by its unbearable relationship with the Mexican government.”
The White House further stated, “The Mexican government is giving cartels safe shelter to engage in the production and transport of dangerous drugs.
In her response, Sinbaum previously returned to a series of nationalistic comments, arguing that while he has stopped the flow of drugs for humanitarian reasons, he is working with the United States, but that the ultimate responsibility is the lack of government action in reducing US consumption and demand.
“We've said it in many ways: cooperation and coordination, yes, tempering and interventionism, no,” she said. “Mexico must be respected. We are an equal country.”
Mexico has pushed a PR strategy it claims to fight drug cartels and work with the US government as a way to avoid a series of tariffs and punitive measures. But the reality is very different.
In her comments, Sinbaum did not mention that her Secretary of Defense, Ricardo Trevira Trejo, has a long-standing friendship with the head of the new generation of Cartel Jalisco, Nemesio “El Mencho” Ausseguera Cervantes.
Furthermore, Sheinbaum did not mention that US law enforcement has tried to work with Mexico in the past, providing practical intelligence about the exact location of the cartel boss, which has mysteriously disappeared. As reported by Breitbart Texas, the leadership of El Mencho and Sinaloa Cartel's Los Chapitos and Los Mayos was able to escape capture thanks to protection from the Mexican government, despite the US government having accurate intelligence in their locations.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist for the Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded with Cartel Chronicles Project, Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart Management of the Breitbart News Foundation. You can follow him Twitter And on Facebook. You can contact him iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Derby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles Project of the Breitbart News Foundation with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart Management. Follow him Twitter and Facebook. You can contact him bdarby@breitbart.com.
