Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has come to the defense of federal lawmakers from her party who have been designated by the US Treasury for alleged connections to the Sinaloa Cartel. She dismissed these allegations, contending that the US has not provided concrete evidence to warrant any investigation from Mexico.
During a recent press conference, Sheinbaum expressed that the US government had not supplied “sufficient evidence” regarding claims that federal representative Hilda Brown is involved in organized crime. This lack of evidence has led Mexican financial authorities to refrain from freezing any accounts or assets as suggested by their US counterparts.
“We don’t have enough evidence on our side to substantiate the money-laundering allegations that were made, and that decision rests with US authorities,” she stated when asked about Mexico’s role in relation to sanctions against members of the Brown and Mysos Sinaloa cartel. “If they provide their evidence, then we will consider opening an investigation.”
As reported, the US Treasury announced sanctions against notable figures associated with the Sinaloa cartel, including Juan Jose “El Ruso” Ponce Felix. In their release, Treasury officials identified Brown as the Mayor of Rosalito in Baja California, claiming that she used her position to protect the cartel.
Brown became a federal representative of Mexico’s ruling party, Morena, in September 2024.
The recent actions by US authorities to freeze Brown’s assets come amid significant upheaval within Mexico’s political scene, particularly as several high-ranking members of Morena have been implicated in various scandals related to organized crime. Notably, as previously reported, this includes links to a large-scale cartel fuel network and even accusations involving the two sons of former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
