President Trump has deployed military force against drug cartels, blasting dozens of suspected smugglers at sea and helping Ecuador bomb an apparent criminal training camp.
In recent days, he has announced the formation of a “new military alliance” made up of mostly right-wing governments across the Americas that he said are united “committed to using lethal military force to destroy sinister cartels and terrorist networks.”
“We need your help,” he told area leaders gathered Saturday at a golf club outside Miami. “Please tell us where they are.”
Read more: El Mencho’s Last Hideout: Blood, Bullets and the Luxurious Life of a Cartel Boss
On Monday, Mexico’s leader suggested that Washington should focus on other measures: curbing America’s voracious appetite for illegal drugs and cracking down on illegal arms trafficking.
“If the flow of illegal weapons from the United States to Mexico is stopped, these criminal gangs will not be able to obtain such high-performance weapons to carry out their criminal activities,” President Claudia Shinaboom said at a daily press conference. She cited U.S. Department of Justice statistics that 75% of the guns used by Mexican criminal gangs are smuggled from the United States.
Sheinbaum, whose stated strategy is to maintain a “cool head” in the face of Trump’s repeated verbal attacks, was responding to questions about Trump’s recent threats to deploy military assets in her country to fight cartels. Trump made the threat while speaking at a meeting of the newly formed Alliance Against Cartels of the Americas.
The meeting included some of Trump’s favored right-wing leaders, such as Argentine President Javier Milley and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.
The left-wing presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, Latin America’s three most populous countries, were not invited.
On Saturday, President Trump signed a proclamation pledging to combat cartel criminal activity at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, Florida. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)
In his speech, Trump specifically targeted Sheinbaum, mocking the Mexican president for his steadfast refusal of direct U.S. military assistance, which she said would violate Mexico’s sovereignty.
Trump first praised Sheinbaum — “She has a beautiful voice, a beautiful woman” — but then imitated her in a falsetto: “President. President. President,” he said. “No, no, no, please President.”
“We must realize [that] The epicenter of cartel violence is Mexico,” Trump continued. “Mexican cartels are fueling and orchestrating much of the bloodshed and chaos in this hemisphere. The U.S. government will take all necessary measures to defend our national security and the safety of the American people. “
It was one of Trump’s strongest comments yet about Mexico, which he has previously said is “run” by drug traffickers and that Scheinbaum is “so afraid of the cartels that she can’t think straight.”
Mexico is both a major corridor for South American cocaine to the U.S. market and a production area for fentanyl, methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs smuggled into the United States.
Read more: A horrific day unfolds in a small town after Mexican drug cartel boss “El Mencho” is killed
In part in response to U.S. pressure, Mexico has launched a wide-ranging crackdown over the last year or so, arresting hundreds of trafficking suspects, dismantling clandestine drug labs and turning over dozens of suspected drug cartel operatives to U.S. authorities. Last month, Mexico killed one of Mexico’s leading drug lords, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, nicknamed “El Mencho,” during a raid on his mountain hideout.
Asked about Trump’s comments over the weekend, Sheinbaum said she appreciated Trump’s accurate reflection of her rejection of U.S. troops entering Mexico. She showed no hostility to Trump’s derisive tone and said she would continue to support cooperation and intelligence sharing with Washington but not direct U.S. strikes.
More useful than military aid, she said, would be increased U.S. efforts to combat drug addiction.
“There is a very important aspect that needs to be addressed, and that is reducing drug use in the United States,” she said.
Sheinbaum also pointed out that the United States also has a problem with drug production, mentioning the Netflix series “Breaking Bad,” which tells the story of an Albuquerque high school teacher who cooks and sells methamphetamine.
“Yes, there is drug production in the United States,” Sheinbaum said. “So much so that they even made a TV series about it.”
special correspondent Cecilia Sanchez Vidal mexico city contributed to this report.
Sign up for Essential California to get news, features and recommendations from the Los Angeles Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
Your blog stands out in a sea of generic and formulaic content Your unique voice and perspective are what keep me coming back for more