Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum asked the United States on Monday to limit illegal arms trafficking to drug cartels in her country, after American President Donald Trump criticized the results in the fight against these groups, reports AFP, quoted by Agerpres.
On Saturday, Donald Trump criticized Mexico during a meeting with leaders of allied Latin American countries, dedicated to fighting the “cancer” of drug cartels.
From Florida, the Republican officially launched “a military coalition” with several Latin American allies to “eradicate” these cartels, if necessary through the use of missiles.
In front of twelve leaders, some of them enthusiastic supporters of the US president's nationalist rhetoric, Trump described Mexico as the “epicenter of cartel violence”, arguing that they “control” the country.
Stopping the flow of weapons
Asked about it Monday during her regular press conference, Claudia Sheinbaum put the blame back on the United States.
“If the flow of illegal weapons from the United States to Mexico is stopped, then these groups will not have access to this type of powerful weaponry to carry out their activities,” the left-wing leader said, stating that 75% of the weapons in the hands of criminal groups in Mexico come from its northern neighbor.
Under pressure from the Trump administration to stop the flow of drugs to the United States, Claudia Sheinbaum has taken steps to strengthen Mexico's fight against organized crime.
Last month, the Mexican military killed one of the most wanted drug traffickers in Mexico and the United States, Nemesio Oseguera, head of the powerful Jalisco Nueva Generacion Cartel (CJNG).
Claudia Sheinbaum accepts that Mexico can share information with Washington, but opposes any US military intervention against cartels on Mexican soil.
“The operations in Mexico are led by the armed forces, the Ministry of Security, the National Guard, the police forces of the federated states and prosecutors,” she insisted on Monday.
