Trump repeats claim that cartels control Mexico

Reporting and context

U.S. President Donald Trump again claimed that drug cartels control Mexico and said he had told President Claudia Sheinbaum so, according to Nuevo Laredo TV. Speaking at a lunch in the White House gardens, he criticized Mexico’s ability to confront the groups while saying the two countries were working together.

Trump described Sheinbaum as a wonderful woman but said she was unhappy with his assessment. He argued that Mexico should be striking the cartels and claimed it was unable to do so.

Nuevo Laredo TV reported that Trump claimed drug flows by sea had fallen 97% and fentanyl flows 64% since he began attacks on suspected drug boats. Those percentages were presented as Trump’s claims; the account supplied no measurement period or underlying data. He said U.S. forces were pursuing what he described as the remaining 3% arriving by sea.

Trump said he had chosen to attack at sea first because it was more difficult. Referring to missile strikes on boats, he claimed the missiles never miss and asserted that people aboard the vessels were responsible for thousands of deaths. He also remarked that people no longer wanted to go fishing.

On land operations, Trump said attacks were only beginning, while also saying they had started several months earlier. He claimed U.S. authorities knew the cartels’ routes and where their members lived, promised to strike harder and said the groups had a limited time to surrender. The report did not identify specific land operations or locations.

Original report: Nuevo Laredo TV