Trump claims fentanyl flows fell 64%

Reporting and context

President Donald Trump claimed at a White House Rose Garden event that drug cartels govern Mexico and said he had delivered that assessment directly to President Claudia Sheinbaum, according to ZETA Tijuana’s October 15 report.

Trump said the two governments were working together, but repeated his criticism of Mexico’s security situation while describing Sheinbaum favorably. He said she was unhappy with his assertions about cartel control.

ZETA Tijuana reported that Trump also claimed a 64% decline in fentanyl entering the United States and said his administration’s operations were only beginning. The article provides no comparison period or underlying figures for that percentage. The figure remains Trump’s assertion about fentanyl flows.

On security operations, Trump said ground deployments were not yet operating at full capacity. He described maritime drug trafficking as the initial priority, arguing that operations against boats were more difficult. The event honored first responders and volunteers supporting rescue work, the outlet reported.

The report placed his remarks alongside Sheinbaum’s broader defense of Mexican sovereignty. It said she had linked statements from Washington, including those of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to U.S. electoral politics ahead of November voting.

Sheinbaum has argued that Mexico’s security situation should not be used as campaign propaganda. According to ZETA Tijuana, she accused conservative U.S. political groups of using drug trafficking to advance electoral aims and justify interventionist positions. Those are her allegations about their motives, alongside Trump’s claims about cartel power.

Original reporting: ZETA Tijuana.