Sheinbaum points to U.S. drug consumption and arms production after Trump criticism

Reporting and context

Claudia Sheinbaum answered Donald Trump’s criticism of Mexico by pointing to the United States’ own drug consumption and arms production, while saying she would avoid escalating the dispute to protect bilateral cooperation.

According to Noticaribe, Trump said at the United Nations General Assembly that Mexico was “the epicenter of cartel violence” and questioned the Mexican government’s control of its territory. He also described as “unacceptable” the United States sharing an approximately 2,000-mile border with territory he said was controlled by cartels.

Sheinbaum said during her morning conference at the National Palace that she could respond by highlighting the United States’ high level of illicit drug consumption and its production of weapons that reach Mexico. “I could say: it is very difficult to live next to a country that has such a high level of illicit drug consumption,” she said, adding that she would not make that argument in those terms.

Noticaribe reported that Sheinbaum instead emphasized that Mexico maintains a good relationship with Trump and the U.S. government and that security coordination will continue. She has argued that the fight against drug trafficking requires shared responsibility because drugs move toward the United States while illegal weapons flow into Mexico.

The president also linked criminal groups’ firepower to weapons trafficking from the United States, and said Washington should account for its own response to drug consumption, money laundering and arms trafficking. The exchange comes as the two governments maintain security cooperation while disagreeing over each country’s responsibilities and the extent of U.S. involvement.