President Claudia Sheinbaum spent quite a bit of time speaking about the security situation in Sinaloa at her Wednesday morning press conference.
She also revealed that she will travel to the violence-stricken northern state later this month, but stated that her visit would be focused on infrastructure projects rather than security issues.
Toward the end of her mañanera, Sheinbaum made a brief comment about Donald Trump’s recent taunting of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, even though she said on Tuesday that she wouldn’t engage in tit-for-tat public dialogue with the former and future United States president.
Sheinbaum repeats AMLO claim that US was involved in ‘El Mayo’ arrest
While speaking about the security situation in Sinaloa, Sheinbaum asserted that “the arrest of a drug trafficker” in the United States — alleged Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada — was the result of a U.S. “operation.”
The U.S. government, she added, “didn’t inform” the Mexican government about the “operation.”
Sheinbaum’s remarks came almost three months after former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador claimed that the U.S. government was partly to blame for the wave of cartel violence in Sinaloa because it carried out an “operation” that resulted in the arrest of Zambada in the U.S. on July 25.
By “operation” the ex-president apparently meant a negotiation with another alleged Sinaloa Cartel leader, Joaquín Guzmán López, that he believes resulted in the delivery of Zambada to U.S. law enforcement authorities at an airport near El Paso, Texas.
The U.S. government has denied any involvement in the capture of Zambada, who alleges he was abducted and forced onto a U.S.-bound plane by Guzmán López, one of Los Chapitos, as the sons of convicted drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera are known.
Sheinbaum said Wednesday that the arrest of Zambada “triggered this wave of violence in Sinaloa” – i.e. a fierce war between the “Los Mayos” and “Los Chapitos” factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.
A long-running conflict between the rival groups escalated in September and has claimed more than 500 lives since then.
The presence of the federal security minister in Sinaloa was ‘welcomed,’ president says
Sheinbaum told reporters that “there were very significant results” during the time Security Minister Omar García Harfuch spent in Sinaloa last week.
There were “very significant arrests” and drug seizures, and García met with members of the Sinaloa business community and the state’s security cabinet, she said.
“We’re going to continue getting results in Sinaloa and the whole country,” Sheinbaum said.
She asserted that the security strategy in Sinaloa has been strengthened as a result of García’s visit.
“There is different coordination now,” the president said.
She acknowledged that there is still fear and concerns about the security situation in Sinaloa among residents of the northern state, but stressed that she had “information” that the presence of García was very much “welcomed.”
“… It would be very good if that was also reported in the article,” Sheinbaum told a journalist, referring to a report on violence in Culiacán that was published by the El Universal newspaper on Wednesday.
‘I don’t think Canada should be spoken about like that’
A reporter noted that Trump called Prime Minister Trudeau “governor” of “the Great State of Canada” in a social media post, and asked Sheinbaum how she would respond if the president-elect referred to her in a similar way.
“I don’t think Canada should be spoken about in that way,” she said.
“Canada is also a free, independent, sovereign country. … I think that we should all treat each other as equals, in the end, it’s the maxim of [former Mexican president Benito] Júarez: ‘Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace,'” Sheinbaum said.
While she responded to Trump’s remark about Trudeau, the president reiterated that her government won’t respond to every statement the soon-to-be U.S. president makes.
Trump has also suggested that Mexico should become a state of the United States due to the trade imbalance between the two countries.
Despite that remark, Trump’s tariff threats and his alleged mischaracterization of his call with the Mexican president last month, Sheinbaum said Wednesday that she was confident there would be “a good relationship with the United States” during the second Trump administration.
“And I say again, in the defense of our sovereignty and in the interests of the people of Mexico and the nation, we’re going to seek to collaborate [with the United States]. … In addition, we’re trade partners and we form a very powerful and strong joint economy,” she said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
The US has no interest in weakening the Mexican economy. If it happens with tarifs or expulsion of illegal Mexicans, it would increase the migration pressure at the border.
The weirdness is just beginning.
Where are all the guns coming from that fuel
The cartel violence??? Oh gee. The USA! What incentive do we actually have to stop it?
Maybe time to just legalize it all and tax the helll out of it!
They are some excellent businessmen in the underworld economy.
I can accept that the drug problem in the US has contributed to the growth and strength of the cartels. However, one cartel faction kidnapping and turning another cartel leaders over to the US is strictly on Mexico. Had AMLO done ANYTHING to slow down or try to control the narcos they would not be in the position they are in today. Doing nothing, LITERALLY NOTHING, makes AMLO complicit and part of why the cartels are in the position they are in today. 6 years of unincumbered growth is coming back to bite Morena in the ass. For a woman who wants Spain to apologize for 700 year old shit, Sheinbaum needs to accept responsibility for the sins of her predecessor. When you ignore a problem and “hug” the narcos until the cartels get so large they start fighting for territory or superiority, accountability lies with the Morena Party. I have given Sheinbaum credit for many things, and I disagree with the possible policy issues coming from the US. However, this is a dead horse she needs to quit kicking. Blame the US for the cartels having a market, but then also accept that the guns in Mexico are there because there is a market. You don’t get to cry foul both ways. If Sheinbaum wants to fix the problem, let the US military in to take care of it. Most of the guns in cartel hands came from previous administrations accepting US weapons, and due to corruption, those weapons ended up in cartel hands. If Mexico had better security measures on their side of the border, they should be stopping the flow of guns. The same is true regarding drugs flowing the other direction. Sheinbaum needs to quit placing blame and sincerely work with the Trump administration. That’s the only way things will be resolved. I am not a Trumper, and disagree with his policies, but blaming the US for accepting a CRIMINAL MEXICAN CARTEL LEADER, hand delivered by Mexican cartel leaders, is Sheinbaum ignoring the real issue. SMFH🤦♂️
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼
The drug wars only lead to more corruption and the interference of the US by seizing cartel leaders only exacerbates the problem. The guns in Mexico used by the cartels come from the US and it is ridiculous to think that by capturing some leaders the cartels will stop exporting drugs to the US. If the US wants to stop their drug problem, how about education, support and programs for addicted people, and a society that doesn’t produce despair among the population. Look in the mirror, Americans, and stop blaming other countries for your problems.
Indeed.
Bravo !
Agree on all fronts, other than the fact I am a Trumper.
That doesn’t mean I agree him on everything- only that, in general, his policies are to me, hands down better then the
fare left .alternative.
Norse nailed it. It’s hypocritical to try and have it both ways. Even if it were true, that the U.S. stirred up pot in Sinaloa – shouldn’t they been thanked? Amlo allowed it to fester .and worsen And now, from the article:
“There were “very significant arrests” and drug seizures, and García met with members of the Sinaloa business community and the state’s security cabinet, she said.”
In other words “no significant arrests” would have been made had the purported US involvement never occurred?
I like a few of Claudia’s actions YTD, but talk about speaking out of both sides of your mouth?
Indeed.
Cutting off the heads of the cartels leads in every case to wars between competing subheads, that is, chaos and violence. It is a failed policy.
So Trump is chickening out. Just make Mexico a USA state, and no need to build a wall. Great idea!
Trump and Rubio will also try to bully Mexico and Sheinbaum to stop its solidarity with Cuba. This could be an early political confrontation in the early days of Trump 2.
I am truly ashamed that president Sheinbaum has to deal with someone like Trump.
Yes, I agree with you Suzanne, but I think that she is handling him very well. He has never met a woman like Claudia let alone a chief of state. ¡Bravo Claudia!
And I agree with you, Jorge of the Castle, President Sheinbaum handles Trump well with her determination and strength.
I a truly ashamed that Americans voted in a guy like Trump! What does that tell the world!
I disagree. She appears to be a doer, and so is Trump. Claudia’s a class act, but no shrinking violet. Trumps banter is designed to move things forward. Something both countries will benefit from. And she’s playing him correctly. He’s a bit like a bully. Punch em in the nose and they back off. Ignore them/ him and you’ll find them banging they’re heads against the wall.
“a bit like”?
I guess it’s time to go visit Chapo’s mom again… oops she’s passed away. How can she be so nieve and ignorant? This is kicking the can down the road and reveals her weakness
agree USA main fault