Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is blaming the raging cartel violence that she is unable to control in her country on the meddling of the U.S. government for arresting the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. Her comments come at a time when the U.S. government continues to pressure Mexico to eradicate terrorist cartels and go after politicians who protect cartels.
During her news conference, Sheinbaum claimed that the violence in Sinaloa is an example of U.S. interference leading to a rupture within a criminal organization. The president said the U.S. “caused the situation that we have today.”
As Breitbart Texas reported, the violence in Sinaloa follows the kidnapping of kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada at the hands of his allies, Los Chapitos, who then turned him in to U.S. authorities in Texas. The case caused a rift between Los Chapitos and El Mayo’s allies, leading to a fierce turf war that has killed thousands and led to kidnappings and shootouts, something that Sheinbaum’s government has been unable to stop.
The comments from the Mexican politician come amid increasing tension due to the U.S. government pressuring her to go after several politicians who have been protecting drug cartels. One of the most famous examples is the case of Sinaloa’s governor Ruben Rocha Moya, who has been criminally indicted in the U.S. on drug trafficking conspiracy and weapons charges for allegedly working with the Sinaloa Cartel. Rather than help arrest and extradite Rocha Moya, Sheinbaum has publicly defended him, saying the U.S. has not provided proof of wrongdoing. Rocha Moya is a member of Sheinbaum’s MORENA party.
As the pressure mounts from the U.S. government, Sheinbaum has continued to rely on nationalistic rhetoric, claiming that they will not bow down to foreign countries. In recent days, Sheinbaum has blamed U.S. drug consumers for the cartel violence and has also blamed U.S. firearms, while not making mention of Mexico’s customs and border authorities, which have a long history of corruption and protecting the arms trade.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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