Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum lashed out against U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson, telling him to butt out of her country’s domestic issues. The comment came in response to Johnson’s earlier statement that the fight against cartels was not political. The scuffle comes at a time of great tension between both countries, as Sheinbaum has been fiercely
In her most recent morning news conference, Sheinbaum criticized Johnson, claiming that he needed to stay in his lane and that Mexico’s issues were for Mexicans to handle.
Sheinbaum’s rebuke came after Johnson posted on social media a message claiming that the fight against cartels should unite and not divide the people on both sides of the border. Johnson added that turning the fight against cartels into a political dispute is a wasted opportunity.
The comment came as tensions have been escalating between the U.S. and Mexico after the U.S. Department of Justice criminally indicted on drug trafficking charges the current governor of Sinaloa, Ruben Rocha Moya, and nine of his closest allies. Rather than assisting with the arrest and extradition, Sheinbaum rushed to defend Rocha Moya, claiming there was no evidence of wrongdoing by the Mexican politician. Sheinbaum has also claimed that the case is political and that it violates Mexican sovereignty. Rocha Moya hails from the same political party as Sheinbaum and is a close friend of her mentor and MORENA founder, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Since the start of the case, two of Rocha Moya’s associates have turned themselves in to U.S. authorities. This week, the former head of public safety for Sinaloa, General Gerardo Merida Sanchez, appeared before a U.S. federal judge, who said there was abundant evidence against him during a hearing. The comment directly contradicts Sheinbaum’s claims that the case against Rocha Moya and his associates is political in nature.
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 [email protected].
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 [email protected].
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