The Department of Justice acknowledged that 75% of the cartels’ weapons originate in the United States.

On Monday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks about the cartels made during the Shield of the Americas summit. She reiterated that Mexico rejects any foreign military intervention and defends its national sovereignty.

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The Mexican leader pointed out that security cooperation with the United States is based on principles agreed upon in meetings with the Mexican Ministry of National Defense and the Navy, always at the request of the Mexican government.

Sheinbaum emphasized that the U.S. Department of Justice acknowledged that 75% of the weapons used by the cartels originate in the United States, and therefore called for halting this illegal trafficking as genuine support for Mexico.

She added that another way to contribute is by reducing drug consumption in the United States, where high levels persist among young people, even though Mexico has decreased its shipments of fentanyl to the north.

The President stressed that the United States also produces synthetic drugs such as methamphetamines, demonstrating that the problem is not limited to trafficking from Mexico, but also includes domestic production.

Trump proclaimed a “hemispheric war on drugs” at the Shield of the Americas meeting, which gathered 12 heads of state, excluding Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia. At the summit, he defended the use of U.S. military power.

The U.S. president even offered the use of missiles against cartel leaders, claiming that these criminal organizations are “more powerful” than national armed forces and represent a threat to regional security.

Trump described the cartels as a “cancer” that should not come near the U.S., insisting that his country is prepared to act militarily if Latin American governments request it.

teleSUR: JP

Source: La Jornada

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