Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum used recent reports of corruption within the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to make a broader point: the United States, she argued, cannot keep pointing fingers south of the border without also confronting problems inside its own anti-narcotics agencies.
According to Sheinbaum, the cases—which involve allegations of misconduct among DEA personnel—are proof that Washington shares responsibility for the drug trade and needs to strengthen oversight of the officials and institutions tasked with combating it. Her comments come amid ongoing friction between Mexico and the US over how each country handles cooperation on drug enforcement, cartel violence, and cross-border trafficking.
Sheinbaum has repeatedly pushed back against US pressure that places most of the blame for fentanyl and other drug flows on Mexican cartels, arguing instead that corruption, demand, and enforcement failures on the American side also fuel the crisis. By highlighting the DEA cases specifically, she appears to be reinforcing her government’s stance that any binational strategy must include real accountability from US agencies, not just enforcement actions inside Mexico.
The remarks are likely to add another layer to the diplomatic back-and-forth between the two governments over security cooperation. For the full story and additional details from President Sheinbaum’s statements, check out the original report at jornada.com.mx.
Source: Casos de corrupción en la DEA muestran que EU debe atender sus responsabilidades en combate al 'narco': Sheinbaum (jornada.com.mx). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Jon Spiers.