Mexican president won’t crack down on cartels despite assassination, possible US intervention

President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico is sticking with her less combative approach to dealing with cartels despite the brazen assassination of a Mexican mayor and rumors of U.S. intervention.

Sheinbaum said that taking an aggressive stance against the drug cartels won’t work, telling reporters on Monday that “returning to the war against el narco is not an option,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Her remarks came in the wake of Saturday’s shocking public execution of the mayor of Uruapan, Carlos Manzo, who took a hardline stance on cartels and was a frequent critic of Sheinbaum. Mexico has engaged in a prolonged conflict with the various drug cartels that control the nation, but Sheinbaum’s less confrontational strategy has drawn criticism from her opponents and perhaps opened the door for U.S. intervention.

“He was seen as impulsive and untamed, like a horse you ride and it throws you off,” Eduardo Guerrero, a security consultant based in Mexico City, told the Wall Street Journal regarding Manzo. “He had the courage to speak his mind. But if you take on that role, you have to reinforce your security and not stroll around the plaza. The risk was enormous.”

The war against the cartels in Mexico has killed thousands while further emboldening the criminal syndicates that often outgun the Mexican government. Sheinbaum’s presidency has been marked by a departure from traditional warfare to a more intelligence-based approach.

Sheinbaum has said a military-focused approach to the cartels has only exacerbated violence in the past, not reduced it, according to the WSJ.

President Donald Trump’s administration has reportedly begun to draw up plans to strike cartel strongholds, labs, and prominent leaders in order to curtail their influence and prominent role in the U.S. drug trade. Sheinbaum said Tuesday that she has also repeatedly rejected offers from Trump to send U.S. troops to clean out the cartels.

“It’s not going to happen,” Sheinbaum said during a news conference Tuesday. “We do not agree with any process of interference or interventionism.”

The Mexican External Affairs Ministry did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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