Notable Quotable: Mexico's View On Drug Cartels
An event called the “Shield of the Americas” Summit was hosted by the White House in Miami on Saturday. During the event, Trump vowed to “Eradicate the criminal cartels plaguing our region," adding that the epicenter of cartel violence is Mexico.
On Monday, Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, offered a surprising response:
“The epicenter of cartel violence is not Mexico, it’s the United States. The cartels are fueled by the United States’ demand for drugs, and armed with U.S. weapons, and thanks to the United States, they are able to orchestrate enormous bloodshed and chaos throughout Latin America."
She continued:
“There is something that the U.S. can help us a lot with: stop the trafficking of illegal weapons from the U.S. to Mexico. If they stopped the entry of illegal weapons from the United States into Mexico, then these groups wouldn’t have access to this type of high-powered weaponry to carry out their criminal activities."
Sheinbaum noted that 75% of guns used by cartels come from the United States, and she has repeatedly called on the US government to halt arms trafficking. But our President made no mention of this.
Back in 2021, Mexico accused several American gunmakers of negligent marketing, distribution, and illegal sales, filing a $10 billion lawsuit to recover damages. When the Supreme Court weighed in last year with its ruling, it sided with the gun manufacturers, stating they weren't the cause of gang violence.
Mexico has much stricter gun laws than the U.S. This is why American gun manufacturers extract huge profits from trafficking in illegal firearms to Mexico. Where there is a demand, our gunmakers graciously fulfill the supply, even if those guns are deemed illegal in another country.
If Trump truly cared about ending drug trafficking, he would cooperate with Mexico instead of putting up a smokescreen and calling it a Shield of the Americas. As president, he could stop the problem at its source by convening a worthier summit with U.S. gun manufacturers and pressuring them to comply with Mexico's gun laws. He could also invest in viable solutions aimed at weaning American citizens off fentanyl. This way, Mexican drug cartels would no longer have the demand on this side of the border which is currently filling their coffers.
Well Street
President Sheinbaum's rebuttal is logical, and were it directed toward a leader not fueled by blind arrogance and surrounded by Yes Men, said leader would likely accept that America plays a role in the problem and consider taking the steps you listed.
I can imagine Justice Clarence Thomas asking the prosecuting counsel something like, "Should the manufacturer of matches be held liable for the actions of the arsonist who used them to set blazes?"
Evangel
If 75% of guns used by Mexico's cartels come from the U.S., and Mexico's president has repeatedly implored our president to halt the arms from being illegally trafficked across the border—which he not done, their either Trump is not as powerful as he pretends to be, or he has no genuine interest in solving the problem.