The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has expressed her concern about a possible alliance between drug cartels and arms dealers in the United States, which supply high-powered weapons to criminal groups. According to a survey, 26% of respondents support classifying the cartels as terrorist organizations, while 2% do not see this measure as negative.
Some Republican lawmakers suggested in 2023 the strategy of involving the United States Army in Mexico to combat the cartels, an idea that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, recently echoed. Musk expressed doubt that Mexican cartels could be defeated without the intervention of U.S. Special Operations.
The issue gained relevance again when the White House hinted that the cartels have alliances with Sheinbaum's government, leading to the announcement of tariffs against Mexico. In response, the Mexican president vehemently rejected these accusations and any attempts of interference in her country.
In an agreement with Canada to avoid tariffs, it was decided to classify the cartels as terrorist organizations and a series of commitments were established to combat organized crime jointly. On the other hand, a survey conducted in Mexico shows that 68% of the population views the classification of the cartels as terrorists negatively.
Sheinbaum reiterated her stance against foreign intervention and emphasized that unilateral decisions do not contribute to the fight against organized crime in the region. Regarding the possibility of a U.S. invasion to combat the cartels, 62% of Mexicans reject this idea, while 37% agree and 1% has no formed opinion on the matter.
