International-News

Sheinbaum accuses the US: ‘Agreements with drug traffickers without informing Mexico’

The Mexican president harshly criticises US judicial agreements with members of the Sinaloa cartel and demands official explanations

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has harshly criticised the United States for allegedly signing agreements with members of the Sinaloa cartel in exchange for reduced sentences. During a morning press conference, Sheinbaum denounced that ‘US courts are making agreements with members of criminal organisations that the Trump administration itself has classified as terrorist organisations’.

The president asked the authorities in Washington to clarify the meaning of these agreements, pointing out that Mexico ‘cooperates daily with the US on security matters’ but receives no relevant information in return. The direct reference is to the agreement between the Virginia prosecutor’s office and Dámaso López Serrano, one of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán’s closest associates.

Sheinbaum recalled that Mexico has formally requested the extradition of Serrano for the murder of journalist Javier Valdéz, and reiterated her government’s willingness to ‘prosecute and try him in Mexico,’ refusing to back down on this issue.

The criticism comes amid growing tension between Mexico City and Washington over the bilateral management of drug trafficking. Further fuelling the controversy was the alleged secret pact between the American authorities and Joaquín Guzmán López, El Chapo’s son, which allegedly facilitated the handover of Ismaél ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, the cartel’s long-time leader. The operation allegedly triggered a violent internal feud between the “mayos” and ‘chapitos’ factions in the state of Sinaloa.

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