Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that her government is considering legal action against Elon Musk after the billionaire accused her, without evidence, of having ties to drug cartels following the killing of a major cartel leader.
Musk made the accusation in a post on
“Returning to the war against the narco is not an option. First, because it falls outside the framework of the law,” she said in the clip.
The video was shared by an
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government is reviewing legal action after Elon Musk accused her of cartel ties following El Mencho’s murder. (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“She just says what her cartel bosses tell her to say,” Musk responded. “Let’s just say their punishment for disobedience is slightly worse than ‘a performance improvement plan’.”
Sheinbaum responded to the comments during her daily morning news conference, saying her administration was evaluating its options.
“We are considering whether to take legal action,” she said, adding that government lawyers were reviewing the case.
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government is reviewing legal action after Elon Musk accused her of cartel ties following El Mencho’s murder. (Raquel Cunha/Reuters)
Musk’s post came after Mexican security forces captured and killed Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” the longtime leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in an operation that led to roadblocks and arson in parts of the country.
A military offensive against cartels launched in 2006 by former President Felipe Calderon led to bloody battles as the gangs splintered. This led to a spiral of violence that analysts say has contributed to Mexico’s persistently high murder rates.
Asked whether the operation against Oseguera represented a shift toward a more aggressive security posture, Sheinbaum rejected that idea.
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A member of the Public Prosecution Service stands guard over a burning bus on a main street after it was set on fire by organized crime groups in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, on February 22. (Ulises Ruiz/AFP via Getty Images)
“The detention of a suspected criminal with an arrest warrant can create these kinds of circumstances, but we are looking for peace, not war,” she said.
Ruling MORENA party chair Luisa Alcalde also criticized Musk’s comments and urged him to use his platform to tackle drug use, addiction, misinformation and the promotion of narcoculture.
“Wealth does not confer moral authority,” she said. “The lives lost in this battle, often fueled by consumption in other countries, are worth infinitely more than any fortune amassed in Silicon Valley.”
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More than 130,000 people are reported missing in Mexico, where much of the violence is linked to drug cartels that sell narcotics to the US and obtain firearms from across the border.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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