Sheinbaum tells US ambassador to avoid political interference in drug trafficking dispute | Claudia Sheinbaum
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum appeared to rebuke U.S. ambassador Ron Johnson on Tuesday for intervening in the country’s politics amid rising tensions between her country and Washington over efforts to combat drug trafficking.
“It’s also very important to remember that ambassadors need to focus on coordination and cooperation, and I say that respectfully,” Sheinbaum said at his regular morning press conference. “Ambassadors must respect the internal political affairs of their countries.”
The president’s comments came after a post in xAfter Sheinbaum himself accused the United States of interfering in domestic affairs, Johnson seemed to imply that Mexico was trying to make the war on drugs a political issue.
“Every moment spent turning this shared security issue into a political dispute is a missed opportunity to strengthen our partnership and protect the people we serve,” Johnson wrote.
The spat between Johnson and Sheinbaum is the latest sign of months of rising tensions between the two neighboring countries over efforts to combat drug-trafficking groups.
Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to send ground troops into Mexico to fight the cartels and has also accused Mexican politicians of forming an “unacceptable alliance” with organized crime.
Sheinbaum maintained what he called a “cool-headed” demeanor; He politely rejected Trump’s offer to send troops and agreed to their demands: ordering thousands of troops to the U.S. border to stop immigration, stopping oil shipments to Cuba, and sending nearly 100 cartel members to face justice in the United States.
But relations began to fray in April after it was revealed that several CIA agents had conducted a raid on a pharmaceutical laboratory in the state of Chihuahua without the knowledge or approval of the federal government; this is a possible violation of the Mexican constitution.
A little more than a week later, the U.S. justice department announced drug trafficking charges against the governor of Sinaloa state and nine other current and former officials, accusing them of ties to the powerful Sinaloa cartel.
Governor Rubén Rocha Moya was a member of Sheinbaum’s own Morena party and a close ally of his mentor and predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Since the publication of the indictment, tensions between the two countries have reached boiling point; Sheinbaum refused to turn the governor over to US authorities until Washington produced more evidence against him.
It was also reported in the press that Rocha’s indictment would be the first of manyand this CIA expanded His efforts on the ground in Mexico.
Last week, the Mexican congress approved Sheinbaum’s bill to amend the constitution to pave the way for “foreign intervention” to annul the election results.
On Sunday, Sheinbaum publicly expressed his anger at the indictment.
“An incident of this magnitude is unprecedented in our bilateral relations,” he said during a rally. “Is this really a legitimate and genuine interest in helping Mexico? Or are we seeing segments of the far right of the United States positioning themselves ahead of the 2026 elections? Or are they planning to influence the 2027 elections in our country?”
