Sheinbaum hits back at Trump over cartel 'epicenter' remark

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday fired back at US President Donald Trump's characterization of her country as the "epicenter" of drug cartel operations, retorting that it is "very difficult" to live next to a nation with such high levels of illicit drug consumption. Speaking at her morning news conference, Sheinbaum responded to Trump's Tuesday address to the UN General Assembly, in which he described Mexico as the center of cartel violence and has previously called for US military intervention on Mexican soil. "I could say: It's very difficult to live next to a country with such a high level of illicit drug use; or I could say: It's very difficult to live next to a country that produces so many weapons, but I'm not going to say that," Sheinbaum said.

Sovereignty and cooperation

Sheinbaum has repeatedly expressed willingness to cooperate with Washington on security issues while demanding respect for Mexican sovereignty, a stance maintained since Trump returned to the White House. The president stressed that practical coordination continues regardless of public rhetoric. "I'm not going to say it. Why? Because we have a good relationship with President Trump and the US government; so we're working in coordination and making progress," she said, adding that bilateral efforts remain focused on shared objectives rather than public disputes.

US praise for Mexican security

The exchange comes as US drug enforcement officials have recently praised Mexican security capabilities. US Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole described Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch as a key American ally during the 40th International Drug Enforcement Conference in Argentina in August, noting the administration's commitment to combating trafficking networks. The Sheinbaum administration has resisted Washington's pressure regarding extradition requests for ruling party officials accused of drug trafficking, maintaining that such matters must respect legal sovereignty while continuing joint operations against cartel infrastructure.