Sheinbaum Weighs Lawsuit After Musk Cartel Allegation

By Staff, Agencies

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she is considering legal action against billionaire Elon Musk after he alleged she is controlled by drug cartels.

Musk made the comment on Monday following Mexican authorities’ announcement of the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. He was responding to a 2025 post in which Sheinbaum rejected the idea of launching an all-out war on drug cartels.

In a video, Sheinbaum stated, “Returning to the war against the narco is not an option… it is permission to kill without any trial.”

Musk replied that she was “saying what her cartel bosses tell her to say,” alleging that “their punishment for disobedience is a little worse than a ‘performance improvement plan.’”

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Sheinbaum said she was “considering whether to take legal action” and that “the lawyers are looking into it.”

She described claims that she leads a “narco-government” as “absurd” and “laughable,” amid criticism of her national security policies following a weekend surge in violence.

Cartel violence intensified after Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, was killed in a joint US-Mexican military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, last week.

The organization is considered one of Mexico’s most powerful trafficking groups and has been accused of supplying large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine to the United States. Washington designated it a foreign terrorist organization last year.

The operation sparked unrest across Jalisco and at least eight other states, with videos circulating online showing smoke rising from torched vehicles and commercial buildings.

Cartel members reportedly blocked roads, set cars ablaze, and looted stores. The clashes have raised concerns about preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

A 2006 military offensive against cartels under then-President Felipe Calderón triggered violent turf wars as criminal groups splintered, fueling a surge in bloodshed that analysts say continues to drive Mexico’s high homicide rates.

Sheinbaum said she expects security conditions to gradually stabilize and rejected suggestions that the recent operation signals a return to a more aggressive anti-cartel strategy.