Mexico to Trump: American Drug Demand Causes Cartel Violence

Donald-Trump-Enrique-Pena-Nieto-Mexico-AP
AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills

MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Mexico’s federal government is blaming American drug demand as a driver for cartel violence after President Trump tweeted about the nation’s crime rates this week.

The finger-pointing was made during a public rebuke where the government claimed that a tweet by Trump highlighted the nation for being the second-deadliest country in the world, behind Syria. The rebuke by the Mexican government once again forgot to account for the victims incinerated in ovens, 55-gallon drums, or buried in shallow graves by cartels.

The drama in Mexico began shortly after Trump sent a tweet about Mexico where he stated that Mexico had been ranked as the second deadliest country in the world, just behind Syria.

Trump’s tweet is based on the Armed Conflict Survey released last month by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. As Breitbart Texas reported, the survey accounted for 23,000 homicides in Mexico during 2016, highlighting cartel violence as the leading cause.

Mexico’s Foreign Relations Ministry (SRE) fired back a statement rebuking the presidential tweet. Instead of relying on current statistics, the Mexican government used statistics from 2014, indicated a more peaceful period.

SRE’s claim of “No Pasa Nada” (nothing is happening) comes two days after as Breitbart Texas reported on the Mexican government’s report showing May as the deadliest month in 20 years.

The response by the Mexican government does not address the number of cartel victims “disappeared”, only to be buried in shallow graves, incinerated or dissolved in acid. Breitbart Texas reported on cartel incineration operations and clandestine mass graves in Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Nuevo Leon. In the case of Tamaulipas, some of those incinerations were mere yards from the Texas border.

According to Mexico’s SRE, the root cause for cartel violence is the U.S. demand for illegal drugs. The SRE calls for moving beyond finger-pointing and sharing responsibility.

The statement by the SRE makes no mention of the multiple governors, mayors, and other government officials indicted in U.S. courts for their roles as cartel surrogates. The statement also does not address the allegations that the Juarez Cartel funneled funds into Peña Nieto’s 2012 presidential bid.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon.  You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.

Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.

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