Trump says cartels run Mexico and that he told Sheinbaum so

What Trump said

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday, Oct. 15, that drug cartels control Mexico and that he has said as much to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, according to the Spanish news agency EFE. He made the remarks at a lunch on the White House grounds. ^{[1] [3]}

Trump paired the charge with praise for Sheinbaum, calling her a great and wonderful woman while repeating that the cartels run the country, Expansión and El Economista reported. He said she was not happy with his assessment. EFE quoted him saying Mexico should be acting against the groups but is not able to right now. ^{[2] [4] [1]}

According to EFE, Trump also said Washington knows where cartel members live and is hitting them hard. Infobae reported that he said a full ground campaign has not yet started, but that one is beginning. The quotes were published in Spanish translation, and the remarks were first reported in midday U.S. coverage. ^{[1] [3]}

Drug boats and fentanyl claims

Trump defended the U.S. military campaign against boats that his administration says carry drugs, EFE reported, claiming each vessel kills thousands of people through fentanyl. He joked that nobody goes fishing anymore. Critics of the strikes say fishermen have been killed without due process, the agency noted. ^[1]

El Economista reported that Trump claimed drug flows by sea had fallen 97 percent since the boat strikes began and that fentanyl flows had dropped 64 percent. Expansión also reported the 64 percent figure. Neither outlet gave a baseline or a data source, and the numbers have not been independently confirmed. ^{[4] [2]}

Sheinbaum's position

Coverage published Thursday contained no direct response from Sheinbaum to the latest remarks. She has long rejected U.S. military action on Mexican territory as a violation of sovereignty, and has said she turned down offers of U.S. military support during calls with Trump, Expansión reported. ^{[1] [2]}

When Trump called Mexico the epicenter of cartel violence at the U.N. General Assembly in September, Sheinbaum declined to escalate. At her next morning briefing she stressed security cooperation and described the bilateral relationship as good, Expansión reported. She also pointed to U.S. midterm campaigning as context for his comments. ^[5]

At her Thursday morning briefing, held before Trump spoke, Sheinbaum said Mexico still has a good negotiating position on trade despite U.S. tariffs, since most of its exports fall under the USMCA, UnoTV reported. El Economista said she plans to meet U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson and Foreign Secretary Roberto Velasco on pending security and police cooperation issues. ^{[6] [4]}

What comes next

Trump has made the cartels-run-Mexico claim several times this year, Infobae noted, including in May, when he raised it as an argument for possible land strikes. His talk of starting ground action raises the stakes for Mexico City, which allows cooperation with Washington but not intervention. Sheinbaum's daily briefing on Friday morning is her next scheduled chance to respond. ^{[3] [2]}