US defends that accusation against Sinaloa cartel allows ″putting pressure on drug traffickers″

The US government defended this Thursday that the prosecution of 28 members of the Sinaloa cartel allows “putting pressure on drug traffickers”, in response to the Mexican President’s protests against the “infiltrations” of US authorities in his country.

White House spokesman John Kirby highlighted, in a press conference, that the US justice accusations respond to the objective of the United States, Mexico and Canada to put pressure on cartels and drug traffickers.

“The president [Joe Biden] had an important discussion in Mexico with President López Obrador and the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, about the need to continue to put pressure on drug traffickers and cartels and what the Department of Justice has done is a step in that direction,” he stressed, in a reference to the meeting between the three leaders in January.

“We are going to continue to do this, because it is important for the security of the American people,” warned Kirby, without going into further detail about López Obrador’s words delivered this Monday.

Kirby added that the administration led by Joe Biden will remain in contact with its partners, in particular its southern neighbor, “which also suffers the consequences of these activities and, in some cases, without preventing the cartels in Mexico”.

The US Department of Justice on Friday indicted 28 members of the powerful Sinaloa cartel, including the sons of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, known as “Chapitos” or “little Chapos,” who are reputed to form the cartel’s most aggressive and violent faction, following an extensive investigation into fentanyl trafficking.

The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) had also defended on Wednesday collaboration with Mexico and respect for its sovereignty.

A Pentagon spokesman, quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE, indicated that the US Department of Defense and the Mexican national defense and navy secretariats “enjoy a collaborative association” centered on “traditional defense issues” and in addressing the challenges in this sector.

The same official considered that this cooperation takes place “while both respect the sovereignty of the other and their respective foreign policy agendas”.

This Monday, López Obrador accused the United States anti-drug agency (DEA) of infiltrating to spy on the Sinaloa cartel without informing the Mexican authorities.

Asked about the announcement by the US Department of Justice of the accusations against leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, including four children of Joaquín “el Chapo” Guzmán, for trafficking fentanyl and other drugs, the Mexican head of state assured that the DEA has launched an investigation in Mexico without informing their Government.