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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday her government is weighing legal action against Elon Musk after the billionaire accused her, without evidence, of having ties to drug cartels following the killing of a major cartel leader.
Musk made the allegation in a post on X responding to a resurfaced 2025 video in which Sheinbaum discussed cartel violence and rejected a return to a militarized crackdown.
“Returning to the war against the narco is not an option. First, because it is outside the framework of the law,” she said in the clip.
The video was shared by an X user who asked, “She’s a cartel plant right?”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government is reviewing legal action after Elon Musk accused her of cartel ties following the killing of El Mencho. (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“She’s just saying what her cartel bosses tell her to say,” Musk replied. “Let’s just say that their punishment for disobedience is a little worse than ‘a performance improvement plan.’”
Sheinbaum responded to the comments during her daily morning press conference, saying her government was evaluating its options.
“We are considering whether to take legal action,” she said, adding that government lawyers were reviewing the matter.
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government is reviewing legal action after Elon Musk accused her of cartel ties following the killing of El Mencho. (Raquel Cunha/Reuters)
Musk’s post came after Mexican security forces captured and killed Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” the longtime leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in an operation that triggered roadblocks and arson attacks in parts of the country.
A military offensive against cartels launched in 2006 by former President Felipe Calderon led to bloody turf battles as gangs splintered, fueling a spiral of violence that analysts say contributed to Mexico’s persistently high homicide rates.
Asked whether the operation against Oseguera signaled a shift toward a more aggressive security posture, Sheinbaum rejected that notion.
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A member of the Prosecutor’s Office stands guard near a burning bus on a main avenue after it was set on fire by organized crime groups in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, on Feb. 22. (Ulises Ruiz/AFP via Getty Images)
“The detention of a suspected criminal with an arrest warrant can generate this type of circumstance, but we are looking for peace, not war,” she said.
Ruling MORENA party president Luisa Alcalde also criticized Musk’s remarks, urging him to use his platform to address drug consumption, addiction, disinformation and the promotion of narco culture.
“Wealth does not give moral authority,” she said. “The lives that are lost in this fight, often fueled by consumption in other countries, are worth infinitely more than any fortune amassed in Silicon Valley.”
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More than 130,000 people are listed as missing in Mexico, where much of the violence is linked to drug cartels that sell narcotics to the U.S. and obtain firearms from across the border.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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