The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, revealed on Wednesday that she had a telephone conversation with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, after the operation in Jalisco in which Nemesio Oseguera, alias El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco Cartel – New Generation (CJNG) was killed on February 22 and which provoked a wave of violence in a large part of the country.
“It was an eight-minute call to ask me what is happening in Mexico, how things are going (…) it was a short call to see how things are going in Mexico,” said the president during her morning press conference, who indicated that the conversation took place on Monday, a few hours after the operation against the Mexican drug trafficker in Jalisco (west).
Clarifies that the U.S. provided intelligence only
Sheinbaum said that during the phone conversation she explained to Trump details of the actions taken in Mexico to catch the drug lord.
“I told him how the operation had gone, that we had had intelligence assistance from the U.S. government, that the coordination was going very well,” he said.
Sheinbaum’s statements come after the U.S. president highlighted, during his State of the Union address, that U.S. intelligence services played a decisive role.
In order for Mexican forces to locate El Mencho at a cabin resort in the small town of Tapalpa, located in southern Jalisco.
However, the Mexican president reiterated that U.S. participation was limited to the exchange of information.
“We have already explained what the collaboration was, which was essentially in intelligence, information and the whole operation.”
“Well, it was developed by the Secretariat of National Defense, as we properly reported here,” he said.
He also ruled out for the moment any meeting with the U.S. president.
No, we don't have a meeting yet
Claudia Sheinbaum
U.S. Ambassador Meets with Security Cabinet
On the other hand, he said that on Tuesday the US Ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, met with the Security Cabinet at the National Palace.
A protocol meeting after the operation against El Mencho.
“As of today morning I was informed of the outcome of the meeting.”
“They (Mexican officials) spoke to me yesterday, they told me: ‘Everything went well, there was no problem, it was rather protocolary’ (…)”.
“I was already told that there was congratulations and it was a good, shall we say, communication meeting,” he explained.
The meeting took place in the context of bilateral security cooperation, particularly after the February 22 operation in which Oseguera Cervantes was killed.
El Mencho, 59, was one of the most wanted criminals by Mexican and US authorities, with a million-dollar reward for information leading to his capture.
Washington accused him of leading a “reign of terror” in Mexico and destroying “countless lives” by trafficking fentanyl.
And it offered up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
Under his command, the CJNG expanded its presence in Mexico and strengthened drug trafficking routes, including fentanyl to the United States.
This placed him among the most wanted drug traffickers in both countries.
With information from EFE
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com
