Mexican President Threatens Republicans Calling for US Military to Target Drug Cartels

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has threatened to start a public “information campaign” The United States against Republican lawmakers, after several have called upon the U.S. Military to target drug cartels South of the Border.

“I would just like to tell them either they change their treatment of Mexico or from today we will start an information campaign in the United States so that all Mexicans, our fellow countrymen, know about this aggression by Republicans against Mexico,” López Obrador said Thursday during a news conference.

Following the kidnapping and murder of four Americans in Matamoros, Mexico, several Republicans in Congress demanded that the United States intensify its fight against Mexican drug cartels.

“The kidnapping and murder of American citizens in Matamoros prove that Mexico is a narco-state,” The Epoch Times was informed by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas. “President Biden must make it clear that this horrible violence will not go unpunished. If Mexico can’t stop the cartels, then our nation must use any tool in our arsenal to solve it for them.”

Pfluger’s call for action was also shared by Reps. Dan Crenshaw and Mike Waltz (R.Fla.), who introduced legislation that created the Authorization for Use of Military Forces (AUMF) in January to combat Mexican drug cartels.

“The cartels are [at] war with us—poisoning more than 80,000 Americans with fentanyl every year, creating a crisis at our border, and turning Mexico into a failed narco-state,” Crenshaw stated. “It’s time we directly target them. My legislation will put us at war with the cartels by authorizing the use of military force against the cartels. We cannot allow heavily armed and deadly cartels to destabilize Mexico and import people and drugs into the United States. We must start treating them like ISIS—because that is who they are.”

War of Words

During his news conference, López Obrador specifically called out Crenshaw who Posted a video message in Spanish on Wednesday to the Mexican president, asking why López Obrador rejected his proposal for the U.S. military to take action against drug cartels in Mexico.

“Yesterday was the last straw. According to the report presented [to] me this morning, this man, [Crenshaw] dares to say that they are going to use the armed forces of the United States to enter our territory as in an invasion,” said López Obrador.

“We are not going to permit any foreign government to intervene in our territory much less that [foreign] governments armed forces intervene,” He said. “We could go to the U.N. “

As part of the ongoing war of words between Crenshaw and López Obrador, the congressman posted on Twitter “Bring it. Lol,” And told the Mexican president “get a grip” Get involved in the fight against the drug cartels “Americans who want to help eradicate them.”

Kidnappings and Murders

The Gulf cartel took responsibility for the kidnapping, murder and execution of the Americans in Tamaulipas where they have a large presence.

A letter received by The Associated Press The Scorpions faction within the Gulf cartel offered its condolences to Matamoros residents, as well as the Mexican woman who was killed in the cartel shootout and the four Americans and their family members, through a Tamaulipas State Law Enforcement Official.

“We have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible in the events, who at all times acted under their own decision-making and lack of discipline,” The letter states that these individuals were in violation of the cartel rules. “respecting the life and well-being of the innocent.”

Drug cartels are known to send out communiques to infuriate their rivals and authorities. However, they also sometimes work with public relations to help smooth over any situations that might affect their business.

This report was contributed by The Associated Press.