Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Alleges US Of Spying After Sinaloa Cartel Members Charge
The president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, criticized the United States and claimed that the latter is "spying" and doing "interference" in Mexico.
The Mexican president's disapproval came after U.S. prosecutors announced charges against Sinaloa Cartel members, including sons of its leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, according to ABC News Go.
Lopez Obrador suggested on Monday that the case had been built based on information that U.S. agents in Mexico gathered. He then went on to say that foreign agents do not have the authority to be in Mexico.
Mike Vigil said that Lopez Obrador mistakenly supposed the Drug Enforcement Administration agents needed to be in Mexico to build up a case against the Sinaloa Cartel members.
Vigil was a former DEA agent and used to head international operations.
However, much of the information seemed to have come from trafficking suspects caught in the United States.
Vigil claimed that Lopez Obrador wants to "completely destroy the working relationship," which took decades to create.
Aside from allegations of spying, Lopez Obrador has also expressed resentment toward U.S. allegations of corruption in Mexico.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on U.S.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador scrutinized the U.S. investigation on Sinaloa Cartel members, calling the probe "abusive, arrogant interference that should not be accepted" under any circumstances.
Associated Press News reported that Lopez Obrador said that Mexico's priority is guaranteeing public safety in the country.
Helping and cooperating with the U.S. government in fighting fentanyl traffic comes second in the list of the country's deemed importance.
The Mexican president has acknowledged that there were dozens of labs producing fentanyl in Mexico while using precursor chemicals from China.
At one point, Lopez Obrador threatened to close Mexico on DEA agents. It was during a time when former defense secretary Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos was facing charges of aiding drug cartels. Cienfuegos was returned and was quickly freed after.
Since the ultimatum with Cienfuegos, Lopez Obrador's administration has imposed restrictive rules on how agents can operate in Mexico while also slowing down visa approvals for a time.
U.S. Charges Sinaloa Cartel Members
The sons of El Chapo are among the members of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel charged in the United States. The charge revolves around the group's operation of fentanyl trafficking to the United States, which was allegedly fueled by Chinese chemical companies.
Anne Milgram, chief of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said El Chapo's sons are "poisoning and killing Americans," as reported by BBC News.
The sons charged were namely Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Sálazar, and Ovidio Guzmán López.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutors announced three separate indictments charging 28 defendants based in Mexico, China, and Guatemala. Eight of those charged are in custody.
Attorney General Merrick Garland called Sinaloa Cartel's operation the "largest, most violent, and most prolific" around the world.
Ovidio was arrested in January in Mexico. He is the sole member of Los Chapitos, the name of the group that is being led by El Chapo's sons, in custody and awaiting extradition.
During his arrest operation, at least 29 people were killed, including gang members and military officials.
READ MORE: El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel Continues to Thrive Despite the Drug Lord's Absence: Report
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: AMLO acusa a DEA de espionaje; ve intromisión abusiva y prepotente por infiltración - from SinEmbargo Al Aire
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