Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar delivered sharp criticism Wednesday regarding Mexico’s approach to combating drug cartels, accusing the Mexican government of refusing vital aid and underestimating the severity of the crisis. In his strongest remarks yet on the issue, Salazar condemned rampant violence, systemic police corruption, and a governmental attitude that he claimed dismisses the gravity of the situation.
During a press conference, Salazar pointed to recent violence in the northern state of Sinaloa as a glaring example of Mexico’s escalating security issues. “When they just say ‘there is no problem, we have these statistics to show people there is no problem,’ that is not based on reality,” Salazar said. “There is a very big problem.”
Mounting Violence in Sinaloa
Salazar’s comments came amid reports of gruesome violence in Sinaloa, where state police discovered a roadside pile of dismembered bodies. Sinaloa state police chief Gerardo Mérida reported that at least five bodies had been identified, though authorities suspected as many as seven victims. “Some are in pieces,” Mérida said. “They have been dismembered.”
Despite the alarming reports, Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha downplayed the incidents, stating, “We’re doing well, we’ll get over this soon.” Salazar refuted the governor’s remarks, stating, “The dead can be seen everywhere.”
The violence stems from infighting between two factions of the Sinaloa cartel. Tensions flared in July following the arrests of two drug leaders, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, who were detained in the U.S. after flying there in a small plane. Their capture reportedly sparked violent battles between Zambada’s faction and the “Chapitos” group, led by the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Strained U.S.-Mexico Relations
The Mexican government has since blamed the United States for triggering the violence by detaining the cartel leaders, a claim Salazar dismissed. Instead, he accused Mexico of halting anti-drug cooperation in response to the arrests. “It totally accelerated from there,” Salazar said. “The Mexican government closed its doors.”
Salazar also criticized former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s “hugs not bullets” strategy, which emphasized social programs over direct confrontation with cartels. López Obrador’s successor, President Claudia Sheinbaum, has pledged to maintain the approach, although military forces under her administration appear more willing to engage in violent confrontations with criminal groups.
Diplomatic Fallout
In response to Salazar’s remarks, Mexico’s foreign relations ministry issued a diplomatic note to the U.S. Embassy expressing “surprise” at his statements. However, Salazar doubled down, accusing both López Obrador and Sheinbaum of downplaying the security crisis and manipulating crime statistics.
“The reality for the Mexican people – businesspeople, journalists, ranchers, like the cattleman killed in Sinaloa over the weekend – is that they don’t live with security,” Salazar said. “Saying there is no problem, blaming someone else, blaming the United States, obviously is not [the solution].”
Rejected Aid and Militarization
Salazar highlighted López Obrador’s 2018 decision to withdraw from a U.S.-funded program aimed at professionalizing Mexican police forces. “It was rejected for ideological problems and other explanations,” Salazar said, referencing $32 million earmarked for police training and reform. López Obrador had argued at the time that Mexico didn’t need U.S. helicopters or guns, even though the program primarily focused on non-military support.
Salazar also criticized López Obrador’s budget cuts to police forces and his transfer of law enforcement responsibilities to the military, which some argue lacks the community-based approach needed to combat local corruption and violence. “Police become corrupt because they don’t earn enough to live on,” Salazar noted. “You cannot pay a police officer almost nothing and expect them to do their job.”
Potential Political Underpinnings
The timing of Salazar’s pointed critique has raised questions about its connection to recent political shifts in the United States, particularly the victory of Donald Trump in last week’s presidential election. Trump has consistently been critical of Mexico’s handling of drug cartels and has advocated for stronger measures, including military intervention.
As Salazar adopts a more confrontational tone, the rift between U.S. and Mexican officials over security cooperation appears to be widening. Whether this signals a broader shift in U.S.-Mexico relations under new political dynamics remains to be seen.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar delivered sharp criticism Wednesday regarding Mexico’s approach to combating drug cartels, accusing the Mexican government of refusing vital aid and underestimating the severity of the crisis. In his strongest remarks yet on the issue, Salazar condemned rampant violence, systemic police corruption, and a governmental attitude that he claimed dismisses the gravity of the situation.
