Mexico weighs legal action after Musk links President to drug cartels
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Mr Elon Musk alleged that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, while discussing cartel violence, was "saying what her cartel bosses tell her to say".
PHOTO: REUTERS
MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Feb 24 that she is considering legal action following a comment by tech billionaire Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, that alleged she was connected to drug cartels.
Mr Musk’s post on X followed the capture and killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader Nemesio Oseguera,
In the post, Mr Musk responded to a 2025 video of Ms Sheinbaum discussing cartel violence and alleged that she was “saying what her cartel bosses tell her to say”.
He did not provide further evidence.
“We are considering whether to take legal action,” Ms Sheinbaum said during her daily morning press conference, adding that government lawyers are reviewing the matter.
Strong free speech protections
Ms Sheinbaum could face difficulty suing Mr Musk for defamation in the US because of strong legal protections for free speech.
To prevail in a defamation case against Mr Musk in the US, Ms Sheinbaum would need to prove Mr Musk knowingly said something false about her or recklessly disregarded the truth when he said it.
Tesla, Mr Musk’s auto company, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Ms Sheinbaum’s remarks.
In the 2025 video, Ms Sheinbaum said a return to a “war on drugs” was not feasible.
“Returning to the war on drugs is not an option... It is outside the framework of the law,” she said.
The military offensive on cartels led by former president Felipe Calderon in 2006 led to bloody turf battles as gangs splintered, triggering a spiral of violence that many analysts see as a contributing cause to still-high homicide rates.
Ms Sheinbaum said she expected security to continue to normalise in Mexico after cartel members coordinated a series of roadblocks and arson attacks after the government’s Feb 22 operation against Oseguera.
Asked if the operation marked a return to a more violent security stance, Ms Sheinbaum said this would never be the case.
“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 reacted to the post on social media, saying Mr Musk should use his platform and X social media network to fight drug consumption, addiction and disinformation and stop the promotion of narco culture.
“Wealth does not give moral authority,” she said. “The lives that are lost in this fight, often fuelled by consumption in other countries, are worth infinitely more than any fortune amassed in Silicon Valley.”
Over 130,000 people are missing in Mexico, where much of the country’s violence is linked to drug cartels that sell products to and obtain firearms from the United States. REUTERS
