U.S. President Donald Trump has described his Mexican counterpart, Claudia Sheinbaum, as “a very good woman” but “very scared” in the face of powerful drug cartels that he says have effectively taken over the country.
Speaking at the G7 Summit in France, Trump reiterated his long-standing criticism of Mexico’s security situation, characterizing the flow of narcotics across the border as crazy.
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He praised the ingenuity of traffickers in concealing drugs within vehicle engines, tire valves, and other hidden compartments, while noting that such resourcefulness could have made them wealthy through legitimate means.
“They have it in engines, they have it in wheel covers, they have it in areas you wouldn’t imagine. They have it in the structures of cars,” Trump said.
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The U.S. president also touted his administration’s efforts to curb drug smuggling, claiming a 61% reduction in attempted land trafficking and a 97.2% drop in maritime attempts.
However, he quickly pivoted to a stark assessment of Mexico, asserting that criminal organizations now exercise near-total control over the country.
“Mexico has lost control of its country. The cartels control Mexico, it’s sad. The President is a very good woman, but she’s a very scared woman,” Trump stated.
