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On Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced she might pursue legal action in response to a remark made by Elon Musk, suggesting her ties to drug cartels.
Musk’s post on the social media platform X came after the arrest and subsequent death of Nemesio Oseguera, also known as ‘El Mencho,’ the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), by Mexican security forces.
In his post, Musk replied to a 2025 video of Sheinbaum addressing cartel violence and insinuated that she was merely echoing the directives of her supposed cartel bosses, without offering any further evidence to support his claim.
During her routine morning press briefing, Sheinbaum stated, “We are considering legal action,” while noting that the government’s legal team is currently evaluating the situation.
Sheinbaum may face significant challenges in suing Musk for defamation under U.S. law, given the robust protections for free speech.
To succeed in a defamation lawsuit against Musk in the U.S., Sheinbaum would need to demonstrate that Musk knowingly made false statements about her or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
Tesla, Musk’s auto company, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Sheinbaum’s remarks.
In the 2025 video, Sheinbaum said a return to a ‘war on drugs’ was not feasible.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday she is considering legal action following a comment by Elon Musk that alleged she was connected to drug cartels
Musk’s post on X followed the capture and killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader Nemesio Oseguera, ‘El Mencho,’ by Mexican security forces
‘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.
Sheinbaum said she expected security to continue to normalize in Mexico after cartel members coordinated a series of roadblocks and arson attacks following the government’s Sunday operation against Oseguera.
Asked if the operation marked a return to a more violent security stance, 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 Musk should use his platform and social media network X to fight drug consumption, addiction, 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 fueled 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.
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‘We are considering whether to take legal action,’ Sheinbaum said during her daily morning press conference, adding that government lawyers are reviewing the matter
Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes was killed by Mexican federal forces on Sunday
At least 20 states have been plunged into cartel-fueled chaos since ‘El Mencho’ died in custody on Sunday shortly after being seized by Mexican special forces in Jalisco state.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is one of the country’s most feared criminal organizations and its leader was Mexico’s most wanted man.
Jalisco cartel leader El Mencho was captured after US and Mexican intelligence agencies tracked down a girlfriend he was meeting in a secluded forest cabin.
On early Sunday morning, a squad of elite Mexican army and National Guard special-operations soldiers descended on the community of Tapalpa in western Mexico, where the kingpin remained holed up after his partner left.
El Mencho and his several bodyguards were chased down by soldiers, who surrounded them deep into the nearby woods.
Fighting ensued as the drug lord’s bodyguards, armed with two rocket launchers, desperately fired on the troops.
Eight people were killed in the fight, including El Mencho and two of his operatives, who were severely injured and then died in a military helicopter later.
Mexico’s Defense Secretary, Gen. Ricardo Trevilla, said intelligence services identified a man close to El Mencho’s lover who transported her to Tapalpa.
A bus burns on one of the main avenues after it was set on fire by organised crime groups in response to the operation in Jalisco to get ‘El Mencho’
Tapalpa is a mountain weekend getaway in western Jalisco state, surrounded by pine forests.
‘The intelligence process is very complex; it requires a great deal of time to gather a lot of information from diverse national and international sources,’ Trevilla said, standing next to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Over 50 people died in the aftermath of the operation during the gang’s counteroffensive.
The US had a $15 million bounty on El Mencho.
During the raid, Mexican authorities seized heavy weapons and ammunition, two rocket launchers and eight vehicles used by the kingpin’s operatives.
President Sheinbaum praised the army’s operation that led to El Mencho’s death and said her priority is to guarantee peace and security across Mexico.
‘There is calm, there is government, there are armed forces, and there is a lot of co-ordination,’ Sheinbaum said.
She emphasized that there were no US boots on the ground and denied direct US involvement, saying: ‘All operations, from their planning onwards, are the responsibility of the Mexican federal forces.’
