Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Tuesday that her government is considering legal action against Elon Musk, following the billionaire’s baseless accusation that she has links to drug cartels, which came after the death of a top cartel leader.
Musk leveled the claim in a post on X, reacting to a resurfaced 2025 video where Sheinbaum addressed cartel violence and opposed reverting to a militarized crackdown.
“Reverting to the is not an option. First, because it falls outside the legal framework,” she said in the clip.
The video was shared by an X user who queried, “She’s a cartel plant right?”
“She’s simply repeating what her cartel superiors instruct her to say,” . “Let’s just note that their penalty for non-compliance is somewhat harsher than ‘a performance improvement plan.’”
Sheinbaum addressed the remarks during her daily morning press conference, indicating that her government was assessing its available courses of action.
“We are deliberating on whether to pursue legal measures,” she stated, noting that government legal advisors were examining the case.
Musk’s post followed an operation by Mexican security forces , known as “El Mencho,” the long-standing leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which led to roadblocks and arson attacks in certain regions of the country.
A 2006 military campaign against cartels initiated by former President Felipe Calderón resulted in violent territorial disputes as gangs fragmented, intensifying a cycle of violence that analysts attribute to Mexico’s consistently high murder rates.
When asked if the operation against Oseguera indicated a move toward a more aggressive security approach, Sheinbaum dismissed the idea.
“Apprehending a suspected criminal with an arrest warrant can lead to such situations, but we are ,” she said.
Ruling Morena party President Luisa Alcalde also criticized Musk’s comments, urging him to utilize his platform to address , misinformation, and the glorification of narco culture.
“Wealth does not confer moral authority,” she stated. “The lives lost in this struggle—often driven by demand in other nations—are infinitely more valuable than any wealth accumulated in Silicon Valley.”
Over 130,000 individuals are listed as missing in Mexico, where a significant portion of the violence is tied to drug cartels that traffic narcotics to the U.S. and acquire weapons from across the border.
Reuters contributed to this report.