Mexican Senator Sparks Controversy Over U.S. Drug Cartel Assistance Request

MÉXICO CITY, Mexico — A recent interview with Senator Lilly Téllez on Fox News ignited a heated debate after she reportedly called for assistance from the Trump administration to combat drug cartels in Mexico. The PAN legislator faced criticism for her remarks, where she suggested U.S. help is essential in fighting organized crime.

“The help from the United States to combat the cartels in Mexico is absolutely welcome. This is the sentiment of most Mexicans,” Téllez stated during the interview. She accused the current Mexican government of protecting drug traffickers and welcomed any assistance offered by President Trump.

“The only ones who do not like President Trump’s attempt to help us Mexicans against the cartels are the narcopolitics,” she said. Téllez later shared her comments on social media, emphasizing that most Mexicans want help against the cartels, despite claims to the contrary from figures like Claudia Sheinbaum.

Téllez clarified that her call for assistance was not a plea for military intervention, but rather a request for closer collaboration in the fight against drug trafficking. In a follow-up video, she asserted that no one would silence her.

The senator’s statements drew a strong reaction from Sheinbaum, who criticized Téllez’s stance. “It is significant that a senator of the Republic has given an interview to a foreign media outlet asking for intervention. I just want to mention that this is no small matter,” Sheinbaum stated in her morning conference.

Sheinbaum defended Mexico’s sovereignty, stating that intervention is not an option. She described Téllez’s words as not only dangerous but also contrary to the Mexican Constitution, which prohibits foreign intervention. “Some may be seeking something else… what we ask for is respect for our sovereignty and self-determination,” she added.

The controversial interview led some lawmakers to accuse Téllez of “treason to the homeland.” Others called for her to resign from her parliamentary duties, arguing that her statements fostered a hostile narrative toward Mexico from abroad. In response to the backlash, Téllez defended her position on social media, claiming that her request for intervention was “a lie” and insisting that her aim was to protect Mexicans from cartel violence.