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Mexican president denounces calls for US military to target drug cartels

 During a news conference on Thursday, Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador rejected Republican-led calls for the US military to intervene to counter drug cartel violence in the country, adding Mexico "does not take orders from anyone". Such a move would violate Mexico's sovereignty, he further mentioned.

On Wednesday, Texas Republican Dan Crenshaw asked the Mexican president why he opposed a proposed legislation the congressman introduced in January, authorizing US military force to stem drug cartel violence in the neighboring country.

"The cartels are ... creating a crisis at our border and turning Mexico into a failed narco-state," Crenshaw mentioned in a statement on January 12 about the proposal.

In a Fox News interview on Monday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham advocated putting forward legislation to classify some drug cartels in Mexico as "foreign terrorist groups", adding it was time to "put Mexico on notice".

A recent case involving the kidnapping of four Americans by heavily armed men and the subsequent murder of two has brought drug cartel violence in Mexico under renewed scrutiny in the US. A Mexican citizen was also killed in the incident, Tamaulipas Governor Americo Villarreal confirmed.

The four were driving through the Mexican border town of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, for a cosmetic surgery procedure to remove abdominal fat. Medical tourism is quite common among Americans residing in the US border states. Price and proximity have turned Mexico into a top medical tourism destination for US citizens who cannot afford healthcare in their country.

Matamoros is usually counted among the most dangerous cities in the country as large areas of the state are controlled by drug cartels, who might even yield greater power than local law enforcement.

In connection with the incident from last week, the Scorpions faction of the Gulf cartel apologized to the people involved, adding "we have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible in the events," a letter obtained by The Associated Press news agency read.


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