Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected claims that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has links to the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal networks.
Speaking at her morning news conference on Friday, Sheinbaum said her government had no investigation or evidence connecting Maduro to the cartel. Her comments came a day after the United States announced it would double its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, raising it from $25 million to $50 million.
The US has accused Maduro of being “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world” and of having ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and two Venezuelan gangs. These claims date back to the administration of former US President Donald Trump, who first offered a $15 million reward during his term.
Sheinbaum, however, said Friday was the first time she had heard of such allegations. “On Mexico’s part, there is no investigation that has to do with that,” she stated. “If they have some evidence, show it. We do not have any proof.”
Mexico has maintained diplomatic relations with Venezuela, while the US cut ties with Maduro’s government over concerns about the legitimacy of his presidency. Washington instead recognized opposition leaders as Venezuela’s rightful representatives and imposed heavy sanctions on Maduro and his allies.
During Trump’s presidency (2017–2021), the US applied a “maximum pressure” policy against Maduro, which included increasing the reward to $25 million. This figure was later raised again during the last weeks of President Joe Biden’s term, after Maduro’s controversial re-election to a third term in 2024.
International election observers said the vote was not democratic, and Venezuela’s opposition coalition released raw tallies suggesting results different from the government’s official figures.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
