Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected a claim from the head of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that there is a deadly connection between her government and the country's influential criminal cartels.

During her daily news conference on Wednesday, Sheinbaum pushed back, saying the DEA's remarks seemed 'more like a political statement than one backed by evidence'.

She added that the DEA should focus on combating drug trafficking, distribution and money laundering within its own country. The US, she pointed out, is the world's largest market for illicit drugs.

Sheinbaum has repeatedly faced accusations under US President Donald Trump that her country is 'run' by cartels. Several Trump officials have mirrored that assertion.

On Tuesday, DEA Administrator Terry Cole said the Mexican government and cartel networks were 'one and the same'. The Mexican government responded by saying Cole's remarks did not reflect its efforts to work with the US to combat cartels.

It added that Mexico continues to be willing to collaborate with the US to combat crime, as long as its sovereignty was respected.

Since Trump took office for a second term, Sheinbaum has faced pressure from her northern neighbour to crack down on crime. In response, she has pledged close cooperation with the US, while pushing back against Trump's militaristic approach to Latin America.

Her administration has repeatedly rejected the prospect of the US conducting military operations on its soil without the federal government's consent.

Initially, Trump and Sheinbaum appeared to forge warm relations, but Sheinbaum has become increasingly vocal in her criticism of the Trump regime in recent months.

Source: www.aljazeera.com