Trump thanks Sheinbaum for inspiring launch of major US anti-drug campaign

United States President Donald Trump thanked Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum connected Wednesday for giving him the thought to motorboat an anti-drugs campaign, connected which helium pledged to walk “hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Speaking astatine a Saudi Arabia-backed concern league successful Miami, Trump said helium had spoken to Sheinbaum astir drugs and she told him that Mexico is not a “consumer nation.”

#ULTIMAHORA. Admite @POTUS que al hablar con la presidenta mexicana @Claudiashein se dio cuenta de la importancia de llevar a cabo una agresiva campaña en contra del consumo de fentanilo para frenar la adicción en EU. @SPRInforma #ClaudiaMuchaPresidenta @canalcatorcemx pic.twitter.com/3HzX3c1EHD

— Jenaro Villamil (@jenarovillamil) February 20, 2025

“I said … wherefore is that? … She said, ‘Well, we person precise beardown household values,'” helium said.

“I said ‘But we bash too. We bash too.’ …  I said, ‘Well, you’re not truly saying thing determination due to the fact that we person large families too. We person large household values,'” Trump said.

He noted that Sheinbaum — who helium referred to arsenic a “very fantastic woman” — besides told him that Mexico spends a batch of wealth connected anti-drug advertising.

“And I said ‘unbelievable.’ That was specified a large speech due to the fact that we’re going to walk hundreds of millions of dollars advertizing however atrocious drugs are truthful that kids don’t usage them — [we’re going to say] that they chew up your brain, they destruct your teeth, your skin, your everything. And I thanked her for that,” Trump said.

He subsequently said that the U.S. authorities would motorboat an anti-drugs run “with $100 cardinal and past different $100 cardinal initially.”

“… I saw immoderate of the ads and they are truly violent. I said you person to marque them strong,” Trump said.

“Your tegument practically comes disconnected aft a play of time. You suffer your hearing. You suffer your teeth. … It is terrible, and we amusement this happening to people,” helium said.

“… She truly gave maine something,” Trump said, referring to the thought Sheinbaum gave him during a call.

Trump expressed admiration for the beardown imagery utilized successful Mexico’s caller anti-fentanyl ads. (Secretaría de Salud)

“… I was going to telephone her and archer her that she did, but present I don’t person to telephone her due to the fact that she’s going to beryllium seeing this close now. So to the president of Mexico, convey you precise much. I admit it. … We’re going to bash a large advertizing run saying however atrocious it is, however drugs are truthful atrocious for you,” helium said.

Trump didn’t accidental precisely erstwhile helium spoke to Sheinbaum astir Mexico’s anti-drug advertizing campaign.

Sheinbaum said connected societal media successful precocious November that she had spoken to Trump astir “the run we’re carrying retired successful the state to forestall the usage of fentanyl.”

The U.S. president has spoken often of his committedness to stopping the introduction of fentanyl to the United States, and pledged to enforce 25% tariffs connected each Mexican exports to the U.S. arsenic helium seeks to unit Mexico to bash much to stem the northward travel of the almighty opioid. The projected tariffs are presently paused but could instrumentality effect adjacent month.

Although Trump is intent connected blocking the introduction of fentanyl and combating Mexican cause cartels — six of which are present designated arsenic overseas violent organizations successful the U.S. — his “sweeping frost connected overseas assistance has temporarily stopped U.S.-funded anti-narcotics programs successful Mexico that for years person been moving to curb the travel of the synthetic opioid into the United States,” Reuters said successful an exclusive study past week.

‘Fentanyl kills’: Mexico’s anti-drug campaign

In aboriginal January, Sheinbaum officially presented a 300-million-peso (US $14.8 million) “national” and “permanent” anti-drugs campaign nether the sanction “Aléjate de las drogas. El fentanilo te mata” oregon “Stay distant from drugs. Fentanyl kills you.”

No te dejes enganchar! El fentanilo es una droga extremadamente peligrosa. 💊🚫

Incluso una pequeña cantidad puede ser letal. ☠️

¡No arriesgues tu vida!

Si necesitas ayuda, llama a la #LíneaDeLaVida: 📞 800 911 2000.#ElFentaniloTeMata #AléjateDeLasDrogas #EligeSerFeliz pic.twitter.com/PugkXoU0kc

— SALUD México (@SSalud_mx) February 15, 2025

The run includes billboards, advertizing connected television, vigor and societal media, cause acquisition successful schools and different measures. The billboards are particularly prevalent successful Mexico City.

“Fentanyl kills you. They enactment it successful different drugs to get you hooked. A agreed household gives you life,” says 1 advertisement posted to societal media by the Health Ministry.

“[Fentanyl] destroys your muscles and body, causes paranoia and suicidal thoughts, provokes respiratory apprehension and bosom attacks, kills your neurons and brain. Stay distant from drugs, take to beryllium happy,” says 1 video advertisement.

On the time the “Stay distant from drugs campaign” was officially launched, Sheinbaum asserted that the usage of fentanyl “is not truly a problem” successful Mexico.

While fentanyl is utilized successful Mexico and determination person been deaths linked to the almighty synthetic opioid here, “there is not a situation similar determination is successful the United States,” she said.

“… We don’t privation [the overdose crisis] to scope our country, and that’s wherefore we’re starting this run against fentanyl,” Sheinbaum said.

While determination are cases of fentanyl maltreatment successful Mexico, disposable information doesn’t bespeak an opioid situation similar successful the U.S. (CBP Troy Miller/X)

The authorities of erstwhile president Andrés Manuel López Obrador also ran an anti-drugs campaign, and successful aboriginal 2023 past lawman wellness curate Hugo López-Gatell was announced arsenic Mexico’s caller addiction prevention “czar.”

The existent and erstwhile anti-drugs campaigns person faced disapproval for a scope of reasons, including due to the fact that of the absorption connected fentanyl, which — arsenic Sheinbaum has pointed retired — is not wide utilized successful Mexico, and due to the fact that they person allegedly aroused involvement successful the synthetic opioid among users of different drugs.

“The main cause occupation successful Mexico is the usage of methamphetamines,” the quality website Expansión reported earlier this month.

Health Minister David Kershenobich said past period that was “probably” the case, though helium said that fentanyl “is the astir significant” cause utilized successful Mexico “in the consciousness of mortality and the harm it causes.”

Mexico News Daily