Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she is considering legal action after tech billionaire Elon Musk alleged on social media that she was taking orders from drug cartels.
Speaking at a Feb. 24 news conference in Mexico City, Sheinbaum said government lawyers were reviewing the matter.
“We’re considering whether to take some legal action,” she said.
“The lawyers are looking into it, but what matters to me is what the people say, honestly.”
Musk’s allegation of Sheinbaum’s cartel subservience followed the capture and killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC) leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” by Mexican security forces.
In his post on X, Musk responded to a 2025 video of Sheinbaum discussing cartel violence and saying that returning to a war against the cartels is “not an option” because it would mean extrajudicial killings that are “outside the framework of the law.” She added that military force against the cartels would also be counterproductive because it would trigger retaliatory violence that would only “increase homicides in Mexico.”
Responding to those remarks, Musk alleged that she was “saying what her cartel bosses tell her to say.”
“Let’s just say that their punishment for disobedience is a little worse than a ‘performance improvement plan,’” Musk wrote.
He did not provide evidence to support his claims.
Sheinbaum could face difficulty suing Musk for defamation in the United States because of strong legal protections for free speech. To prevail, she would need to show that Musk knowingly made a false statement or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
Tesla, Musk’s auto company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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