After nine members of an American family were killed in Mexico, Trump offered his help to defeat the cartels in Mexico. Gunmen ambushed members of the LeBaron family, a significant family of Mormons who had emigrated to Mexico in the 19th century and have dual U.S.-Mexico citizenship, on Monday, while they were traveling on an empty road between Sonora and Chihuahua- just south of the U.S. border. President Trump offered Mexico U.S. help to hunt down the killers and also announced that the United States is ready to back Mexico in its war against the drug cartel.
Ambush on Americans
On Monday, three women and six children were killed in an ambush in Mexico near the U.S. border as they were driving to a nearby wedding. Six other children were injured and taken to a hospital after help arrived. The family’s cars were left riddled with bullets from the gunmen and Mexican Security Minister Alfonso Durazo believes that the ambush may have been a case of mistaken identity and the gunmen might have thought that the family’s cars belonged to rival gangs. [1]
Devin Langford a 13-year-old boy, whose mother and two brothers were killed in the shooting, covered his surviving siblings and proceeded to walk 14 miles to find help in his hometown. After rescuers returned to the accident, five of the injured were taken to a hospital in Arizona for treatment. [2]
This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth. We merely await a call from your great new president!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2019
War on the Drug Cartel
On Tuesday, President Trump offered his help to Mexico in its effort to contain the drug cartel of its country. “This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth,” Trump tweeted. “We merely await a call from your great new president!”
“President Trump made clear that the United States condemns these senseless acts of violence that took the lives of nine American citizens and offered Mexico assistance to ensure the perpetrators face justice,” deputy White House press secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement. [3]
….monsters, the United States stands ready, willing & able to get involved and do the job quickly and effectively. The great new President of Mexico has made this a big issue, but the cartels have become so large and powerful that you sometimes need an army to defeat an army!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2019
Although Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has since thanked Trump for his offer, he has declined any help saying that Mexico will act with “independence and sovereignty” to punish the criminals. [4]
Notes:
- ^McLaughlin, Kelly. “Murder of 9 Mormons in Mexico: Police arrest suspect – Insider.” Insider, 6 Nov. 2019, www.insider.com/suspect-arrested-murder-of-9-american-mormons-mexico-2019-11. (go back ↩)
- ^McLaughlin, Kelly. “Devin Langford walked 14 miles to help Mormon shooting survivors in Mexico – Insider.” Insider, 6 Nov. 2019, www.insider.com/mormon-boy-walked-14-miles-help-mexican-mormon-shooting-survivors-2019-11. (go back ↩)
- ^Samuels, Brett. “Trump speaks with Mexican president after ambush near border region | TheHill.” TheHill, 5 Nov. 2019, thehill.com/homenews/administration/469094-trump-speaks-with-mexican-president-after-ambush-near-border-region. (go back ↩)
- ^Mary Beth Sheridan, Brittany Shammas. “Nine members of Mormon family, dual U.S.-Mexican citizens, killed in attack in northern Mexico; Trump offers support.” Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/world/at-least-seven-members-of-mormon-family-brutally-killed-in-northern-mexico/2019/11/05/d303e448-ffbb-11e9-9518-1e76abc088b6_story.html. (go back ↩)
