Mexico's president says 'hugs, not bullets' will solve the country's cartel crisis
Reaction from Border Patrol Council vice president Art Del Cueto.
National Border Patrol Council Vice President Art del Cueto said Friday that Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's "hugs, not bullets" security policy is not a solution for "cold-blooded" drug cartel killers.
On Monday, nine Americans – including six children – were gunned down in the state of Sonora.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador brushed off criticisms against his government’s position and reiterated his stance that violence was not the answer or appropriate response to the growing deaths at the hands of cartels.
“It was lamentable, painful because children died, but do we want to resolve the problem the same way (as previous administrations)? By declaring war?” he questioned. “That, in the case of our country, showed that it does not work. That was a failure. It caused more violence.”
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Speaking at the White House on Friday, senior adviser to the president Kellyanne Conway said that she disagrees with Obrador's approach.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends: First" with hosts Todd Piro and Jillian Mele, del Cueto said that he thought Obrador sent a "really clear message" about who is "running the show down there."
"And then to say, you know, we're going to hug them. I mean, c'mon. That's just ridiculous especially after this horrific event -- the massacre of American children. It just doesn't make any sense," he said.
He told the "Friends: First" hosts: "I can tell you right now that hugs are not the solution. You're dealing with individuals that have no soul. Just look at the horrific acts that they have committed. This is just one of them."
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"It blows my mind that we still have American politicians that are asking for open borders and wanting these individuals to just come into the United States, you know, and are we going to hug them next? It's just ridiculous," he added.
Del Cueto said that the gunmen who orchestrated the attack earlier this week are not our "friends."
"These are cold-blooded animals," he stated. "Just look at the pictures!"
"You want to open the doors to criminals entering this country?" he asked.
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