Mexican President López Obrador Rips Abbott Over 'Despicable' Border Stops

Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador on Monday ripped Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over the increased inspections of commercial trucks at the southwest border.

"Legally they can do it, but it's a very despicable way to act," López Obrador said during his daily press conference, according to The Dallas Morning News. "I would say it's chicanadas [half-baked] antics from the state government."

Abbott said last week that he would end the additional inspections on commercial vehicles following security agreements with the governors of four Mexican states. However, López Obrador said on Monday that Abbott and those governors did not have the authority to make these agreements.

"With all due respect, states have no legal authority to do agreements with a foreign country," he said. "Instead of thinking — and I say this respectfully — How will I fix the problem of inflation? He is politicizing and even violating international rights."

Abbott's press secretary said in a statement responding to López Obrador that, "What's despicable is the ongoing crisis on our southern border, with millions of illegal immigrants from over 150 countries overrunning our border communities and overwhelming our law enforcement, that neither President Biden nor President López Obrador have stepped up to stop."

The statement continued, "It's time for President Biden to do his job and secure our border, and it's time for President López Obrador to work with Texas and the U.S. to stop this flow of illegal immigration into our state and our country."

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