MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) – A Mexican mayor is under investigation for possible criminal links after public thanks were offered to a notorious cartel leader for giving gifts to children, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday.

One of the world’s most wanted drug lords, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera leads the ultra-violent Jalisco New Generation Cartel, with the US Drug Enforcement Administration offering a reward of up to $15 million for his arrest.

But in a small town in Mexico’s western state of Michoacan, a sign was erected during a public event saying: “The children of Coalcoman thank Mr. Nemesio Oseguera and his children… for their noble gesture. Thank you for your gifts,” Mexican media reported.

Sheinbaum told a news conference that “an investigation is being carried out into whether or not the mayor (Anavel Avila) has any ties to this criminal group,” and why the sign was erected.

“We obviously condemn these banners,” she said.

“We are against any advocacy for these criminal groups,” she added.

It would not be the first time that drug cartels have distributed gifts to try to bolster their support among Mexicans.

In 2022, Sheinbaum’s predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador urged people not to be tricked by drug traffickers giving out Christmas presents.

The call came after videos on social media showed alleged criminals distributing gifts from trucks adorned with Christmas decorations to residents of the city of Guadalajara.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, food handouts by drug cartels were reported in several communities in Mexico, where a spiral of drug-related violence has seen more than 450,000 people murdered since 2006.

US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations after he takes office on January 2