Salma Hayek: Mexican Cartel Violence 'Done with American Arms'

Actresses Salma Hayek and Blake Lively stopped by the set of Good Morning America on Wednesday to promote their new movie, “Savages.”   

“Savages,” in theatres July 6th, goes into the gritty details behind the Mexican drug cartels and their connection to the United States. Hayek and Lively sat down with GMA host George Stephanopoulos to talk about the movie and their experiences meeting ex-cartel members. 

Hayek said, “I met with all the cartel people. We met with a lot of people and it was a little scary. I met with somebody who was married to [a drug cartel leader]. She was gorgeous and very open and they trusted us and I cannot tell you a lot because they trusted us.”  

When Stephanopoulos asked Hayek about the movie’s connection with the real drug wars in Mexico, she asserted that many of the cartels are armed with American guns: 

It means a lot to me that we’re making this movie because I feel like when you hear about Mexico you only hear about the part that Mexico is very violent. But nobody talks about the part that we’re right next to the United States. What’s going on, it’s really bad, but the United States has a part in it, and nobody talks about that, but this movie does. And all this violence that’s happening there, it’s done with American arms.

Though Hayek seemed to be pushing an Obama talking point that has been debunked for years, Stephanopoulos seemed uncomfortable as she continued on about the drug wars and America. With the scandal behind Operation Fast and Furious bubbling into a story so big the media can no longer hide it, the anchor did not appear happy to hear any mention of American weapons used by Mexican drug cartels.