Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in the course of the press convention on the Intelligence Middle of the Secretary of Public Safety and Citizen Safety in Mexico Metropolis on March 9.
Luis Barron/Eyepix Group/Future Publishing through Getty Photos
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Luis Barron/Eyepix Group/Future Publishing through Getty Photos
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in the course of the press convention on the Intelligence Middle of the Secretary of Public Safety and Citizen Safety in Mexico Metropolis on March 9.
Luis Barron/Eyepix Group/Future Publishing through Getty Photos
Republican lawmakers within the U.S. reacted with outrage Friday to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s declare that his nation performs little position within the fentanyl disaster killing tens of hundreds of People yearly.
“Clearly the President of Mexico does not care that 70, 000 folks died of fentanyl overdose in America final 12 months,” mentioned Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) in an interview with NPR.
“He is allowed his border to be managed by the cartels and he does not care.”
Throughout a prolonged press convention Thursday, López Obrador disputed whether or not Mexico performs a big position in illicit fentanyl trafficking.
“Right here, we don’t produce fentanyl, and we do not need consumption of fentanyl,” López Obrador mentioned.
He additionally blamed the overdose disaster within the U.S. on “social decay” in American society.
“We deeply lament what’s occurring in the USA – however why do not they struggle the issue … and extra importantly why do not they care for their youth?”
However most drug coverage consultants and officers with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration say there is not any query Mexican drug cartels are fueling the explosion of lethal fentanyl on American streets.
U.S. legislation enforcement officers say in recent times, Mexican officers have refused to cooperate on efforts focusing on fentanyl labs inside Mexico.
“We’re not getting info on fentanyl seizures; we’re not getting info on seizures of precursor chemical substances,” mentioned DEA chief Anne Milgram throughout a Senate listening to final month.
Obrador’s feedback comply with demand for army motion by GOP lawmakers
In latest days, Republican lawmakers have advised the demise toll is so dire, U.S. army ought to play a job inside Mexico serving to disrupt traffickers and drug gangs.
“We’ll unleash the fury and would possibly of the USA towards these cartels,” mentioned Sen. Lindsey Graham (Republican – SC) at a press convention Wednesday.
Republicans have additionally referred to as on the U.S. to designate drug cartels as worldwide terrorist organizations.
Throughout his press convention Thursday, López Obrador mocked these proposals as “Robocop” and “authoritarian” considering.
He mentioned a U.S. army presence inside his nation would characterize an unacceptable infringement of Mexican sovereignty.
“We wish to be clear about our place,” López Obrador mentioned. “We won’t enable any overseas authorities to mingle, and not to mention overseas armed forces, in our territory.”
A whole lot of kilos of fentanyl and meth seized close to Ensenada in October arrive for officers from Mexicos lawyer generals workplace to be unloaded at their headquarter in Tijuana, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. Nobody was arrested in reference to the seizure.
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Salwan Georges/The Washington Put up through Getty Photos
A whole lot of kilos of fentanyl and meth seized close to Ensenada in October arrive for officers from Mexicos lawyer generals workplace to be unloaded at their headquarter in Tijuana, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. Nobody was arrested in reference to the seizure.
Salwan Georges/The Washington Put up through Getty Photos
In a press release despatched to NPR Friday afternoon, Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson mentioned the Biden administration isn’t “contemplating army motion in Mexico.”
Watson mentioned the U.S. and Mexico will “proceed to work this drawback collectively,” including the 2 international locations have “strong legislation enforcement cooperation.”
However whereas López Obrador repeatedly singled out Republican proposals for criticism, his feedback additionally appeared to place him at odds with the Biden administration.
U.S. officers have repeatedly urged Mexico to do extra to focus on fentanyl and methamphetamine labs and cartel operations.
Simply hours earlier than the Mexican president spoke, U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar tweeted that the 2 international locations “should coordinate efforts towards illicit fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking.”
In latest days, the Biden administration has begun rolling out extra high-tech surveillance gear at border crossings designed to detect fentanyl.
Throughout his state of the union tackle, Biden additionally referred to as for a “surge” alongside the U.S.-Mexico border to cut back fentanyl trafficking.
A name for the U.S. to disrupt fentanyl trafficking even when that impacts ties with Mexico
However many drug coverage consultants query whether or not any of those measures will considerably cut back the supply of fentanyl on American streets.
Most fentanyl is available in by way of authorized ports of entry, smuggled within the roughly 70 million automobiles and vehicles that transit the border yearly.
Detecting and halting drug shipments hidden amongst that visitors is a frightening problem.
It is also unclear whether or not the Mexican authorities has the firepower and institutional energy to struggle the cartels, that are closely armed and nicely organized.
The depths of the issue had been illustrated simply final month, when the U.S. prosecuted a former high Mexican legislation enforcement official, Genaro Garcia Luna.
Garcia Luna was a accomplice the U.S. trusted within the drug struggle for years nevertheless it turned out he was working for one of many main cartels.
Nonetheless, with fentanyl deaths this excessive, there’s strain in Washington, D.C., to do one thing to disrupt fentanyl trafficking, even when it additionally means disrupting commerce and diplomatic ties with Mexico.
“If it means we have got to decelerate the crossings on the Southern border, we will need to decelerate crossings on the Southern border,” mentioned Sen. Scott.
“They’re killing our youngsters. So if which means we do much less commerce with Mexico, we do much less commerce with Mexico.”
Digital story edited by Maquita Peters.
