Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador throughout the press convention on the Intelligence Center of the Secretary of Public Security and Citizen Protection in Mexico City on March 9.
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Luis Barron/Eyepix Group/Future Publishing through Getty Images
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador throughout the press convention on the Intelligence Center of the Secretary of Public Security and Citizen Protection in Mexico City on March 9.
Luis Barron/Eyepix Group/Future Publishing through Getty Images
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 1000’s of Americans yearly.
“Clearly the President of Mexico would not care that 70, 000 folks died of fentanyl overdose in America final yr,” mentioned Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) in an interview with NPR.
“He’s allowed his border to be managed by the cartels and he would not care.”
During a prolonged press convention Thursday, López Obrador disputed whether or not Mexico performs a big position in illicit fentanyl trafficking.
“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 taking place within the United States – however why do not they struggle the issue … and extra importantly why do not they handle their youth?”
But most drug coverage consultants and officers with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration say there isn’t any query Mexican drug cartels are fueling the explosion of lethal fentanyl on American streets.
U.S. legislation enforcement officers say lately, Mexican officers have refused to cooperate on efforts concentrating on fentanyl labs inside Mexico.
“We should not getting data on fentanyl seizures; we’re not getting data on seizures of precursor chemical compounds,” mentioned DEA chief Anne Milgram throughout a Senate listening to final month.
Obrador’s feedback observe demand for navy motion by GOP lawmakers
In latest days, Republican lawmakers have advised the demise toll is so dire, U.S. navy ought to play a job inside Mexico serving to disrupt traffickers and drug gangs.
“We’re going to unleash the fury and would possibly of the United States 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.
During his press convention Thursday, López Obrador mocked these proposals as “Robocop” and “authoritarian” considering.
He mentioned a U.S. navy presence inside his nation would symbolize an unacceptable infringement of Mexican sovereignty.
“We wish to be clear about our place,” López Obrador mentioned. “We is not going to permit any international authorities to mingle, and not to mention international armed forces, in our territory.”
Hundreds of kilos of fentanyl and meth seized close to Ensenada in October arrive for officers from Mexicos legal professional generals workplace to be unloaded at their headquarter in Tijuana, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. No one was arrested in reference to the seizure.
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Salwan Georges/The Washington Post through Getty Images
Hundreds of kilos of fentanyl and meth seized close to Ensenada in October arrive for officers from Mexicos legal professional generals workplace to be unloaded at their headquarter in Tijuana, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. No one was arrested in reference to the seizure.
Salwan Georges/The Washington Post through Getty Images
In a press release despatched to NPR Friday afternoon, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson mentioned the Biden administration shouldn’t be “contemplating navy motion in Mexico.”
Watson mentioned the U.S. and Mexico will “proceed to work this downside collectively,” including the 2 international locations have “strong legislation enforcement cooperation.”
But 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.
Just 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.
During his state of the union deal with, 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
But 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 vans that transit the border yearly.
Detecting and halting drug shipments hidden amongst that site visitors is a frightening problem.
It’s additionally unclear whether or not the Mexican authorities has the firepower and institutional power to struggle the cartels, that are closely armed and nicely organized.
The depths of the issue have been illustrated simply final month, when the U.S. prosecuted a former prime 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.
Still, with fentanyl deaths this excessive, there’s stress 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 to decelerate the crossings on the Southern border, we’ll must decelerate crossings on the Southern border,” mentioned Sen. Scott.
“They’re killing our youngsters. So if meaning we do much less commerce with Mexico, we do much less commerce with Mexico.”
Digital story edited by Maquita Peters.