Joint US-Mexico statement on fentanyl is heavy on promises, light on details
Christian Datoc
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Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and senior members of his government hosted a group of Biden administration officials Monday to continue discussions aimed at stopping the trafficking of fentanyl, firearms, and immigrants across the border.
Homeland Security Adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall led the U.S. delegation, which also included Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Kristie Canegallo, and Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Rich Verma. The two governments released a joint statement Tuesday promising to continue the discussions but provided few details regarding any new developments on the topic.
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“The leaders discussed our commitment to continuing joint efforts under the U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities to combat drug traffickers, disrupt the supply of the chemicals used to make illicit fentanyl, prevent trafficking of these deadly narcotics across our shared border, and promote public health services to reduce harm and demand and increase treatment services,” the statement reads. “Our countries also recognize that discovering, disrupting, and dismantling firearms trafficking networks is critical to our shared efforts to combat illicit fentanyl, and we remain committed to addressing firearms trafficking that contributes to violence and destruction on both sides of our shared border.”
“The leaders also discussed the challenges and progress in cooperation regarding regional migration and committed to continue to forge a region-wide response, guided by the principles in the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection,” it continued. “To that end, the United States and Mexico committed to further expand the availability of legal pathways throughout the region, including to Mexico and the United States. Leaders also discussed expanding our joint development work in Central America, and maintaining strong consequences for irregular entry at our shared border.”
Both countries are also “committed to furthering ongoing work to modernize and advance infrastructure projects that support our border communities and benefits both nations and strengthens our bilateral relationship and security.”
President Joe Biden met with Lopez Obrador this past spring, prior to the expiration of the COVID-19-era Title 42 health order, which resulted in a record number of border crossings. Customs and Border Protection, however, reported that illegal border crossings had dropped to their lowest point since the pandemic in June of this year.
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Lopez Obrador has also pressured Texas voters to oust Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) in response to his ramped-up security directives at the southern border, which have been additionally denounced by the Biden administration as “inhumane” and “indecent.”