Overview
- President Claudia Sheinbaum said the U.S. offered CIA or military participation in anti-cartel raids, but Mexico has repeatedly refused and keeps all operations under Mexican forces.
- Sheinbaum stated that reported U.S. requests to arrest Mexican politicians have not been made through any formal channel and said her government has received no such demands.
- She cited outcomes of current cooperation, including a 50% drop in CBP-reported fentanyl seizures near the border, about 320 tons of drugs seized in Mexico, and a 40% reduction in intentional homicides since she took office.
- She pressed for shared responsibility, urging the United States to reduce drug demand and stop illegal gun flows, noting a Baja California seizure of 21 long guns and 30 handguns and DOJ data that roughly 75% of seized guns in Mexico originate in the U.S.
- The U.S. State Department labeled Mexico’s gradual progress unacceptable, and both governments set a ministerial security meeting in Washington in February to review next steps.