澳门六合彩

In October 2021, Mexico and the United States a 鈥淗igh Level Security Dialogue鈥� (HLSD) to step up collaboration and rebuild trust in efforts to counter deadly cross-border crime.听 Mexican and US cabinet members just held a one-year review.

The two governments have made some good progress, but much serious work remains to effectively counter and reduce the great harm that cross-border organized crime is causing to communities across both countries.

The challenge remains to turn agreed objectives into effective bilateral action plans and measurable .

A year ago, the US and Mexican government ministers a new 鈥淏icentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Safe Communities鈥� to oversee their work across a range of issues.

In January 2022, the two governments agreed on for the renovated security partnership, grouped into听 three pillars: 鈥減rotecting our people;鈥� 鈥減reventing cross border crime,鈥� and 鈥減ursuing criminal networks.鈥�

On October 13, 2022, US and Mexican cabinet members met in Washington for a second HLSD.听 In 听 , they cited examples of听 better cooperation on issues from public health and safer communities, to human rights and work against smuggling of drugs, arms and humans, as well as illicit money flows.

However, they agreed that there is much more to be done. As听 Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted, the two sides need to 鈥� our efforts to combat threats of fentanyl production and trafficking, arms trafficking, and the exploitation of migrants,鈥� 听 The two governments committed to priority for the year ahead.

Of particular importance going forward is establishing a clear, comprehensive, multi-year strategy for reducing supplies of the deadly drug fentanyl as well as for reducing for this lethal drug.

The US suffered 108,000 drug overdose deaths in the latest reported yearly figures, and some 2/3 of those deaths were from synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl.听 Fentanyl is being smuggled mostly from Mexico.听 Two Mexican crime groups, the Cartels, are the main sources of this deadly cargo.听 They are connected with a large US distribution .

Tragically one adulterated pill alone can contain enough fentanyl to be lethal, and many are dangerously unaware that fentanyl is even mixed into the pill they are taking. The head of the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently that "the greatest threat facing our communities, our families, our kids is the deadly fentanyl that we are seeing in the United States that is brought here by the two cartels in Mexico."

The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions that for the 12 months ending in March 2022, synthetic opioids accounted for over 72,000 US deaths, up from 62,000 a year earlier.

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Over the last fiscal year, despite efforts to improve US-Mexican cooperation, of fentanyl at the Mexico-US border jumped 31%.听 US border seizures of fentanyl have grown by over five times since 2019, evidence that this illicit commerce is driving the rise in US overdose deaths.

A combination of US and Mexican concerted, sustained actions on both sides of the border is required, as well as steps to reduce the supply precursor chemicals used to produce fentanyl arriving from and other countries.

As fentanyl smuggling is surging, the number of migrant encounters at the US-Mexico border has also set records in , due to huge jumps in the numbers of migrants arriving from countries other than Mexico and Central America. Criminal groups continue to take advantage of the migrant surge as an added source of income.听 Despite improved US-Mexico collaboration, managing the migrant problem at the US-Mexico border, at Mexico鈥檚 southern border, and across the region is becoming much more complex.

In Mexico, criminal violence remains at historically record high levels, fueled by rivalries among criminal groups.听 Often these groups use guns smuggled from the US, (estimated up to per year), and purchased with massive profits from illegal drug sales.听 Though authorities are going after those illicit profits, more progress is needed, sparking calls from the US for additional actions.听 For these reasons, the High Level Security Dialogue has also prioritized work against arms trafficking, exploitation of migrants and illicit money flows.

Reports indicate that Mexican have grown more in and .听 There are frequent incidents of by criminal gangs plaguing several Mexican states, including along the US-Mexico border.听 Mexico鈥檚 Public Security said following the HLSD, that the majority of homicides take place in 6 of Mexico鈥檚 32 states and in some 50 of Mexico鈥檚 2400 municipalities.听 The Mexican newspaper reports that this year an average of 2 minors a day have died by gun violence, up over 6% from 2021.

Homicides in Mexico have been at record highs since 2019.听 Mexico鈥檚 statistics show a welcome drop in the first half of this year, but it is not clear if the decline in homicides will endure, or if it might be due to consolidation of control by cartels over territory and smuggling routes, for example.

There are frequent reports of when authorities move to reign in criminal groups, while criminal gangs appear to be expanding influence over non-drug commerce, from to convenience and even to sources, as well as in smuggling .听 One of the most comprehensive regular reports of violence in Mexico, The Mexico Peace , concludes that despite some improvements, 鈥渢he longer-term trends indicate a marked deterioration in peacefulness between 2015 and 2021.鈥�

Not surprisingly, Mexico鈥檚 statistics agency finds many Mexicans () feel insecure in their hometowns. State Department travel warnings to American citizens provide detailed about traveling to 29 of the 31 Mexican states and urge citizens not to travel at all to six states.

Mexico鈥檚 government is increasing the of the and its militarized National Guard, (rather than civilian police), to help tackle crime and violence, to help manage migrant flows, and to take on other priority tasks, including infrastructure construction.

While the presence of heavily armed security forces can staunch violence, many experts note that these forces are to investigate crimes or to work with prosecutors to successfully bring charges and win convictions of those arrested.

Already, as few as 1 in 10 crimes are reported in Mexico.听 Few of the crimes reported are investigated, and a very small of cases actually go before a judge.听 Additionally, the budgets for prosecutors and judicial authorities have been reduced in recent years, further undermining their capacity.

Many experts express worry that an expanded military role is a short term fix that will the of Mexico鈥檚 current law enforcement and justice authorities and does not provide the needed long term strategic framework for enhancing security and rule of law.听 Some argue the current security policy is .

Insecurity harms Mexico鈥檚 economic and investment prospects too. Mexico has a reputation as one of the world鈥檚 most countries.听 The Mexico Peace Index estimates the economic cost of violence at or 20.8 percent of Mexico鈥檚 GDP.

The same weaknesses that diminish Mexico鈥檚 ability to deal with crime hinder the effectiveness of Mexican authorities as US partners.听 between law enforcement and justice agencies was severely during the Trump administration.听 When the US arrested a former defense minister on drug charges in 2020, Mexico passed a that severely inhibits US-Mexico law enforcement investigations.

The new 鈥淏icentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Safe Communities鈥� was established to help rebuild collaboration.听 Judging by October鈥檚 on US-Mexico cooperation over the past year, the new framework is bearing fruit in capacity building and other programs.听 It does not seem, however, that investigative, judicial, and related cooperation is yet producing the results needed to greatly reduce the harm being caused on both sides of the border.

Without more positive results, including reduction in fentanyl flows and dismantling of criminal networks, however, calls will grow for and unilateral US steps to press Mexico.听 The best way forward is for the Bicentennial Framework to produce credible action plans and concrete results.