MEXICO, (July 02, 2021).- Authorities from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE, Foreign Ministry) of Mexico and a delegation from the United States Drug Control Administration (DEA) agreed on Thursday, July 1st, to improve the exchange of intelligence to combat the drug cartels.
In a meeting at the diplomatic headquarters located in the Mexican capital, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that, specifically, “they addressed the collaboration between the Government of Mexico and the DEA to reduce the damage of drug use and trafficking in the region. ”
In addition, “both delegations agreed to establish as a bilateral priority to improve the mechanisms for sharing intelligence against organized crime.”
The report indicated that during the meeting the DEA authorities shared with the Mexican officials the trends in drug consumption and production in both countries.
“Criminal activities in Mexico and the United States are deeply interconnected. What happens on one side of the border directly affects the other side, ”said Ricardo Mejía Berdeja, Mexico’s Undersecretary of Public Security.
“We work in a coordinated and respectful manner with the US authorities to share best practices and intelligence and thus reduce violent crimes that affect both societies,” he added.
While the head of the SRE’s North America Unit, Roberto Velasco, said that the exchange was always respectful of Mexican sovereignty “and that it is a dialogue that seeks to strengthen cooperation to confront transnational organized crime effectively between both countries”.
In addition to Velasco and Mejía Berdeja, the Mexican delegation was made up of Santiago Nieto Castillo, head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), among others.
While the US delegation was made up of several DEA officials such as Anthony Nardozzi, deputy head of litigation, narcotics and dangerous drugs; Michael Cabral, Section Chief, Foreign Operations Division, and Matt Allen, Deputy Regional Director.
Source: SIPSE
