Mexico’s government remained silent after the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) delivered some harsh criticism during a U.S. Senate hearing. During testimony, she stated that Mexican authorities are not doing enough to stop both the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG).
In the past, Mexico’s government, particularly its president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has been quick to respond to criticism from U.S. officials. However, they have remained silent as to a series of comments from DEA Administrator Anne Milgram where she claimed Mexico is not carrying its weight in the fight against drug cartels.
“We believe that Mexico needs to do more to stop the harm that we are seeing,” Milgram said during the hearing stating that the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG were the two dominant organizations that controlled the supply of fentanyl.
One of the main concerns listed by the DEA administrator was the lack of information sharing between Mexico and U.S. agencies — particularly regarding fentanyl seizures and clandestine labs. Milgram also stated that Mexico is not extraditing criminals wanted by the U.S. as they have done in the past. She claimed that last year Mexico extradited 24 individuals while there are 232 suspects awaiting extradition.
In her comments, Milgram praised the work done by Mexico in a prior presidential administration when, from 2010 to 2015, Mexican authorities worked with the U.S. to target the Zetas cartel.
“They were effective in dismantling that cartel,” Milgra stated.
Despite the harsh criticism, Mexico’s government has remained silent. As Breitbart Texas reported, Mexico’s current president known as AMLO has drawn harsh criticism for his gentle approach by refusing to openly fight drug cartels. The politician has called his approach “Abrazos no Balazos” or “hugs, not bullets.” The Mexican president also claims to focus on social projects instead of police actions as a way to reduce violence. Additionally, as Breitbart Texas reported, shortly after taking office, AMLO publicly claimed that the war on drugs was over.
Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to Mexico City and the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. The writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and their original Spanish. This article was written by “C.P. Mireles” from Tamaulipas.
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