US Drug Czar Highlights 'Unprecedented' Mexico Cooperation, Citing Trump Influence
Sara Carter, the U.S. drug czar, has highlighted enhanced security collaboration between the United States and Mexico, attributing what she called "unprecedented cooperation" to the Mexican government's perception of President Trump's resolve. She cited the operation against deceased Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes as a key example of this bilateral effort, involving U.S. intelligence and Mexican forces. Carter also noted ongoing U.S. efforts to target officials in Sinaloa accused of protecting cartels.
Sara Carter, director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), discussed enhanced security collaboration between the United States and Mexico, crediting it to the Mexican government's understanding that President Trump is resolute in his approach to cartels.
In an interview on Saturday, Carter cited the operation against Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the now-deceased leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), as a prime example of this close cooperation. She stated that the February 22 Mexican military operation in Jalisco, which led to Oseguera’s death, was conducted at the behest of the U.S. government and utilized U.S. intelligence.
Carter indicated that Mexican forces, including the National Guard and special forces, cooperated by acting on U.S. information. She described this level of cooperation as something not previously observed. This sentiment echoes a previous statement by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who last September characterized security cooperation between the two countries during the Trump administration as exceptionally close.
Despite these claims of cooperation, the bilateral security relationship has recently faced strains. These include alleged participation by the CIA in a drug lab raid in Chihuahua without Mexican government authorization, and U.S. prosecutors' drug trafficking accusations against Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and other current and former officials.
Carter also mentioned that U.S. prosecutors are targeting officials in Sinaloa, describing them as part of a "Culiacán clan" that allegedly protected the Sinaloa Cartel and its factions. She asserted that the U.S. was able to target these individuals because the Mexican government, along with others in the hemisphere, recognizes President Trump's determination. Mexican authorities have not arrested the accused officials, citing a lack of proof from their U.S. counterparts.
According to Mexico News Daily, the Sinaloa governor and other defendants deny any wrongdoing.
