US, Mexico To Jointly Address the Fentanyl Crisis

The Mexican and US governments agreed to work together to dismantle the fentanyl supply chain, as well as its main producers such as the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The Mexican government emphasized that the problem can be addressed through cooperation without resorting to violence.

This week, President López Obrador announced that a Mexican delegation traveled to Washington, US, to attend a meeting with US representatives and discuss key issues. The meeting set the objective to reduce the flow of chemicals into Mexico, for the US to facilitate the production of fentanyl and to drastically reduce the number of weapons entering Mexico.

President López Obrador reported Mexico was represented by the Minister of Security and Citizen Protection, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, the Minister of Defense, Luis Cresencio Sandoval; the Minister of the Navy, José Rafael Ojeda; the Minister of Health, Jorge Alcocer and Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero. "It is an important delegation. They will hold meetings with US and Canadian officials in Washington. They will address issues such as fentanyl, weapons, migration and others." The US was represented by US Attorney Merrick Garland and White House Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall.

"We will defend Mexico. A small group from the US  makes unfeasible and unacceptable proposals in what should be a joint effort, not one marked by aggression. What we are looking for is permanent cooperation," said Rodríguez, referencing US Representatives who suggested a military intervention to stop Mexico’s fentanyl supply into the US. She added that despite the accusations, Mexico does not produce fentanyl or weapons. “The country suffers the consequences of illicit trafficking.”

Fentanyl has rapidly become one of the most critical healthcare issues for Mexico and the US and has been a key discussion topic for both countries. According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), fentanyl is a synthetic opioid considered 30 to 50 times stronger than heroin and 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. In 2021, there were approximately 70,000 deaths in the US related to fentanyl. In 2022, fentanyl deaths accounted for 66 percent of drug-related deaths in the US. While the price of fentanyl is at its lowest point, its consumption is increasing in Mexico and the US, according to authorities.

Recently, US officials proposed to solve the country’s fentanyl crisis by having US President Joe Biden authorize military action against Mexican cartels. The proposal was presented in January 2023 by Republican representatives Dan Crenshaw of Texas and Michael Waltz of Florida in the US House of Representatives. It passed nearly unnoticed yet received renewed attention due to a recent increase in fentanyl trafficking.  US Attorney General Merrick Garland accused Mexican drug cartels of purposely causing a fentanyl crisis in the US and urged the Mexican government to produce better strategies to combat the problem. President López Obrador has rejected the proposal and criticized it as “interventionist.”

If elected in 2025, former US President Donald Trump said he plans to take military action against Mexican drug cartels, without the permission of the Mexican government if needed. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Trump shared that lieutenants, veterans, MAGA members and politicians have proposed unilateral military strikes to address the country’s drug crisis.