Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas on Sunday refuted a “misconception” that Mexico is not helping fight fentanyl, noting that the country is an ally in the fight against drugs.
When asked about the fentanyl crisis by NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press,” Mayorkas replied that “there is a misconception that Mexico is not a good partner” in fighting the fentanyl epidemic.
“They are allies, and we have a very close partnership with them,” added Mayorkas.
When asked why Mexico is not cooperating on the fentanyl issue, the secretary reiterated that it was a “misunderstanding” that Mexico would not be helpful, saying that officials at the U.S. border to deal with the fentanyl issue had been unable to help. I added that I am in Mexico. He said he could not speak for Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, but that the United States was working closely with its Mexican partners to address the crisis.
“I can’t speak to his official statement,” Mayorcas said. “I can speak to what is happening operationally on the ground. As such, fentanyl is the precursor chemical, the equipment used to manufacture it, much of it is produced in China, and that flow must be stopped.”
Majorcas is under fire From Republicans for dealing with the Mexico-U.S. border, particularly on the issue of fentanyl trafficking. Republican Senator introduced A bill earlier this month designating nine separate drug cartels in Mexico as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) says those organizations are responsible for fentanyl in the United States.
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