FBI Director Christopher Wray regretted the “unequal” support that Mexico has provided to US authorities to help stop dangerous cartels and deadly drugs from entering the country.
Wray testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee where He advocated for greater cooperation on several issues, saying the United States needs “much, much more” help from south of the border.
During his appearance, Wray assured that although in recent years both Governments have had joint successes in the fight against narcotics, the problem of illegal drug trafficking, mainly fentanyl, is so great that they need broader cooperation from Mexico.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has a much greater effect than heroin, is a big problem in the upcoming presidential election, as the nation has seen a tragic increase in overdose deaths from it and other drugs that have been associated with him.
“There are individual cases that are bright spots (of cooperation with Mexico). But this is such a big problem. We need consistent, sustained and scalable assistance from them (the Mexicans)“added Wray, who used the term inconsistent repeatedly during his appearance.
With a record 76,000 Americans dead after ingesting synthetic opioids in 2022, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the problem is already a focus for authorities.
“(Mexico’s cooperation) is inconsistent. “We have had individual success stories, including events involving major cartel figures and extraditions,” Wray said in response to a question during a hearing at the US House Justice Expenditure Subcommittee.
“But the reality is that especially the two main cartels, (the Sinaloa Cartel and the CJNG (Jalisco New Generation Cartel) are the cause of most of the things we are addressing here. AND we need the Mexican government to do more“Wray responded to a question from Republican Hal Rogers.
According to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), fentanyl seizures at the border with Mexico during Fiscal Year 2023 exceeded 12.1 tons, a figure that represented almost double the 6.3 tons seized at the border during the previous Fiscal Year 2022.
According to the FBI director, The agency has nearly 400 active investigations open against the leadership of Mexican cartels within the United States. and of which 88 are located in the judicial districts of the border with Mexico, the main drug trafficking corridor to the United States.
“We certainly need the Mexican government to do more. “I am satisfied with what we have achieved (with them) but we need much more,” Wray said when asked by Democrat Matt Cartwright.
Furthermore, also He emphasized that China needs to do more to help block the spread of chemical precursors to fentanyl.
The FBI chief called for those two governments to share additional information at a “scaled, consistent and sustained level” to boost law enforcement efforts.
For now, the FBI is seeking $11.3 billion for the next fiscal year for “national security, intelligence, law enforcement and criminal justice services missions,” according to Wray.
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