By Roberto Bustamante
The United States boasted progress in the fight against drug trafficking and fentanyl trafficking during the first year of the second term of donald trumphighlighting the cooperation with the government of Mexico headed by the president Claudia Sheinbaum.
This was announced by the United States ambassador in Mexico, Ronald Johnsondetailing that since the beginning of the current US administration 96 extraditions and 92 transfers of Mexican criminals have been completed towards US territory, as part of the bilateral strategy against cartels and transnational criminal networks.
Among the notable cases he mentioned the operations against Nemesio Oseguera Cervantesalias “El Mencho”leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG); Audias Flores Silvaalias “The Gardener”identified as a possible successor within that prison organization; as well as Samuel Ramirez Jr.one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives.
In a statement released by the United States Embassy, Johnson assured that the coordination between both governments has made it possible to “attack entire criminal networks” through actions against drug, weapons and human trafficking.
The diplomat stated that, at the end of 2025, Fentanyl overdose deaths in the United States decreased by 35%while seizures of that drug on the US border fell 50%.
As he explained, this is due to the increase in seizures made by Mexican authorities before the shipments reach US territory.
Johnson also maintained that the maritime flow of drugs to the United States decreased more than 95%, in addition to the fact that Mexico secured 65.5 metric tons of narcotics in maritime operations and dismantled more than 2,300 clandestine laboratories.
Regarding arms trafficking, the ambassador pointed out that seizures increased 125% during the first year of the Trump administration. He added that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) seized more than 36,000 illegal weapons, including more than 4,000 destined for criminal organizations in Mexico.
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