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1 1 (March 6, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govebbh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Updated March 6, 2019 Mexico: Evolution of the M6rida Initiative, 2007-2019 Violent criminal organizations have threatened security and governance in parts of Mexico for more than a decade. This situation affects U.S. security interests, particularly in the Southwest border region. Although the illicit drug trade has long been prevalent in Mexico, violence has escalated as transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) have fought for control of smuggling routes into the United States. In 2007, Mexico and the United States created the Merida Initiative, a security and rule-of-law partnership to address drug trafficking and crime. Through this partnership, which has since been the centerpiece of bilateral security cooperation, both countries have invested in a broad range of efforts to combat transnational crime and its consequences. U.S. appropriations for the Merida Initiative since FY2008 (some $3.0 billion) have constituted only 2% of Mexico's total security budget but have enabled the U.S. government to help shape Mexico's policies. The Merida Initiative has strengthened U.S.-Mexican law enforcement cooperation and intelligence sharing. Nevertheless, homicides in Mexico and opioid-related deaths in the United States have surged. Against that backdrop, the Merida Initiative may change its emphasis now that Andres Manuel L6pez Obrador has taken office as president. L6pez Obrador, a leftist populist, won 53% of the vote and captured a legislative majority in elections held on July 1, 2018. Three months in to his six-year term, President L6pez Obrador remains extremely popular. Origins of the Merida Initiative Prior to FY2007, Mexico did not receive large amounts of U.S. antidrug assistance, partially due to Mexican sensitivity about U.S. involvement in the country's internal affairs. In March 2007, then-Mexican President Felipe Calder6n asked for U.S. assistance in combating drug and weapons trafficking. In response to this historic request, the George W. Bush and Calder6n Administrations proposed the Merida Initiative, a package of U.S. counter-drug and anti-crime assistance to Mexico (and Central America) in October 2007. As part of the Merida Initiative's emphasis on shared responsibility, the Mexican government pledged to tackle crime and corruption and the U.S. government pledged to address drug demand and the illicit trafficking of firearms and bulk currency to Mexico. Both governments have struggled to fulfill those commitments. Initial Funding for the Merida initiative: FY2008 FY20 0 During the first phase of the Merida Initiative, Congress appropriated some $1.5 billion, including $420.7 million in foreign military financing (FMF), which enabled the purchase of equipment, including aircraft and helicopters, to support Mexico's federal security forces (military and police). U.S. assistance focused on (1) counternarcotics, border security, and counterterrorism; (2) public security; and (3) institution building. U.S. assistance and intelligence supported Mexico's strategy of arresting (and extraditing) kingpins from each of the major TCOs, but this strategy also fueled violence, as fractured criminal groups fought to regroup and reorganize. Congress withheld 15% of certain U.S. aid for the Mexican military and police until the State Department submitted an annual report stating that Mexico was taking steps to meet human rights requirements. The Four-Pillar Strategy: FY20 I -FY2 I7 The Obama and Calder6n Administrations broadened the scope of bilateral efforts to a four-pillar strategy that prioritized institution building. In 2012, incoming Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto initially sought to scale back U.S. involvement in some law enforcement operations. By mid-2013, however, the U.S. and Mexican governments agreed to focus on these four pillars: 1. Combating TCOs through intelligence sharing and law enforcement operations, with a new focus on money laundering; 2. Institutionalizing the rule of law while protecting human rights through justice sector reform, forensic equipment and training, and federal- and state-level police and corrections reform; 3. Creating a 21 century U.S.-Mexican border, while improving immigration enforcement in Mexico and security along Mexico's southern borders; and, 4. Building strong and resilient communities by piloting approaches to address root causes of violence and supporting efforts to reduce drug demand and build a culture of lawfulness through education programs. Some analysts praised the wide-ranging cooperation between the governments; others criticized the increasing number of priorities they adopted. Experts warned that it would be difficult for Mexico to implement an accusatorial justice system requiring better evidence collection by police and public trials with oral arguments in only eight years. U.S. technology and training under pillar one supported Mexican intelligence-gathering and information-sharing efforts, including biometrics and telecommunications. Under pillar two, U.S. agencies provided more than $400 million in training, courtroom infrastructure, and technical assistance to support Mexico's transition to an accusatorial justice system (adopted in 2008) at the federal and state levels. Pillar three expanded beyond efforts to modernize the U.S.-Mexican border to include more than $100 million in training and equipment for securing Mexico's southern border. Under pillar four, the U.S. Agency for International https://crsreports.congress.gov