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1 1 (April 7, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govehbc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con gressionaI Rese r h Service nformning Ih legislitive debate since 1914 0 Updated April 7, 2022 U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation: From the Merida Initiative to the Bicentennial Framework In recent years, escalating violence in Mexico and drug overdose deaths in the United States have led Congress to question the efficacy of U.S.-Mexican security cooperation. Homicides in Mexico reached record levels from 2016 to 2019, followed by a slight decline during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Since 2019, Mexico has replaced China as the primary U.S. supplier of synthetic opioids, which cause a majority of U.S. drug overdoses. As Congress deliberates on the future of U.S.-Mexican security cooperation, it may reevaluate the Mdrida Initiative, including implementation of security and rule-of- law initiatives supported by $3.5 billion in congressional appropriations. It also may assess the Biden Administration's FY2023 budget request to support the new U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Heath, and Safe Communities. Origins of the M6.rida Initiative Prior to FY2008, Mexico did not receive large amounts of U.S. security 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 more U.S. cooperation to fight criminal organizations and their cross-border trafficking operations. In response, the Mdrida Initiative, a package of U.S. antidrug and rule- of-law assistance to Mexico, began. As part of the Mdrida Initiative's emphasis on shared responsibility, the Mexican government pledged to tackle corruption. 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 Phase: FY200IFY2OIO Congress appropriated $1.5 billion for the Mdrida Initiative from FY2008 to FY2010, 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). Congress required the State Department to withhold 15% of certain U.S. aid for the Mexican military and police until the agency submitted an annual report stating that Mexico was taking steps to meet human rights requirements. U.S. assistance focused on counternarcotics, border security, and counterterrorism; public security; and institution building. U.S. intelligence supported Mexico's strategy of arresting (and extraditing) kingpins from each of the major drug trafficking organizations. This kingpin strategy also fueled intra-cartel violence. The Four-PiIlars: FY20 I I -FY2O 17 In 2011, the U.S. and Mexican governments broadened the scope of bilateral efforts under four pillars. 1. Combating transnational criminal organizations through intelligence sharing and law enforcement operations 2. Institutionalizing the rule of law while protecting human rights through justice sector reform, forensic equipment and training, and police and corrections reform 3. Creating a 21st-century U.S.-Mexican border while improving immigration enforcement in Mexico 4. Building strong and resilient communities by piloting approaches to address root causes of violence and reduce drug demand Some analysts praised the wide-ranging cooperation. Others criticized the increasing number of priorities the two nations adopted. Experts warned it would be difficult in only eight years for Mexico to implement an accusatorial justice system requiring better evidence collection by police and public trials with oral arguments. Mexico's Congress established the eight-year transition to a new justice system in 2008 constitutional reforms. Shifting Priorities: FY20 I -FY202 I President Trump's executive orders on combatting transnational criminal organizations (E.O. 13773) and enhancing border security (E.O. 13767) refocused the Mdrida Initiative. Updated U.S. priorities included reducing synthetic drug production, improving border interdiction and port security, and combating money laundering. In 2019, President Trump praised Mexico's augmented efforts against illegal migration but criticized Mexico's antidrug performance in his FY2021 drug majors determination. Since taking office in 2018, Mexican President Andres Manuel L6pez Obrador has criticized the Merida Initiative and reduced federal security cooperation with the United States, with the exception of migration enforcement. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hindered bilateral cooperation. In October 2020, the United States arrested former Defense Minister Salvador Cienfuegos on drug charges; the move angered the Mexican government and further limited security cooperation. After the United States dropped the case and allowed Cienfuegos to return to Mexico, President L6pez Obrador exonerated him and dismissed the U.S. evidence as fabrications. Mexico's Congress enacted a law requiring foreign law enforcement officials to share information they gather with designated Mexican federal authorities and Mexican state and local officials to report contacts with foreign officials. President L6pez Obrador enjoys high approval ratings, even though his government has struggled to address homicides