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1 1 (December 12, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govejsh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: nformni Updated December 12, 2022 U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation: From the Merida Initiative to the Bicentennial Framework Elevated levels of organized crime-related violence in Mexico and drug overdose deaths in the United States have led some in Congress to question the efficacy of U.S.- Mexican security cooperation. Homicides in Mexico reached record levels from 2016 to 2019, declined slightly in 2020, but rose again in 2021 and remain elevated in 2022. Moreover, since 2019, Mexico has replaced China as the primary U.S. source of fentanyl, which accounted for some 66% of the nearly 108,000 U.S. drug overdoses in 2021. As Congress funds and oversees security cooperation under the U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities, announced in October 2021, it may evaluate lessons learned from the Mdrida Initiative, a security partnership supported by $3.5 billion in appropriations (FY2008 - FY2021). Origins of the M rida Iniiative 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: FY2OO&-FY2O 1O 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-Pillar FY20 I FY2OI7 In 2011, the U.S. and Mexican governments broadened the scope of bilateral efforts under four pillars. 1. Combating transnational organized criminal organizations (TCOs); 2. Strengthening criminal justice sector institutions while protecting human rights; 3. Creating a 21st-century U.S.-Mexican border while improving immigration enforcement in Mexico; and, 4. Building strong and resilient communities through pilot projects aimed at violence prevention and drug demand reduction. The initiative's wide-ranging cooperation was widely praised. Critics asserted, however, that the two nations adopted an increasing number of priorities without allocating increased funding for them. In addition, a May 2020 Government Accountability Office report identified deficiencies in monitoring impacts of specific programs. Shifting Priorities: FY20 8-FY2O2 President Trump's executive orders on combatting transnational criminal organizations (E.O. 13773) and enhancing border security (E.O. 13767) refocused the Merida Initiative. Controlling irregular migration became a central U.S. goal, while promoting human rights and reforming the rule of law were arguably deemphasized. Other U.S. priorities included reducing synthetic drug production, improving border interdiction and port security, and combating money laundering. Since taking office in 2018, Mexican President Andres Manuel L6pez Obrador has criticized the Mdrida Initiative and reduced federal security cooperation with the United States, with the exception of migration enforcement. In 2020, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (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 cooperation. Mexico's Congress enacted a law requiring foreign law enforcement officials to share information they gather with designated Mexican federal authorities and requiring Mexican state and local officials to report contacts with foreign officials. President L6pez Obrador has enjoyed high approval ratings despite his government's lack of success in reducing violent crime. Mexico's security strategy, released in February 2019, focuses on addressing the socioeconomic drivers of crime. L6pez Obrador's government has implemented broad social programs rather than the type of targeted crime prevention efforts that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has endorsed. ressionaI Rese r h Service na Ih le islitive debate sice 1914 0