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1 1 (October 9, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govencw0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con gressionaI Resea rch Service normi~ng Ih IegisIativ e deba e sin ce 1914 S Updated October 9, 2023 U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation: From the Merida Initiative to the Bicentennial Framework Record drug overdose deaths in the United States and rising homicides in Mexico, most of which never lead to convictions, have led some in Congress to question the efficacy of U.S.-Mexican security cooperation. The homicide rate in Mexico tripled from 2007 to 2021, reaching 28 per 100,000 people. Over the same period, U.S. drug overdose deaths rose from 27,700 in 2007 to 107,000 in 2021. Some 66% of U.S. overdoses in 2021 were linked to fentanyl. Since 2019, Mexico has replaced China as the United States' primary source of fentanyl (with precursor chemicals coming mostly from China), despite bilateral efforts under the Merida Initiative that were supported by $3.5 billion in appropriations from FY2008 to FY2021. Congress may evaluate lessons learned from the Merida Initiative to inform funding and oversight of the U.S.- Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities, adopted in 2021. Origins of the Meria 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 Merida Initiative, a package of U.S. antidrug and rule- of-law assistance to Mexico, began. As part of the Merida 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: FY2OO8-FY2OIO Congress appropriated $1.5 billion for the Merida 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, which inadvertently contributed to intra-cartel violence. The Four-Pillars: FY20 I -FY2OI In 2011, the U.S. and Mexican governments broadened the scope of bilateral efforts under four pillars. 1. Combating transnational 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 4. Building strong and resilient communities through pilot projects aimed at violence prevention and drug demand reduction Some observers initially praised the initiative's breadth but later concluded that the governments adopted too many priorities without allocating adequate funding for them, particularly on the Mexican side. For example, pillar two received significant U.S. funding for courtroom infrastructure, training, and equipment to support Mexico's 2008-2016 transition to an accusatorial justice system at the federal and state levels. According to the World Justice Project, however, the new criminal justice system is unlikely to succeed without improvements in the investigative capacities of Mexican police and prosecutors. Final Phase and Demise: FY2OI&FY2021 In January 2018, President Trump issued two executive orders on combatting TCOs (E.O. 13773) and enhancing border security (E.O. 13767) that refocused the Merida Initiative. Controlling irregular migration became a central U.S. goal, along with reducing synthetic drug production, improving border interdiction, and conducting anti-money laundering efforts. Analysts asserted that promoting human rights and institutionalizing the new criminal justice system were deemphasized. Since taking office in December 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 2019, the L6pez Obrador administration disbanded the federal police, which had received significant U.S. equipment and training. It created a National Guard, primarily composed of retired military officers, that has limited investigative capacity and lacks civilian control over its operations. 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, which further limited cooperation. Mexico's Congress enacted a law requiring foreign law enforcement