García Harfuch and DEA Director Terrance Cole Meet on Joint Anti-Cartel Efforts, Digi Mart USA News: Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), Omar García Harfuch, reported that he met with Terrance Cole, Director of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to review the bilateral security agenda between the two countries and coordinate further actions against organized crime.
The meeting, which had already been scheduled, was conducted under four principles that García Harfuch said govern the relationship between Mexico and the United States on this issue: respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, shared responsibility, mutual respect and trust, and cooperation without subordination.
Both officials agreed to strengthen investigations into criminal networks that generate violence in Mexican and U.S. territory.
The meeting focused on coordinating joint actions against organized crime groups and was framed within the security responsibilities of both countries.
García Harfuch stressed that actions on Mexican territory are the exclusive responsibility of Mexican authorities. He also emphasized that cooperation does not imply that one country is subordinate to the other, but rather a shared responsibility for problems affecting both nations, such as drug trafficking and illicit arms trafficking.
García Harfuch and Cole also reviewed priorities for sharing information about criminal structures operating in the region and addressed financial investigations of groups linked to drug trafficking.
Separately, the Security Cabinet took part in signing agreements to strengthen the public security structure of Sinaloa, where an investment of 900 million pesos was announced to strengthen the operational, intelligence and training capabilities of state and municipal security institutions.
Two collaboration agreements were part of the package. One provides for the loan of 80 vehicles, including 20 armored vehicles, to support the operational capacity of public security institutions.
The other, signed between the National Guard and the Municipal Government of Mazatlán, aims to strengthen training for the municipal police.
During the event, García Harfuch said the funds will focus on expanding operational, investigative, communications and surveillance capabilities of security forces. He explained that the SSPC will contribute about 200 vehicles to expand the response capacity of police corporations.
This equipment is in addition to 100 patrol vehicles previously delivered to the State Police.
