Hours after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced what it called “a major new initiative” to collaborate with Mexico in targeting criminal gatekeepers controlling cross-border smuggling routes, Mexico’s president denied that any such agreement exists.
President Claudia Sheinbaum, speaking at her morning news conference Tuesday, dismissed the DEA’s description of “Project Portero,” which the agency unveiled a day earlier as a “flagship operation” intended to disrupt networks moving drugs, firearms, and money across the U.S.-Mexico border.
“The DEA put out a statement yesterday saying that there is an agreement with the Mexican government for an operation called Portero,” Sheinbaum said. “There is no agreement with the DEA.”
Why It Matters
The rebuke comes as the U.S. and Mexico have recently negotiated several deals on key issues, including tariffs and the extradition of high-ranking cartel figures.
Sheinbaum said her administration has been working with U.S. officials on a broader security framework based on sovereignty, mutual trust, territorial respect, and coordination without subordination.
What To Know
Sheinbaum clarified that the only ongoing activity is a workshop in Texas attended by four members of Mexico’s police force.
The DEA had described that workshop as an exercise in which Mexican investigators trained at one of its intelligence centers alongside U.S. prosecutors, defense and law enforcement officials, and members of the intelligence community.
Over several weeks, the DEA said, participants will identify joint targets, develop coordinated enforcement strategies, and strengthen the exchange of intelligence.
“DEA is taking decisive action to confront the cartels that are killing Americans with fentanyl and other poisons,” DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said.
What People Are Saying
DEA Administrator Terrance Cole, in a statement: “Project Portero and this new training program show how we will fight—by planning and operating side by side with our Mexican partners, and by bringing the full strength of the U.S. government to bear. This is a bold first step in a new era of cross-border enforcement, and we will pursue it relentlessly until these violent organizations are dismantled.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, at a news conference: “The DEA puts out this statement, based on what we don’t know. We have not reached any agreement, none of the security institutions [have] with the DEA.”
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
