DEA Director Meets Mexico Security Chief to Target 4 Key Crime Areas

Mexican and U.S. security leaders agreed on November 9 to intensify joint efforts against criminal networks.

Omar García Harfuch, Mexico's Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, met with Terrance Cole, the director of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The meeting was scheduled for late October but took place this week to review ongoing bilateral cooperation.

Both officials identified four core priorities for their joint operations. These include exchanging intelligence on criminal structures, sharing financial investigation data, processing pending collaboration requests, and tracking extradition cases through proper legal channels.

García Harfuch stated in a post on X that the two sides agreed on the necessity of strengthening information sharing to combat violent criminal networks. He specified that their work aims to advance the capture of priority targets for both nations and halt the illegal flow of weapons into Mexico.

The agreement also targets the movement of drug money into Mexico and the flow of narcotics into the United States. García Harfuch noted that these actions align with Mexico's National Security Strategy and strictly follow the laws of both countries.

He emphasized that operations within Mexican territory remain the exclusive responsibility of Mexican authorities within their respective competencies. The partnership is built on four principles: respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, shared responsibility, mutual trust, and cooperation without subordination.

The meeting followed a high-profile arrest in Jalisco. On November 8, Mexican forces captured Rafael Álvarez Ayala, known as "R2," in Zapopan. Cole praised the Mexican agencies involved, including the Navy, the Army, and the National Intelligence Center, for placing the cartel leader in custody. Cole wrote that criminal organizations cross borders, and so do the alliances determined to dismantle them.