In a press release issued September 7, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), co-chair of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, revealed significant lapses in the U.S. strategy to counter drug cartels in Mexico, primarily highlighting the alleged misuse of U.S resources by corrupt officials in the Mexican government.
"“It’s unthinkable that U.S. officials could allow bad actors in the Mexican government to put taxpayer resources into the hands of cartel bosses," Grassley said.
According to the press release, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had credible intelligence since 2010 regarding the collusion of Genaro García Luna, the then-Secretary of Public Security in Mexico, with the Sinaloa Cartel. Despite having this information, there was no sharing of details with the State Department, thereby allowing Luna to retain access to a massive pool of U.S. resources and intelligence for two years post the acquisition of this knowledge.
The press release cited court testimony to highlight a historical event from 1985 where a high-ranking Mexican official, Manuel Bartlett-Diaz, conspired with the Guadalajara Cartel to assassinate DEA Agent Kiki Camarena. Bartlett-Diaz was later involved in legislative advocacy for the Mérida Initiative, a U.S.-Mexico security cooperation, and currently serves a crucial role in Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s cabinet.
Moreover, the report concludes that since the late 2000s, the U.S. has failed to rigorously inspect the equipment it donated to the Mexican government. Not a single unscheduled inspection was carried out between 2009 and 2011, with even scheduled inspections witnessing a continual drop in thoroughness over the years.
Sen. Grassley voiced his deep concern over the findings, stating, “For decades, U.S. officials turned a blind eye to corruption in Mexico while continuing to funnel billions of dollars across the border.”
In light of the severe discrepancies noted in the press release, it laid out a roadmap to enhance the U.S. approach towards its operations in Mexico, including the DEA improving its internal communication channels and fostering better collaboration with Congress and other embassy officials. Moreover, it calls for a more proactive role from Congress to study and dismantle the critical infrastructure that aids the cartels, and for a cohesive strategy to police corruption effectively in Mexico.
The report urges immediate action to correct the historical missteps and envisages a future with stronger oversight and focused strategies to fight the drug cartels and organized crime more effectively. Sen. Grassley emphasized that it was high time to hold both “U.S. federal agencies and corrupt Mexican officials accountable,” urging for a renewed strategy to protect communities on both sides of the border.
