The president addressed the issue at his morning press conference stating that the United States is on the campaign trail and has made the fentanyl problem the focus of several political campaigns, in which politicians blame Mexico for the situation.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador noted greater bilateral collaboration to confront fentanyl trafficking, pointing out the focus should be on its causes.

In addition, US actions to control the sale of high-powered weapons were reviewed as well as the migratory flow, highlighting there are already one million people in regulated labor mobility.

Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard who was accompanying Lopez Obrador in the encounter explained that, in terms of fentanyl, greater coordination has been achieved to determine the flows and identify who is exporting and who is importing.

The minister remarked that another noteworthy issue for Mexico is arms trafficking, in which Biden’s intention to control the flow of long arms stands out.

The FM recalled that from 2020 to 2022, 26,000 long arms were seized from organized crime in Mexico. Regarding migration and regulated labor mobility, he said that the latter has been a main demand of Lopez Obrador since his arrival.

Hence, Ebrard stressed the importance of the fact that this year “we are already reaching one million people who have opted for regulated channels (visas, work permits) to migrate to the United States.”

This has contributed, the minister stated, to a notable reduction in the number of migrants at the northern and southern borders. He said that the fact of having a legal alternative to move discourages them from resorting to coyotes who charge them between 7,000 and 8,000 dollars to travel through Mexico to reach the United States.

The FM described yesterday’s encounter at the Palace as a good follow-up meeting on these issues and revealed that a new one was agreed upon for next month in the United States.

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