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López Obrador additionally sought to deflect from Mexico’s function within the fentanyl epidemic. He forged it as an American downside and claimed that his nation doesn’t produce the substance, accountable for almost all of U.S. drug overdose deaths. U.S. regulation enforcement officers have mentioned fentanyl is mass-produced by Mexican drug cartels after which distributed by American legal networks, however Mexico has discovered few labs that manufacture the opioid.
Greater than 107,000 individuals in the US died of a drug overdose in 2021, the best recorded quantity, in line with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. Two-thirds of the fatalities had been attributable to fentanyl, which might be prescribed by physicians to deal with extreme ache, although unlawful, highly effective tablets from Mexico are flooding throughout the border, The Washington Put up has reported.
López Obrador has usually criticized American officers, together with then-President Donald Trump and, extra not too long ago, Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Mexican chief is underneath immense home stress over his try to overhaul an electoral institute that’s seen as integral to its younger democracy.
The verbal conflict with GOP officers adopted the kidnapping of 4 U.S. residents final week, two of whom had been killed. (On Thursday, Mexican authorities found 5 zip-tied males and an apology be aware, purportedly from a Gulf cartel that needed handy over the alleged perpetrators.)
Whereas the kidnapping and killings weren’t straight associated to the fentanyl problem, it offered the spark for Republicans to resume stress on the Biden administration over what they see as lax enforcement of border and drug controls, in addition to López Obrador.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (Tex.) this week again urged the Biden administration to initiate military action towards cartels, whereas Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) demanded that U.S. forces “destroy drug labs,” although he added that the navy shouldn’t forcibly enter Mexico.
No less than two Republican senators have additionally launched laws that might designate drug cartels international terrorist teams, which proponents say would additional curtail their room for maneuver. The White House mentioned the federal authorities already has the powers it wants and has “not been afraid to make use of them.”
U.S. officers say they imagine Mexico surpassed China as the highest producer of U.S.-bound fentanyl in 2019, following a crackdown by Beijing on manufacturing of the opioid. Chinese language corporations proceed to ship chemical substances to Mexico which can be used to make fentanyl, U.S. officers say.
Whereas seizures of fentanyl on the U.S. border have soared, Mexican officers have discovered few manufacturing labs. U.S. officers imagine Chinese language producers is perhaps sending fentanyl powder, which is solely pressed into capsules in Mexico, and sometimes mixed with different substances.
The Republican demand to designate cartels terrorist teams isn’t new. The Trump administration additionally thought of the proposal in 2019, resulting in intense pushback from Mexican authorities apprehensive that the transfer would restrict intergovernmental cooperation, inflicting a catastrophic influence on the economic system and commerce.
López Obrador got here to energy in 2018 pledging to finish the U.S.-backed “warfare on medication,” which he blamed for violence that has claimed tens of hundreds of lives lately. He gave a extra distinguished function within the anti-narcotics effort to the military and sidelined the navy, which had labored carefully with the Drug Enforcement Administration to take down drug kingpins. He additionally espoused a coverage of “hugs, not bullets,” geared toward utilizing social packages to lure younger individuals from cartels.
Extra not too long ago nevertheless, U.S. officers have elevated stress on López Obrador to crack down on fentanyl — and the Mexican authorities has stepped up its efforts. In mid-February, the Mexican authorities introduced a significant bust at a lab the place troopers discovered greater than 600,000 capsules suspected to comprise fentanyl.
Sheridan reported from Mexico Metropolis.
