Sheinbaum seeks potential cooperation with Gustavo Petro regarding the involvement of Colombians in Mexican drug cartels.
Freshened Perspective:
Mexico is kicking off a collaborative endeavor with Colombia to tackle issues related to security and narcotraffic, given the participation of foreigners in severe criminal activities.
let's dive straight into the latest updates on this issue:
In a press conference, Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has shared that she has engaged in conversations with her Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, to exchange pertinent information on criminal activities between the two nations. Sheinbaum stated, "I've been discussing with President Petro for quite a while now the idea of forming a high-level group to address our countries' shared security concerns."
In early May, an unfortunate incident occurred in Michoacán, where eight soldiers tragically lost their lives after the detonation of a narco-mine in the community of El Santuario. Seventeen people associated with this incident were apprehended, and eleven of them were confirmed as Colombian nationals. Among the detainees, President Gustavo Petro revealed that there were former Colombian military members.
The Colombian Foreign Ministry shared that "the majority of the twelve men presented by Mexico's Attorney General are Colombian and had a past relationship with Colombia's military forces." To better combat illegal operations like drug trafficking, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling networks, the Colombian authorities urged enhanced judicial and investigative cooperation with Mexico.
As reports suggest, former Colombian military members have found their way into criminal organizations such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in Mexico. Notably, they are often employed for roles as security escorts, surveillance, and drug distribution tasks. In different Mexican states, Colombians have been arrested for drug dealing, fraud, and even for being part of the infamous loan system known as "gota a gota."
In case you're curious, here are some interesting tidbits:
-Collaboration between Colombia and the United States' ATF has been established to tackle firearms trafficking.-Although there are mentions of international involvement in Mexican cartel activities, specific evidence of Colombian military involvement remains scarce, due to the clandestine nature of such activities.
Moving forward, both Mexico and Colombia will need to expand their investigative efforts to uncover the extent of foreign involvement in criminal networks operating within their borders.
- Beyond the realm of security and narcotrafficking, the general-news sphere has reported instances where former Colombian military members have joined Mexican sports clubs, possibly as a means to conceal their criminal connections.
- In a parallel development, the politically charged landscape sees escalating calls for diplomatic action, with both Mexico and Colombia demanding increased cooperation in addressing the growing influence of foreign politics in their domestic crime-and-justice arenas.
