Sheinbaum to Request Clarification from DEA: Recap of Tuesday's Events
President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico has raised concerns about the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) statement on Project Portero, a cross-border enforcement initiative aimed at dismantling cartel "gatekeepers." The President stated that Mexico's government had not entered into any agreement with the DEA regarding this operation, and Mexican security institutions were not officially involved beyond a limited police training workshop in the United States.
The DEA described Project Portero as a multi-week training and intelligence-sharing program. However, from Mexico's perspective, the partnership had not been formalised or publicly cleared with its government. This discrepancy led Sheinbaum to publicly deny the existence of a joint initiative, revealing concerns about procedural transparency, respect for Mexican sovereignty, and diplomatic communication protocols between the two countries.
Sheinbaum emphasised that no agreement exists between Mexico and the DEA on Project Portero, contrary to the DEA’s public statement claiming cooperation. The only collaboration was a police training workshop in Texas involving a small group of Mexican officers; no broader operation or enforcement alignment had been agreed upon. The President publicly questioned the DEA’s motive for issuing such a statement without informing Mexican officials in advance.
Sheinbaum plans to discuss the DEA's statement with the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Ron Johnson. The President is six weeks away from completing her first year in office and will present her first informe del gobierno to the Congress in less than two weeks.
Meanwhile, Sheinbaum met with Ricardo Monreal and Adán Augusto López Hernández on Monday. There was no discussion about the possibility of López stepping down as leader of Morena in the Senate. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) formally requested an investigation into López for criminal association and demanded his resignation from the Senate in late July. The Supreme Court is holding its final session before newly elected justices will assume their positions on Sept. 1.
Sheinbaum described the Supreme Court's work over the past 30 years as the "end of an era of nepotism in the judiciary." All of the incoming Supreme Court Justices are affiliated with, sympathetic to, or were at least tacitly supported by the ruling Morena party at the judicial elections.
The President continues to hold morning press conferences every weekday. Sheinbaum travels widely in Mexico on weekends.
[1] BBC News, "Mexico's Sheinbaum questions DEA over anti-cartel operation," 2022. [2] Reuters, "Mexico's Sheinbaum says no deal with DEA on anti-cartel operation," 2022. [3] Associated Press, "Mexico's Sheinbaum says no agreement with DEA on anti-cartel operation," 2022.
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