What did Mexico and the U.S. agree on security?
According to the Bicentennial Understanding between Mexico and the United States, which replaces the Merida Initiative, the agreement will seek to combat criminal gangs, address drug consumption as a health problem and deal with arms and human trafficking. Take a look at the agreements.
The Bicentennial Understanding between Mexico and the United States, which replaces the Merida Initiative, will seek to combat criminal gangs, address drug consumption as a health problem and tackle arms and human trafficking.
Weapons
Enhance binational efforts to reduce illicit trafficking in arms, ammunition, and explosive devices by expanding cooperation in tracing, as well as collaboration in investigations and investment in ballistics technology.
Share information to maximize the impact of law enforcement, investigation and weapons seizures.
Implement additional ballistics laboratories to process more than 80,000 weapons seized in Mexico.
Addictions
Prevent and reduce substance abuse.
Improve access to recovery and treatment support.
Homicides
Reduce the number of homicides in Mexico with a focus on the actors and facilitators of violence.
Conduct effective and consistent investigations.
Professionalize criminal justice and law enforcement systems, and expand knowledge to implement best practices to combat gender-based violence.
Customs and ports
Strengthen oversight and coordination at air, land, sea, and rail ports of entry, as well as mail and parcel facilities.
Promote collaborative, efficient, and secure management of all aspects of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Improve container screening and detection of precursor chemicals, cash flow, and counterfeit goods.
Disrupt the flow of goods facilitated by criminal activity in cyberspace.
Expand regulatory and enforcement capacity to control synthetic drugs and their precursors.
Drugs
Reduce the drug sales capacity of transnational criminal organizations and prosecute corruption and related crimes, with a focus on drug laboratories and precursor chemicals.
Dismantle, seize assets and prosecute criminal activities, including those occurring in cyberspace.
Trafficking
Identify and dismantle human trafficking and smuggling organizations while protecting the human rights and safety of vulnerable populations.
Extend sentencing timelines specifically for human smuggling and trafficking networks.
Cooperation and working together
Strengthen the capacity of law enforcement and security sector actors to investigate and prosecute organized crime.
Work together to investigate and prosecute organized crime in all areas and in both countries by building shared capacity and improving accountability.
Promote cooperation between the police, investigators, analysts, and prosecutors.
Ensure that the courts support victims and preserve their human and civil rights.
Increase the number of personnel focused on dealing with criminal organization cases, and ensure strong and fully functioning justice systems through partnerships and capacity building.
Extraditions
Increase bilateral cooperation to facilitate the extradition of members of criminal organizations and related actors under the laws of each nation.
