Mexico Requests Beijing’s Help In Curbing Drug Trade, Smacks U.S.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reached out to officials in China for assistance in stopping the influx of fentanyl into Mexico, following encouragement from U.S. officials during a recent visit. However, in his request, he also criticized the U.S. and their “rude threats” to classify Mexican drug cartels as terror groups, stating that these accusations were unwarranted and disrespectful towards Mexico’s sovereignty.

Lopez Obrador argued that Mexico should not be blamed for problems that the U.S. is facing, as most of the fentanyl trafficked into the country comes from Chinese drug companies shipping precursor drugs to cartels in Mexico. These cartels then manufacture the drug into pills that are made to look like medication, such as oxycontin. Despite this, Lopez Obrador emphasizes that no fentanyl is produced in Mexico.

Millions of dollars worth of fentanyl-laced pills are smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico each year, mainly from labs operated by Mexico’s two most influential and violent cartels, the Sinaloa and the New Generation Jalisco. These pills have been responsible for many overdose-related deaths in the U.S.

The U.S. and Mexico are reportedly nearing a deal to address drug trafficking across the border, with the U.S. pledging to crack down on guns flowing south.