• The two sides reaffirmed their interest in strengthening binational cooperation on security, trade, agriculture, and migration to address shared challenges and make North America a safer and more prosperous region.

Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard met with a delegation of U.S. senators and representatives this afternoon at the Mexican Foreign Ministry to discuss binational cooperation on border security, reducing arms and fentanyl trafficking, and current migration flows in the region.

The Foreign Secretary highlighted the close cooperation between the two countries in addressing the flow of synthetic drugs and fentanyl to the north, and the strategic importance of reducing the illicit flow of arms and ammunition from the United States to Mexico, as part of the Mexico-U.S. Bicentennial Framework on Security, Public Health and Safe Communities.

“Mexico and the United States seek to stop the trafficking of arms to the south and of synthetic drugs to the north. We share strategic goals.  So the idea is to have the same technology on both sides of the border to achieve our common goal," said Foreign Secretary Ebrard,  emphasizing the results achieved by the Mexican government on security issues, and the cooperation with the U.S. under the Bicentennial Framework.

Chief Officer for North America Roberto Velasco added that Mexican authorities are conducting more raids to seize fentanyl precursor chemicals. On migration, he highlighted the fact that the irregular migration of people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela is down by more than 95%, while saying that programs providing regular access are an essential pillar of immigration policy. "Mexico promotes procedures that enhance regional labor mobility while reducing the role played by human traffickers in regional migration," he said.

María de Haas, Director General of Special Affairs, discussed the progress made and challenges to binational cooperation to reduce arms and ammunition trafficking to Mexico, emphasizing the need to strengthen intelligence- and information-sharing on the issue.

At the meeting's conclusion, Secretary Ebrard gave a copy of the latest issue of the Revista Mexicana de Política Exterior to the U.S. delegation, which analyzes the Bicentennial of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The U.S. delegation was made up of Stephanie Syptak-Ramnat, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. embassy in Mexico; Iowa Senator Joni Ernst; Alabama Senator Katie Britt; Iowa Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks; California Representative Darrell Issa; and Iowa Representative Randy Feenstra.

The Mexican delegation included, from the Foreign Ministry, Legal Advisor Alejandro Celorio; Director General of Special Affairs María de Haas Matamoros; Coordinator of Political Affairs for North America Cristina Planter; Coordinator of Strategies and Public Policies for North America Arturo Rocha; and Rafael Saucedo, Director of Interinstitutional Relations for North America.

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