By Associated Press’s MAR A. VERZA
CITY OF MEXICO (AP) Hours after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration launched a significant new initiative to work together in the battle against drug cartels, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum denied her administration had an arrangement with the agency Tuesday.
Sheinbaum was alluding to the DEA’s Monday announcement of Project Portero, which it described as a flagship operation targeting smuggling networks that transport money, weapons, and drugs across the border.
Sheinbaum stated during her morning news briefing that the DEA released a statement yesterday stating that an agreement has been reached with the Mexican government for an operation known as Portero. An agreement with the DEA does not exist. This statement is released by the DEA based on information that is unknown to us. None of the security institutions have an agreement with the DEA, and neither have we.
Requests for response were not immediately answered by the DEA or the U.S. embassy in Mexico.
According to Sheinbaum, the sole event taking place was a class in Texas that four officers of the Mexican police force attended.
Mexican investigators were brought to one of the DEA’s intelligence centers to train alongside U.S. prosecutors, law enforcement, defense officials, and intelligence community members, according to the DEA statement.
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The president, who was clearly irritated, made her remarks a few days after the two governments had generally cordial discussions after another delay to avoid impending U.S. tariffs and another shipment of 26 drug gang leaders from Mexico to the United States.
After six years of tension under Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrs. Manuel L. Pez Obrador, who had controlled DEA agents operating in Mexico and accused the agency of mass fabrication when it arrested Mexico’s former defense secretary, Mexico appeared to be reestablishing its security relationship with the United States.
In an effort to crack down on Mexico’s drug cartels, Sheinbaum’s administration deported scores of cartel leaders who were wanted by American authorities to the US.
Sheinbaum acknowledged that her administration’s members had been collaborating with their U.S. counterparts for months on a more comprehensive security deal that was almost complete. Four values that her administration has emphasized for months—sovereignty, mutual trust, territorial respect, and coordination without subordination—were the foundation of that agreement, she added.
Her irritation on Tuesday seems to stem from the DEA issuing a statement without adequate collaboration.
According to Sheinbaum, she urged the DEA to show consideration for Mexico, adhere to established procedures for making such declarations, and stress that Mexico only enters into agreements with the U.S. government and not with specific agencies.
Terry Cole, the agency chief who was recently appointed to spearhead the Trump administration’s takeover of the Washington, D.C. police, commented in the DEA statement.
In the statement released on Monday, Cole said, “Project Portero and this new training program demonstrate how we will fight by planning and working alongside our Mexican partners and by bringing the full strength of the U.S. government to bear.”
