US Ambassador to Mexico boasts results against drug trafficking in the Trump era
Ronald Johnson explained that since the beginning of the current US administration, 96 extraditions and 92 transfers of Mexican criminals have been carried out.
The United States boasted progress in the fight against drug trafficking and fentanyl trafficking during the first year of Donald Trump's second term, highlighting cooperation with the Mexican government headed by President Claudia Sheinbaum.
This was announced by the United States ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, when detailing that since the beginning of the current US administration, 96 extraditions and 92 transfers of Mexican criminals to US territory have been carried out, as part of the bilateral strategy against cartels and transnational criminal networks.
Among the notable cases, he mentioned the operations against Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho”, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG); Audias Flores Silva, alias “El Jardinero”, identified as a possible successor within that criminal organization; as well as Samuel Ramírez Jr., one of the most wanted fugitives by the FBI.
In a statement released by the United States Embassy, Johnson assured that the coordination between both governments has made it possible to “attack entire criminal networks” through actions against drug, weapons and human trafficking.
The diplomat stated that, by the end of 2025, deaths from fentanyl overdoses in the United States had decreased by 35%, while seizures of that drug at the US border had fallen by 50%.
As he explained, this is due to the increase in seizures made by Mexican authorities before the shipments reach US territory.
Johnson also maintained that the maritime flow of drugs to the United States decreased more than 95%, in addition to the fact that Mexico secured 65.5 metric tons of narcotics in maritime operations and dismantled more than 2,300 clandestine laboratories.
Regarding arms trafficking, the ambassador pointed out that seizures increased 125% during the first year of the Trump administration. He added that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) seized more than 36,000 illegal weapons, including more than 4,000 destined for criminal organizations in Mexico.