Following a new round of coordination efforts, the United States and Mexico strengthened their security cooperation with a commitment to expedite the extradition of drug traffickers and reinforce joint actions against transnational organized crime, the Department of State reported this Saturday. State.

The agreements were reached during the third meeting of the Security Implementation Group (SIG), held on January 23, with the participation of representatives from six US government agencies and their Mexican counterparts. At the meeting, the delegations agreed that ending the fentanyl crisis is their top shared priority.

Extraditions, Fentanyl, and Arms Trafficking

According to the US State Department, the SIG reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating extraditions and transfers of high-value targets linked to Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs), as well as dismantling the illicit financing networks that facilitate both organized crime and terrorism.

US authorities also emphasized the need to intensify efforts to curb arms trafficking across the shared border, one of the factors that strengthens the operational capacity of the cartels.

Transfers and Bilateral Cooperation

Since the beginning of 2025, Mexico has transferred 92 prisoners linked to organized crime to the United States, including 37 alleged cartel members recently transferred, which was praised by Washington. as a historic event that reflects the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation.

These actions add to the capture of Ryan Wedding, a suspected Canadian drug trafficker and one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, arrested thanks to the coordinated work between authorities of both countries.

Drones and Upcoming Meetings

In the context of large-scale international sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, Mexico and the United States agreed on two key initiatives to combat the illicit use of drones,in addition to defining the steps to advance their joint implementation.

It was also announced that a ministerial meeting will be held in February with the participation of security officials from both countries, with the aim of deepening cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime.

The State Department thanked Mexico for the January 20 transfer of 37 criminals and narco-terrorists, as well as for the collaboration that led to the capture of Ryan Wedding, and emphasized that these advances are concrete results of close bilateral cooperation.