Mexican Government Presents Report on Operation ‘North Border’
The Mexican government presented a report on the first week of Operation “North Border” on Tuesday, during a morning briefing by President Claudia Sheinbaum. Security and Civil Protection Minister Omar García Harfuch announced some successes in the fight against drug and weapon trafficking. According to the report, in the past seven days, 222 people were arrested and 1,242 kilograms of various drugs, including 8.6 kilograms of fentanyl, 19,715 rounds of ammunition of different calibers, 648 magazines and 106 firearms were seized. Additionally, 167 vehicles and 20 properties were impounded. A police video presentation claimed that 74% of the seized weapons originated from the United States.
Since President Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, Mexican security authorities have, according to their own reports, arrested 11,600 individuals allegedly involved in violence and seized 5,692 weapons and 102 tons of drugs. Furthermore, 192 drug labs producing methamphetamine were dismantled.
Operation “North Border”, launched on February 5, involves the deployment of an additional 10,000 security personnel at the border with the United States. The goal is to effectively combat the smuggling of drugs, weapons and people. The operation is part of a deal between Sheinbaum and her US counterpart, Donald Trump, to waive the 25% import tariffs on Mexican goods, which the Republican had imposed. Trump views the fight against illegal migration and the fentanyl crisis in the US as a top priority, while Sheinbaum aims to reduce the smuggling of firearms into Mexico to disarm organized crime.
Over the weekend, Trump had criticized Mexico in an interview with Fox News, saying that the country was not doing enough to avoid the tariffs. He demanded results.
On February 1, Trump had issued a decree imposing 25% import tariffs on Mexican goods. On February 3, he suspended the measure for 30 days, stating that further negotiations would take place to achieve an agreement. Sheinbaum, after a phone call with Trump, announced that Mexico would bolster its northern border with an additional 10,000 soldiers. The US had, in turn, committed to combating illegal weapon trafficking.