Clinton Was Right to Certify Mexico

Last month, President Clinton certified Mexico as an ally in the international fight against drugs. We believe that this decision was correct and that Mexico’s senior leadership is strongly cooperating with the United States in this fight.

In considering Mexican certification, it is important to remain focused on the legal standard of cooperation and the public policy rationale for these standards. The linchpin of cooperation is a guarantee of common commitments and partnership. We believe Mexico has made significant progress in recent years and meets the standard under the law.

Mexican officials at all levels work closely with their U.S. counterparts across a full spectrum of counter-drug activities. Under President Ernesto Zedillo’s leadership, Mexico has named combating narco-trafficking as Mexico’s “No. 1 national security priority.”

In 1995-97, Mexico eradicated more opium and marijuana than any other country. In 1998, Mexico seized 22.6 metric tons of cocaine, 121 kilos of heroin, 1,062 metric tons of marijuana and 96 kilos of methamphetamine. Net Mexican marijuana production also dropped by more than 70%.

U.S. law enforcement has assisted Mexican authorities in investigating and/or arresting members of drug trafficking organizations such as the Amado Carrillo Fuentes organization, the Logan Heights Street Gang, the Tijuana Cartel, the Amezcua Contreras organization and the Arellano organization.

The U.S. coordinates regularly with Mexico on counter-drug surveillance flights. The U.S. conducts more cooperative money laundering investigations with Mexico than we do with any other nation in the world.

Mexico also has committed up to $500 million to deploy advanced technologies to thwart drug smuggling. It has expanded the tools available to law enforcement to investigate drug crimes, allowing for the first time the use of wiretaps, informants, witness protection and plea bargains. In addition, Mexico has criminalized money laundering.

As Mexico’s domestic drug addiction problems have grown, our common efforts have been broadened to include demand reduction programs such as prevention and treatment. Mexico also has joined the United States in developing a set of 147 specific performance measures to evaluate each nation’s progress in implementing the comprehensive U.S-Mexico bi-national drug strategy adopted early in 1998. Mexico is the first nation to agree to such a common set of benchmarks.

Nevertheless, serious problems remain. In a report released in February, the Mexican government has itself recognized that in Mexico “crime is increasingly violent and better organized,” that “impunity and inefficiency are found in law enforcement” and that “the administration of justice is inadequate.” Sixty percent of the cocaine sold on American streets comes through Mexico, even while Mexico’s cocaine seizures sharply declined last year. Despite the Mexican government’s having entered numerous orders of extradition, Mexican courts have prevented the extradition of any Mexican nationals on major drug-trafficking charges.

Mexico also must continue to confront pervasive corruption driven by the enormous illicit wealth of the drug kingpins. Zedillo has demonstrated the political will necessary to tackle this challenge by putting in place vetting systems to screen counter-drug police and by undertaking a number of high level prosecutions and arrests, including the conviction of former drug czar Gen. Jose de Jesus Gutierrez Rebollo.

Ultimately, the interest of the United States is strengthened by cooperating with Mexico. After all, criminal elements don’t respect national boundaries; they use borders as shields to avoid detection, capture and prosecution. Major international drug kingpins rarely set foot on our soil; they rely instead on global markets to move their deadly merchandise and launder their illicit gains. Unless we act in partnership with other nations, these kingpins will remain largely beyond the reach of law enforcement.

As we confront the enormous common danger that drugs pose to Mexico and the U.S., it serves the vital interests of both to remain steadfast in our course of cooperation. We can fight this scourge together, or we can duplicate efforts, fail to communicate and yield a key strategic advantage to narco-traffickers.

President Clinton’s decision to certify Mexico is right for the national interests of the American people, just as President Zedillo’s decision to work with the United States on drug enforcement is in the best interest of the Mexican people.