High Level Contact Group for Drug Control

High Level Contact Group for Drug Control
Mexico City, April 6-7, 1998
Communique
The Governments of Mexico and the United States of America held the fifth meeting of the High Level Contact Group for Drug Control (HLCG or Group) on April 6-7, 1998, in Mexico City, to review progress in strengthening their bilateral and multilateral cooperation in combating drug production, trafficking and abuse. The HLCG is the principal mechanism for bringing high level policy attention to the drug challenge confronting the United States and Mexico. It is designed to promote better cooperation in a framework of an integrated and balanced view of the problem. The Mexican delegation was led by Secretary of Foreign Relations Rosario Green and Attorney General Jorge Madrazo; the U.S. delegation was led by General (Ret.) Barry R. McCaffrey, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Bi-National Drug Control Strategy:
The U.S./Mexico Bi-National Drug Control Strategy was published in February 1998 in response to the " Declaration of the U.S.-Mexico Alliance Against Drugs" announced by Presidents Clinton and Zedillo in May 1997. The Strategy describes concrete goals and objectives agreed by the two governments to confront the problem of demand, production, and traffic of illicit drugs as well as related crimes such as illicit arms trafficking, diversion of chemicals, and money laundering. The HLCG agreed to begin a process to define measures of effectiveness of the implementation of the Strategy. These measures of effectiveness will include indicators which will allow the two governments to evaluate bilateral progress in the implementation of the Strategy. The HLCG decided to establish a technical group to gather information regarding the measures of effectiveness to be adopted by each country. The information will be reviewed by a senior group which will meet in May.
Multilateral Cooperation:
Together with other nations, the United States and Mexico promoted multilateral cooperation against illicit drugs. Evidence of this is found in the preparations for the Santiago Summit of the Americas, scheduled for April 18-19, and the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs (UNGASS), scheduled for June 8-10. The United States and Mexico have worked to ratify and implement the provisions of the international conventions regarding drug control. The Group discussed some of the current proposals for improving multilateral cooperation, such as a hemispheric mutual evaluation system for anti-drug performance.
Bi-national Working Groups:
The Bi-national Working Groups on Money Laundering, Arms Trafficking, Chemical Control, and Demand Reduction held technical talks during the past two months. Representatives from these groups briefed the HLCG on the results of those meeting and on their ongoing activities, and sought the Group's guidance on program direction and strategy implementation:

Demand Reduction: The two governments recognize reducing demand for illicit drugs as fundamental to effectively combating the drug trade. With HLCG support, a binational Demand Reduction Conference was held on March 18-20 in E1 Paso, Texas. The 300 U.S. and Mexican participants attended sessions devoted to research, public information, community mobilization, youth, populations with special needs, drugs in the workplace, HIV-AIDS and drug-related violence. The U.S./Mexico Demand Reduction Working Group reported on objectives and follow-up activities involving services to youth and children, treatment and prevention, justice and law enforcement. The working group also discussed ways to expand media and public awareness.

Money Laundering: The Group noted that, since the first meeting of the High Level Contact Group, the Government of Mexico has criminalized money laundering and, within the last year, implemented regulations concerning suspicious transaction reporting and large currency transaction reporting. In connection with the filing of suspicious transaction reports, the Government of Mexico reported that the majority of banks had produced manuals providing guidance concerning the identification of suspicious transactions.
In connection with the development of its regulatory regime, the Government of Mexico announced that the Financial Intelligence Unit was nearly fully operational.
Mexico committed to work to enhance its prosecution of money laundering cases. In this regard, the Mexican delegation reported on the formation of the specialized unit against money laundering in the PGR. The United States committed to support the establishment of this specialized money laundering unit with technical advice and training.
Both delegations agreed to strengthen the exchange of information in order to prevent, detect and punish money laundering as well as programs of training for personnel responsible for these activities. In this regard the group underscored that information requests have been exchanged, some of which have been concluded, while others are pending, and some have resulted in coordinated investigations.
With regard to multilateral cooperation, both delegations emphasized the importance of the document about International Principles Against Money Laundering, approved by the preparatory committee in Vienna in March. This document will be submitted for the approval of the UNGASS to confront the worldwide drug problem emphasizing that the document represents an important world consensus against this crime. Both delegations reiterated their decision to combat money laundering which is conducted by criminal organizations in both countries.

Firearms Trafficking: Both delegations agreed to intensify the exchange of information regarding firearms traces and seizures especially along our common border, to strengthen coordinated investigations in order to identify origin and sources of firearms illicitly trafficked from the United States to Mexico, and training for Mexican personnel. Both delegations took note that the Mexican Senate has already ratified the Inter-American Convention on Firearms.
The United States reaffirmed its support for the prompt ratification of the instrument. Both delegations also agreed to work within the framework of the United Nations to promote new measures of international cooperation aimed at the illicit traffic of firearms.

Chemical Control: The HLCG took note of important bilateral achievements in this field including coordinated investigations targeting criminal chemical trafficking and methamphetamine organizations operating in both countries. In this regard, they agreed to strengthen information exchange, training, and technical cooperation programs that they have established.
Both delegations took note of increased efforts in coordinated investigations, the importance of continued and enhanced training, and the need to strengthen controls on the illicit diversion of pharmaceutical drugs.
Both delegations noted the importance of the consensus reached in the preparatory committee for the UNGASS regarding definition of specific means to strengthen global cooperation to permit a reduction in the diversion of chemical precursors for illicit purposes, with due respect for the rights of industries which use these prime materials in their manufacturing. At the same time, both delegations agreed on the importance of closer cooperation with other countries and regions, through adequate means to permit identification of possible diversion of such substances for illegal purposes.
The Mexican delegation mentioned that the Mexican Congress has unanimously approved the legislation on the control of precursor and essential chemicals, and that implementing regulations are being drafted.
Senior Law Enforcement Plenary:
Department of Justice/Mexican Office of the Attorney General representatives reported to the Group on the results of the March 9-10 Senior Law Enforcement Plenary. The Plenary group meets several times a year to coordinate on important operational and legal matters, to share information and experiences, and to resolve any problems that may have come up regarding law enforcement or legal cooperation. The Plenary group focused much of its latest meeting on asset forfeiture, training, coordination of law enforcement activities against the major transnational criminal organizations operating in both countries, and jointly standardizing the sharing of data on fugitives and extradition. The Group also underlined the importance of analyzing the threat of new criminal activities, such as cyber-crimes and intellectual property rights infringement.
The Group noted that cooperation among law enforcement agencies has improved in the past three years, and stressed its determination to further strengthen this cooperation, with a view toward combating and dismantling the criminal organizations dedicated to illicit traffic operating in both countries. The focus of this effort remains on investigations and other actions to attack and dismantle the major trans-border drug trafficking organizations. The Group agreed that ensuring that traffickers cannot avoid justice in one country simply by fleeing to the other is a critical element to this.
Eradication:
Both delegations took note of Mexico's achievements in the eradication of illicit drug crops. In this regard, the Group highlighted that during 1997, the area of poppy and marijuana eradicated in Mexico reached the highest levels ever.
Interdiction:
The Group noted with satisfaction the positive results of a bilateral seminar on drug interdiction held March 4-6, in Riverside, California. The participating experts reviewed progress in communications and information sharing, training, and exchanged information on current trafficking patterns, routes and methods. They agreed that maritime trafficking poses significant challenges to both governments and that this threat must be countered.
The U.S. delegation provided information on possible solutions to the safety of flight restrictions associated with UH-1H helicopters and corrective measures to put the helicopters in operation as soon as possible. The U.S. delegation also reported on the maintenance work being done on the more than 900 UH-ls remaining in the U.S. inventory. The Mexican delegation informed the HLCG that the UH-1H fleet logged 8,846 flying hours since December 1996 on the following missions: interdiction, eradication of drug crops, and reconnaissance of clandestine airfields.
Both delegations agreed to convene a new meeting of the Defense Bilateral Working Group next June in order to evaluate these programs within the framework of the HLCG.
Looking Ahead:
The Governments recognized that the transnational nature of this criminal activity requires that our two governments, along with other neighboring states, must work together to combat drug trafficking organizations effectively while maintaining the dignity and sovereignty of each nation and its laws.
In accordance with the Bi-National Strategy, both delegations reiterated their commitment to make all efforts to ensure that any information released to the media, congress, or the public is accurate. At the same time both delegations reiterated that the two countries will try to the extent possible, consistent with domestic law, and in consideration of exigent circumstances, to hold previous consultations regarding cases of corruption in order to avoid damage to bilateral cooperation. The Group will proceed immediately to develop a more detailed and measurable plan for implementing and evaluating the Bi-National Drug Control Strategy. The Group will likewise, continue to work diligently to ensure a positive and productive outcome from the Santiago Summit and the United Nations Special Session on drugs, and look for ways to jointly engage other countries in practical anti-drug cooperation.
The Governments expressed their satisfaction for the positive spirit of cooperation and determination to achieve concrete results that characterized the discussions. All participants agreed that it was important to continue such exchanges to facilitate cooperation in this area.