1. Introduction
Bilateral and multilateral cooperation is indispensable to combat drug abuse and trafficking effectively. The U.S. and Mexico are working cooperatively to reduce the demand for illegal drugs through prevention, education and public awareness, treatment, training and research. In addition the two countries are cooperating to stop drug trafficking, money laundering, diversion of essential and precursor chemicals, and firearms trafficking. Since the inception of the High Level Contact Group (HLCG), the U.S. and Mexico have accepted that both countries are drug producers, drug consumers, and drug transit countries. Based on this understanding, Mexico and the United States have proceeded with technical exchanges and cooperative projects in the areas of, control of illicit cultivation, drug treatment, and demand reduction. In the area of law enforcement, we have seen the arrest of some major traffickers and collaborated on important cases. We have improved interdiction. In demand reduction, we cooperated in reducing demand for illegal drugs in both countries through science-based prevention, treatment, communications, research, and linking the public health and public safety systems.
Combating both sides of the illegal drug phenomenon, drug supply and demand, has been a concern and a goal in Mexico and in the United States for decades. Consequently, each country has created its own anti-drug policies and programs, incorporating support for international cooperation to combat these illicit activities as one of its main elements. In the mid-90s, this shared concern translated into a broad and comprehensive bilateral cooperation effort framework, not limited to isolated programs of technical cooperation, personnel training or mutual legal assistance. The creation of a broad and balanced binational cooperation plan, that would respond to the complexity of the problem in the United States and in Mexico, was necessary in order for the efforts from both countries to have greater effectiveness.
In the mid-90s, drug abuse and trafficking represented a serious health risk for the U.S. and Mexican population, and a growing threat for the security of both nations. In March 1996, responding to the challenge of a common enemy, President Ernesto Zedillo and President William Clinton ordered those in charge of the anti-drug programs to design more efficient bilateral policies to combat this phenomenon. Their policies required comprehensive coordination based on the principles of shared responsibility, adoption of an integrated approach to the subject matter, balance and reciprocity, and effective application of the laws in each country.
Since 1996, the Mexican and U.S. Governments have developed a more effective bilateral cooperation policy to deal with public education, treatment, prevention, drug trafficking, money laundering, diversion of essential and precursor chemicals and illicit trafficking of firearms. Furthermore, both countries have headed hemispheric and international efforts to fight drug trafficking, drug abuse and illicit trafficking of weapons. This cooperation lies within the framework of a set of agreements, mechanisms and procedures to facilitate long-term policy planning, communication, and coordinated efforts. The challenges presented demand a sustained bilateral effort in the future. In order to face this challenge, Mexico and the United States have achieved progress in establishing, for the first time, cooperation instruments which comprehensively tackle the problem of drugs. The principal challenge for the future is to continue with their implementation in a way that permanently cuts the demand for drugs and breaks up the drug production and trafficking networks in both countries.
