Mexico and US expand security cooperation against cartels

Mexico and the United States have expanded their security cooperation to combat transnational criminal organizations. This partnership now extends beyond traditional anti-narcotics efforts to include intelligence sharing, joint operations, extraditions, weapons control, money laundering prevention, and border surveillance.

A central component of this collaboration is the exchange of intelligence between Mexican authorities and U.S. agencies, including the DEA, CIA, and FBI. This information covers criminal targets, networks, locations, and financial activities. While intelligence is shared to locate targets, the Mexican government maintains that all operations within its territory are planned and executed by Mexican forces.

The Bilateral Security Implementation Group serves as a primary institutional mechanism to coordinate actions against cartels, fentanyl trafficking, weapons, ammunition, and money laundering. As part of this ongoing cooperation, Mexico continues to extradite individuals sought for serious crimes; for instance, in January 2026, the United States received 37 Mexican fugitives linked to drug trafficking and arms smuggling.