Mexico-DEA relationship faces tensions over sovereignty and cooperation

The relationship between Mexico and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is going through a complex period. Experts point out that the stance of Claudia Sheinbaum's administration, focused on defending national sovereignty, limits the transparency and scope of joint operations.

Disdain for the DEA began to develop during the administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, especially after the arrest of former Secretary of National Defense Salvador Cienfuegos in 2020. That episode triggered legal reforms that restricted the presence of US agents in the country and reduced the DEA's operational capacity just as the United States was calling for greater coordination in the face of the fentanyl crisis.

Analysts such as Luis Leal and Jaime Ortiz emphasize that these measures have a nationalist bent and seek to project government strength in the face of media scandals linking politicians to criminal organizations. However, they generate tensions and limit formal cooperation between the two countries.

Despite the complexity, DEA operations in Mexico continue, albeit often "beneath the curtain," according to academic Pía Taracena. Cooperation is no longer carried out with complete transparency or through a formal framework, but rather through informal channels, without clear diplomatic protocols or public disclosure of joint actions.

Armando Rodríguez, a researcher at Casede, points out that this situation reflects a historical mistrust that dates back to the 1980s, with cases like that of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, and continues today. Jaime Ortiz, for his part, foresees a two-pronged approach: visible gestures of cooperation, such as extraditions and intelligence sharing, while Sheinbaum's public discourse will continue to emphasize sovereignty and national control, seeking to avoid the perception of subordination to the United States.

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) warns that this distancing limits the joint capacity to confront organized crime and systematic violence, affecting any comprehensive strategy in the region.