Anne Milgram, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, has urged China and Mexico to continue working together to combat the fentanyl issue in the US.
The DEA is ready to work with anyone who will work with us, Milgram said in an interview with Chuck Todd, presenter of NBC’s Meet the Press, on Sunday.
However, she added that the United States has not received the cooperation from China that she would have liked to see, and that the Mexican government also has to do more.
The majority of the illegal fentanyl entering the United States has been produced in Mexico using Chinese precursor chemicals since at least 2019 as the US battles a mounting fentanyl problem.
In answer to a query regarding China’s help with the United States in halting the production of fentanyl, Milgram stated: We have recently had discussions with Chinese officials, both in Beijing and Washington, about enhancing law enforcement cooperation.
Law Enforcement Collaboration Urged By Drug Agency Chief
We have not had the cooperation we would like to experience over the previous year or so. Of course, we have offices in Asia as a whole as well as in the People’s Republic of China.
Around the world, we have 334 offices. We must now determine whether we can turn this into law enforcement collaboration, she continued, adding that I believe the recent meetings are crucial.
Milgram also urged Mexico to increase its law enforcement efforts in support of the United States, saying: I think where we are right now is first, the United States is now taking an across-government approach.
Therefore, during the last six or twelve months, we have met with the Department of the Treasury, the Department of State, and other federal law enforcement organizations.
Along with the president’s homeland security adviser, the deputy attorney general has also traveled to Mexico.
Source: theguardian.com