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Washington, DC – Ahead of Mexican President López Obrador’s visit to the White House on July 12th and in response to the recent slaughter of priests by Mexican cartels, House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul has released the following statement. In addition to being the Lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, McCaul is also the co-chair of the binational U.S. Mexico Interparliamentary Group (IPG), the official dialogue mechanism between the U.S. Congress and their Mexican legislative counterparts.  In March 2021, Commander of U.S. Northern Command General Glen VanHerck stated that 30 to 35 percent of Mexico constitutes an “ungoverned space,” where transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) thrive. A recent State Department report found that Mexican TCOs are now the primary producers of U.S. consumed fentanyl. Meanwhile the Biden administration continues failing to address these growing challenge.

“After more than three years in office, President López Obrador’s security strategy increasingly threatens U.S. national security. His administration has drastically scaled back offensive operations against violent cartels and has undermined bilateral security cooperation with our country. Mexican-based TCOs are now the primary source of illicit fentanyl consumed in the U.S. that has been responsible for so many American deaths. All the while, violence in Mexico continues to break records. The recent slaughter of Jesuit priests by cartel bosses is the latest tragic example of López Obrador’s failed security strategy. As violence surges in Mexico and illicit opioids continue flowing unabated to the United States, President Biden must seek tangible commitments during President López Obrador’s July visit to Washington, DC. Another photo op is simply unacceptable.”

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