Trump’s request for Mexico to enhance border security already paying dividends – Washington Examiner
President Donald Trump recently pressured Mexico to enhance its border security to combat fentanyl trafficking,threatening tariffs if no action was taken. In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum deployed 10,000 troops to support border security under Operation Northern Border, agreeing to halt tariffs for 30 days. In just four days,the operation yielded positive results,including 139 arrests and the seizure of over eight kilograms of fentanyl,as well as various firearms and drugs in several states. Despite these early successes, critics argue that the troop deployment is largely symbolic and question its effectiveness, suggesting that most fentanyl smuggling occurs at legal points of entry rather than illegal crossings. Some experts likened the strategy to a “Whac-a-Mole” approach, indicating that it might not address the root of the problem.
Trump’s request for Mexico to enhance border security already paying dividends
Less than a week ago, President Donald Trump threatened Mexico with tariffs unless the country increased its efforts to subdue fentanyl trafficking along the border. Heeding this warning, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to boost support in exchange for Trump postponing the tariffs for 30 days.
As part of the agreement, Sheinbaum deployed 10,000 troops to enhance border security as part of the country’s Operation Northern Border. It has only been a few days but so far, there have been positive results.
Four days after its implementation, authorities have arrested 139 people and seized over eight kilograms of fentanyl, according to reports. Dozens of firearms and numerous other drugs were also seized as part of the operation, including cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine, through enforcement campaigns carried out in Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Baja California. Additionally, 16 properties and over 100 vehicles were taken by Mexican authorities.
While the early results have proved worthwhile thus far, Trump’s deal with Sheinbaum also had its fair share of critics. Skeptics of the arrangement believed it would result in little positive, with some saying the move to deploy troops was more symbolic than anything.
“It’s a lot of shock and awe, but very little policy,” Arturo Sarukhan, former Mexican ambassador to the U.S., told the New York Times. He said the new strategy to deter fentanyl smuggling might be pointless.
“It’s Whac-a-Mole,” said Sarukhan. “Most of the fentanyl goes through legal points of entry into the U.S., not between them, and that’s where most troops will be deployed: at illegal points of entry.”
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