Mexico Denies Fentanyl Production Amid U.S. Concerns

The ongoing debate over fentanyl production is straining relations between the United States and Mexico, particularly as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatens tariffs unless Mexico curbs drug trafficking. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum maintains that there is no evidence of fentanyl's production in Mexico, asserting that most precursors come from Asia and that dismantled laboratories primarily produce methamphetamine. Despite this, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration claims that Mexican cartels, especially the Sinaloa Cartel, are central to the fentanyl crisis, with outgoing U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar affirming that fentanyl is indeed produced in Mexico. To combat this issue, Mexico has intensified anti-drug operations, including significant fentanyl seizures. Sheinbaum has launched a campaign targeting drug use among youth, emphasizing the need to prevent a fentanyl crisis in Mexico akin to that in the U.S. The rhetoric from both sides indicates a deepening divide on the issue, with each country holding conflicting views on the drug's origins and the effectiveness of their respective strategies.