Border Issues: The US-Mexico Shared Security Interests

By Scott Morgan

With the failure of the US House of Representatives to override the veto by President Trump of the censure of the National Emergency declaration last week, just what does the Security Partnership between the US and Mexico look like in the short term?


Both Mexico and the United States have shared security interests. Mexico wants to reduce the high levels of violence that impact the daily well-being of the population, the capacity of its law enforcement and justice institutions need to be drastically improved and to demonstrate to the US that it is a valuable partner in achieving and improving North American counterterrorism and counter-narcotics policy.

On the other side of the coin the United States wants secure borders and effective policies that deter the flow of narcotics northward.

Both countries want a legal, safe and orderly migration process. On first glance, this indicates a convergence of views regarding supporting development projects in Central America. But there is an issue with migration itself: Mexico sees that the movement of migrants through their territory heading north as a Human Rights Issue. Washington sees what is happening as a border security issue.

But the numbers from Mexico are staggering. Over the last decade it is believed that a quarter of a million people have been killed. While that number is indeed staggering it is reportedly more than the number of Iraqi Civilians killed since the U.S. invaded, back in 2003. 2018 was an election year in Mexico. During that year 33,341 people were murdered. That was an increase of 33% from the previous year. According to a paper from the U.S-Mexico Security Cooperation Task Force (which is a source of information for this document) the Homicide Rate has risen steadily over the last three years while 95% of Homicides go unanswered.

It appears that Impunity rules the day down in Mexico. A recent report found that the Spyware that was used to monitor and track the murdered Saudi Opinion writer Khashoggi is currently being used in Mexico. Over two dozen people have been targeted in the past by the party using this Spyware.

Let’s come back to the United States. The main issue of concern coming across the border happens to be Opioids. In 2015 and 2016, the average life expectancy in the U.S. actually decreased during that period. The numbers for 2017 show that around 72,000 people died as a result of overdoses. These numbers include the use of illicit drugs and the wrongful use of prescription Opioids.

What is often overlooked, and is popular among conservative news outlets, are the acts of Illegals residing in the United States who have committed multiple crimes, face deportation orders and are often shielded by sanctuary cities. These numbers show how porous the borders can be and how the rule of law which is a cherished notion here in the United States are often overlooked for political motives.

Corruption on both sides of the Border are a major issue as well. 

Although it was well intentioned, Operation Fast and Furious was an Obama Administration Project to trace the route how weapons from the US made their way South of the Border to be used in Narcotrafficking. One of the most underreported stories of 2015 was: how did one of the weapons from this program end up in Paris during that terrorist attack?

In Mexico itself there have been several communities which have had to replace their entire police force due to working for the cartels. Lawyers and other officials have been on the dole as well for these groups. Some of the members of the Military and Police Forces have received training and equipment from the United States and then promptly defected to the cartels themselves or event started their own.

There are opportunities and common interests that both Washington and Mexico City have when it comes to Border Security. Some of the issues are semantic as it does seem as both Countries are talking past each other instead of talking to each other. This could be simply a case of certain political parties cozying up to their respective bases during an election cycle. That being said this relationship is one of the most important security relationships that the United States currently has. It does need to be resolved..

(Image: US-Mexico Border[Ed] - USA Today via Google Images)

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