U.S. Agrees With Mexico to Form New Task Force to Combat Arms Trafficking

The U.S. and Mexico agreed Thursday to intensify their fight against fentanyl trafficking, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, and their supply chains to reduce the amount of the powerful opioid crossing through the border.

According to Reuters, the agreement, which also aims to reduce consumption of the deadly opioid, came after a meeting of officials from both countries in Washington, D.C.

In recent weeks, both countries have asked China for help to reduce shipments of precursor chemicals coming from the Asian country, which is used in manufacturing the synthetic drug that is being blamed for the thousands of deaths in the U.S.

"That's our goal," said Foreign Minister of Mexico Marcelo Ebrard in a video released by his office, without mentioning the origin of these chemicals.

The White House said it would increase its efforts to restrict the illegal financial activities of drug traffickers involved in fentanyl trafficking by using more sanctions to block their access to the U.S. financial system.

Two sources familiar with the agreement previously told NBC News that military and police in Mexico, with the help of U.S. law enforcement, will focus on tracking raw materials for fentanyl being shipped to Mexico, finding and closing down laboratories that make the synthetic opioid, and will go after key figures in the illegal fentanyl trade.

In return, the insiders said the U.S. has agreed to strictly control and track firearms crossing from the U.S. into Mexico.

U.S. to Establish Special Group to Help Mexico in Fighting Arms Trafficking

To drastically reduce the number of weapons entering Mexico, the U.S. has agreed to create a special group that will monitor firearms crossing from the U.S. into the Mexican country.

According to Marcelo Ebrard, it was the Mexican delegation who asked the Biden administration for a task force to monitor and "substantially" lessen the flow of firearms from the U.S. to Mexico.

Mexico is appealing in a $10 billion civil case seeking to hold U.S. gun manufacturers liable for facilitating the trafficking of weapons across the border to Mexican drug cartels. The appeal argued that finding solutions to this matter is a shared responsibility, which everyone has some role to play.

Marcelo Ebrard told reporters that the bilateral meeting between senior security officials from Mexico and U.S. had "good results" as they were able to come up with agreements that tackle the illicit trade of fentanyl, its chemical precursors, and firearms, Infobae reported.

Fentanyl Production in Mexico

Mexican drug cartels manufacture most illegal fentanyl, cut into other illicit drugs like heroin and cocaine, or sell as fake pills that appear like Xanax, oxycodone, or Percocet.

About 70,000 overdose fatalities a year in the U.S. have been linked to fentanyl use, and they were not even aware that they were consuming the drugs, according to The Guardian.

Mexican drug cartels reportedly do not sell fentanyl in Mexico because they make so much money in the U.S., according to experts.

Lindsey Graham, a U.S. Republican senator, has been at the forefront of putting pressure on Mexico. He previously said he would introduce fentanyl legislation that would label Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

Marcelo Ebrard responded to Graham's criticism, saying that Americans make up most of those arrested in the U.S. for fentanyl trafficking.

Unlike other countries, Mexico is "doing as much" to combat fentanyl trade to the United States, Ebrard noted.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: U.S. and Mexico Weigh Agreement on Fentanyl and Guns - From NBC News