The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced a new initiative, Project Portero, in collaboration with Mexico, to combat drug trafficking on Monday.
The DEA described Project Portero as “DEA’s flagship operation aimed at dismantling cartel ‘gatekeepers,’ operatives who control smuggling corridors along the southwest border.”
In a statement, it explained that these “gatekeepers are essential to cartel operations, directing the flow of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the United States, while ensuring the movement of firearms and large amounts of cash into Mexico. By specifically targeting them, the DEA and its partners are striking at the heart of cartel command and control.”
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The DEA indicated that it has launched “a multi-week training and collaboration program at one of its intelligence centers on the southwest border. The program brings together Mexican investigators with law enforcement, prosecutors, defense officials, and members of the U.S. intelligence community. Over the course of several weeks, participants will identify common objectives, develop coordinated enforcement strategies, and strengthen intelligence sharing.”
The agency noted that this project is coordinated with the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF).
The integration of the HSTF, it stated, “brings together elements of law enforcement, intelligence, defense, and prosecutorial services, aligning priorities and operations so that the United States can apply its full capabilities against cartel networks.”
Terrance Cole, who heads the DEA, stated in the statement that the agency “is taking decisive action to confront the cartels that are killing Americans with fentanyl and other poisons.” He added that “Project Portero and this new training program show how we will fight back: planning and operating side by side with our Mexican partners and bringing the full force of the U.S. government to bear. This is a bold first step in a new era of cross-border law enforcement, and we will pursue it relentlessly until these violent organizations are dismantled.”
Cole mentioned that the Portero Program reflects the priorities of the Trump administration: “recommitting the DEA to law enforcement, dismantling cartels designated as terrorist organizations, and strengthening collaboration with foreign counterparts. While fentanyl is the most urgent threat, Project Portero addresses all aspects of cartel criminal activity—from drug smuggling to arms trafficking and illicit finance—that cross the border and endanger American communities.”
Source: eluniversal
