Blinken and Senior Officials Convene to Address Fentanyl, Trafficking, Immigration alongside Mexican Counterparts

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other high-ranking officials from the Biden administration will be visiting Mexico on Wednesday for discussions on shared security concerns. These include the trafficking of synthetic opioid fentanyl, as well as arms trafficking and the issue of increasing migration.

The High-Level Security Dialogue will bring together Secretary Blinken, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and other officials with their Mexican counterparts for two days of talks.

One of the main topics of discussion is expected to be heightened migration flows, as the Biden administration faces mounting pressure from both Republicans and members of their own party to take stronger action to curb migrant arrivals.

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Secretary Blinken is scheduled to discuss migration on Wednesday with Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena, as well as the foreign ministers of Colombia and Panama.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is also set to arrive in Mexico City on Wednesday as part of his tour through Latin America, aimed at gaining insights into the paths taken by asylum seekers to reach the U.S.

In August, the U.S. Border Patrol made 181,509 arrests at the Mexican border, a 37% increase from July. However, these figures remained relatively consistent compared to August 2022 and were significantly lower than the number of arrests in December, which exceeded 220,000, according to data released in September.

On Tuesday night, hundreds of migrants arrived in the northern Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, on a freight train. After disembarking, they immediately made their way to the border where they encountered coils of barbed wire.

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Elizabeth Romero, 32, left Venezuela three months ago with her husband and 6-year-old son. They endured a challenging journey, crossing the border between Colombia and Panama, hiking through the dense jungle, and spending three days on a freight train until they reached the U.S.-Mexico border. Romero, who is currently in her first trimester of pregnancy, and her son have experienced episodes of fever. They left Venezuela due to financial difficulties, while her family remains in their home country.

“We hope that the United States receives us and provides the support we need,” said Romero. They plan to present themselves to U.S. authorities at the border because they have already waited three months without receiving an appointment to request asylum through CBP One, a mobile app.

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The U.S. has been urging Mexico and other countries in the region to take more action. In April, the U.S., Panama, and Colombia launched a campaign to slow migration through the dangerous Darien Gap, which separates Colombia and Panama. However, migration through the jungle has only increased and is projected to reach around 500,000 people this year.