On the other hand, the amount of cocaine seized and the number of drug-related arrests in Mexico have declined from 1993 to 1995 compared to those before U.S. assistance was terminated. Mexico’s efforts to stop the flow of drugs have been limited by numerous problems. Second, serious economic and political problems have limited Mexico’s counternarcotics effectiveness. Third, Mexico has lacked some basic legislative tools needed to combat drug-trafficking organizations, including the use of wiretaps, confidential informants, and a witness protection program. Fourth, the counternarcotics capabilities of the Mexican government to interdict drug-trafficking activities are hampered by inadequately equipped and poorly maintained aircraft. According to the State Department, U.S. efforts in Mexico are guided by an interagency strategy developed in 1992 that focused on strengthening the political commitment and institutional capability of the Mexican government, targeting major trafficking organizations, and developing operational initiatives such as drug interdiction. U.S. policy decisions have also affected drug control efforts in the transit zone and Mexico. The amount of U.S. funding for the transit zone declined from about $1 billion in fiscal year 1992 to about $569 million in fiscal year 1995—a decline of 43 percent. The 1993 change in the U.S. drug interdiction strategy reduced the detection and monitoring assets in the transit zone. Recent Efforts to Address Bilateral Drug Control Issues

Since our June 1995 testimony, a number of events have occurred that could affect future drug control efforts by the United States and Mexico.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO discussed counternarcotics activities in Mexico, focusing on: (1) the nature of the drug-trafficking threat from Mexico; (2) Mexican government efforts to counter drug-trafficking activities; and (3) recent initiatives by the United States and Mexico to increase counternarcotics activities.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) U.S. and Mexican drug interdiction efforts have had little, if any, impact on the flow of illegal drugs from Mexico to the United States; (2) the amount of cocaine seized and the number of drug-related arrests have significantly declined since 1992; (3) widespread corruption, economic difficulties, and inadequate equipment and personnel training have hampered Mexico's capabilities to detect and interdict drug traffickers; (4) a substantial amount of Mexico's resources have been focused on economic concerns; (5) U.S. counternarcotics assistance has declined by 43 percent since 1992; (6) U.S. policy decisions and reductions in the counternarcotics program have also affected Mexican and U.S. drug control efforts; (7) Mexico lacks some important legislative tools for curbing drug-related activities; (8) drug interdiction funding declined from $1 billion in fiscal year (FY) 1992 to about $570 million in FY 1995; and (9) although staffing cutbacks have limited U.S. ability to monitor counternarcotics assistance to Mexico, the United States and Mexico have created a framework for increased cooperation and are developing a new binational drug control strategy.