During a session at the Capitol this Wednesday, the United States Attorney General, Pamela Bondi, surprised by including Mexico in a list of "foreign adversaries" alongside countries such as Iran, Russia, and China.
Her statement was made during an appearance before Congress, in which she was questioned about national security issues, particularly regarding the situation in Iran.
In response to a question posed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham,Bondi defended the efficient foreign policy ofDonald Trump and stated: "Donald Trump has said it loud and clear: we won't be intimidated and we'll keep the United States safe, not only from Iran, but also from Russia, China, and Mexico, from any foreign adversary that tries to kill us."
The attorney general qualified her words by arguing that threats do not only come from physical attacks, but also from phenomena such as drug overdoses. In that sense, she suggested that the flow of fentanyl and other substances from Mexico represents a form of indirect aggression against Americans.
However, she avoided responding directly when asked if the Mexican government was cooperating to address this crisis.
At the beginning of the year, the Trump administration imposed tariff measures against Mexico in response to its limited cooperation regarding the fentanyl crisis.
Arguing that Mexico was not doing enough to stop drug trafficking into the United States, Trump threatened to apply higher tariffs to Mexican products. These measures pressured the Mexican government to take stronger action against the cartels and improve border control.
Trump impuso fuertes medidas arancelarias a principio de año contra México por su poca acción frente al tráfico de fentanilo
The designation of Mexico as an "adversary" caused expectation, given the strategic bilateral relationship in areas such as trade, migration, and security. Bondi's statements are part of a hardline stance adopted by the Trump administration in its second term, especially regarding drug trafficking and border security.
Democratic Senator Jack Reed also intervened to question Bondi about arms trafficking from the United States to Mexico, a central issue in the violence affecting both countries.
Reed asked what measures were being taken to stop that flow, to which the attorney general replied by assuring that "our borders are closed" and that seizures of weapons from illegal immigrants have increased.
Bondi mentioned that the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) had seized 14,600 illegal weapons since the beginning of Trump's term, an increase of 33% compared to the previous administration.
El senador demócrata Jack Reed interrogó a Bondi e intentó cuestionar la eficiencia del gobierno en materia fronteriza
