Part of the White House’s new national strategy aimed at reducing drug trafficking and the flow of bundled cash and weapons into Mexico includes an increase in enforcement personnel.
"The plan calls for tougher inspections, more enforcement personnel and close coordination with our partners in Mexico as we work across federal, state and local governments to achieve safety and security in our communities," said DHS secretary Janet Napolitano.
The National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy directs federal agencies to increase coordination and information sharing with state and local law enforcement agencies, intensifies national efforts to interdict the southbound flow of weapons and bulk currency, and calls for continued close collaboration with the government of Mexico, according to DHS.
It said the goal of the plan is to improve intelligence, interdict drugs, money and guns, ensure prosecutions, disrupt smuggling organizations and improve counter-drug technologies.
The Director of National Drug Control Policy will oversee the implementation of the strategy, in coordination with DHS and Justice, and ensure that it is coordinated with other border related efforts, including the Merida Initiative, led by the State Department, and DHS’s Southwest border operations plan.
