The head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Terry Cole, and Mexico’s Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch, heaped praise on one another during the opening day of the International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cole described García Harfuch as “a trusted partner and a good friend to the United States.” The Mexican official thanked Cole “for maintaining a professional, direct, and results-oriented relationship with Mexican institutions for the benefit of our nations,” and stated that since Cole took office, “information has flowed much faster.”
The gathering—held behind closed doors and without press access through Thursday—is attended by nearly 500 high-ranking security officials and delegates from the roughly 100 member and observer countries of IDEC. Established in 1983, IDEC serves as a platform for discussing cooperation plans and strategies to combat criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking.
The event highlighted the strong relationship between Cole and García Harfuch—a bond the U.S. official has referenced on more than one occasion.
García Harfuch, Cole noted during his presentation, “understands the global threats we face together. Transnational criminal organizations traffic deadly drugs, spread violence, corrupt institutions, and destroy families. They operate across borders and exploit every vulnerability. Confronting them requires solid intelligence channeled into aggressive investigations, coordinated operations, and the determination to carry out the mission.”
He added that the Mexican official “recognizes the importance of sharing intelligence, targeting criminal leaders, disrupting supply chains, and dismantling networks from top to bottom.”
