President Claudia Sheinbaum reported that the Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch, will meet with the U.S. Government as part of the Mexican authorities' strategies to address controversies between both countries, especially those related to tariffs and deportations imposed by President Donald Trump.
"The security meeting is yet to be confirmed, as it was still pending to define who would participate. We hope it will be defined today," Sheinbaum mentioned. Trump has conditioned the elimination of tariffs on Mexico to the control of fentanyl trafficking towards the United States and to sealing the border to contain the flow of migration.
Sheinbaum highlighted statements from Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, confirming the entry of U.S. weaponry into Mexico and its use by Mexican cartels, now considered terrorists by the U.S. The meeting occurs after the transfer of 10,000 National Guard members to the Mexican border to contain migration.
The president hopes that Harfuch’s meeting will achieve an agreement, although the location in the U.S. is unknown and it is unclear whether he will be accompanied by any member of the Security Cabinet. Harfuch and Ricardo Trevilla from the National Defense Secretariat have been in Sinaloa conducting operations to control violence in the state.
On the other hand, Sheinbaum announced that Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Economy, will travel to Washington to meet with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce with the aim of avoiding a 25 percent tariff on Mexican products scheduled for early March. Mexico is also facing potential tariffs on steel and aluminum, as well as taxes on vehicles manufactured in the country.
Sheinbaum did not provide further details on Ebrard's proposals or the strategies to avoid Trump's tariffs. This week's meetings aim to reach agreements between the parties involved.
