Under this new strategy, economic sanctions will be tightened against businesses that facilitate the production and illicit trafficking of drugs
The White House unveiled its 2026 National Drug Control Strategy this Monday, in which it calls upon Mexico to deliver improved results in three key areas: the seizure of precursor chemicals, the reduction of drug production, and the fight against drug cartels.
“We will prioritize lines of action that urge China to halt the flow of chemical precursors used in the illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs; Canada to intensify the exchange of actionable intelligence to disrupt the operations of transnational criminal organizations; Colombia to reduce coca cultivation and dismantle the criminal networks that thrive on cocaine production; and India to adopt new measures to regulate its pharmaceutical and chemical industries, ensuring it doesn’t supplant China as the primary source of chemicals for the production or manufacture of illicit drugs,” the Strategy states.
In the case of Mexico, the Strategy calls for an increase in the seizure of precursor chemicals, a reduction in drug production, and the “elimination of the cartels’ capacity to threaten the territory, security, and safety of the United States through their extraterritorial command-and-control structures.”
Under this new strategy, economic sanctions will be tightened against commercial entities that facilitate the illicit production and trafficking of drugs.
“The United States government will impose significant economic sanctions on any commercial entity—whether foreign or domestic—that fails to safeguard its supply chain against exploitation by transnational criminal organizations,” the document notes.
The strategy aims to combat drug production abroad “at its source.” For Mexico, this means “supporting efforts to… dismantle the clandestine laboratories that produce synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine… A fundamental component of this effort is supporting our foreign partners in their fight against the essential drug-manufacturing equipment that enables these operations in their countries—from equipment for cocaine processing laboratories to the pill presses and molds used by cartels to produce lethal fentanyl tablets.”
As part of the strategy, the U.S. government announced a “global campaign against the threats of transnational crime and foreign terrorism,” emphasizing that those involved in drug trafficking will also be prosecuted as terrorists, following the designation of various cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
“We will relentlessly pursue and dismantle drug trafficking networks wherever they operate. This includes combating the criminal exploitation of physical transit zones, commercial supply chains, and virtual spaces—such as social media platforms, encrypted applications, digital payment platforms, and darknet marketplaces—that bring this poison directly to our doorsteps,” the U.S. government warns.
Regarding FTOs, it warns that “through coordinated operations, we will eliminate their members—from leaders down to low-level distributors—seize illicit assets, and destroy their logistical networks to weaken these organizations until they are incapable of posing a strategic threat to the United States.”
As part of the strategy, the “Crime Gun” initiative, focused on arms trafficking, was also announced. The Homeland Security Task Force will be responsible—drawing upon what is known as “Firearms Intelligence” (CGI)—for tracing firearms “to identify and disrupt the flow of firearms into illicit commerce. A vital component of CGI is the Firearms Intelligence Centers, which, together with the expanded use of the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN), enable investigators to link firearms used in multiple shooting incidents.”
The strategy establishes targets for both counternarcotics efforts and the issue of arms trafficking.
Regarding the seizure of illicit drugs by CBP, the strategy uses as a baseline the 807,131 pounds seized in 2024. The objective is to seize a total of 887,844 pounds in 2026, and 887,844 pounds by 2029.
Regarding the dismantling of criminal organizations, the strategy uses as a baseline the 3,209 new organizations disrupted or dismantled in 2024, and sets targets of 3,337 for 2026 and 3,530 for 2029.
Regarding arms trafficking, the strategy uses as a baseline the 3,917 new firearms seized in 2024; the objective is to seize 4,230 new firearms in 2026 and 4,700 by 2029.
The strategy also seeks to increase the number of seizures of precursor chemicals and related substances—as well as seizures of related equipment—reported to the Precursor Incident Communication System by China, Colombia, India, and Mexico.
In this regard, the strategy uses a baseline of 11 seizures in 2024; For 2026, the target is 48; and for 2029, 208.
The strategy also includes chapters on combating and preventing addiction among Americans, with the stated objective of “promoting non-use as a social norm.”
Source: El Siglo de Torreón
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