Dea Exposes Mexican Government's Complicity With Cartels

Washington, D.C., February 17, 2025. The government of the former Mexican president ordered the army not to confront the drug cartels, allowing their unrestricted expansion.

This was revealed by the new head of the DEA, Terry Cole, who in 2020 had already denounced that the Mexican government was operating in complicity with these criminal groups.

"In Mexico, you don't know who's who, as everyone can be mixed with drug trafficking, from politicians to police officers."

Old statements by Cole resurface

After his appointment as head of the DEA by former president Donald Trump, Cole's previous statements gained relevance.

At the time, his warnings went unnoticed due to the COVID-19 health crisis.

Drug protection under the pretext of the pandemic

With years of experience in anti-drug operations in Latin America, Cole stated that health restrictions favored the cartels, especially the Sinaloa Cartel.

Thanks to government inaction, they improved their methods for synthesizing fentanyl and expanding their control.

Links between the government and organized crime

Cole left no room for doubt: in Mexico, the cartels operate with the support of high-ranking government officials.

Additionally, he revealed that U.S. agents have provided information on the location of clandestine laboratories and drug trafficking routes. However, Mexican authorities ignore the reports, showing a clear lack of willingness to act.

The Sinaloa Cartel and the opioid crisis

According to Cole, since 2014 the Sinaloa Cartel stopped producing other drugs to focus on fentanyl. This marked the beginning of the opioid crisis in the United States.

"The cartel saw that the market was changing and immediately worked to fill it with fentanyl. No one understands the illicit drug business better than the Sinaloa Cartel, and they adapt quickly."

The cartel hires chemistry experts

In 2024, The New York Times revealed that the Sinaloa Cartel hires experts in chemistry to operate their laboratories. Cole confirmed that this strategy began in 2018, when the cartel started recruiting university professors to improve fentanyl production.

"In 2018, the Sinaloa Cartel began hiring university chemistry professors throughout Mexico. They have been operating the fentanyl labs, overseeing daily production."