Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terrance “Terry” Cole publicly praised Security Minister Omar García Harfuch during this week’s 40th International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, describing him as a “trusted partner” and a “good friend of the United States.”
Addressing representatives from more than 100 countries, Cole gave an overview of García Harfuch’s career with the Federal Police, Mexico’s Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) and the Mexico City Security Ministry, prior to leading the Security and Citizen Protection Ministry. “Secretary Harfuch has devoted nearly two decades to public service to protect people in Mexico,” he said.
🤝🇲🇽🇺🇸 “García Harfuch es socio de confianza y buen amigo de Estados Unidos”. – Terry Cole / Administrador de la DEA #SegurosJuntos 🛡️🤝 pic.twitter.com/gYr6hupAfd
— Embajada de EE.UU. en México (@USEmbassyMEX) August 19, 2026
Cole highlighted that the Mexican official is personally familiar with the risks of combating transnational criminal organizations, recalling the attack by the CJNG that he survived in June 2020.
He also noted that García Harfuch understands the importance of sharing intelligence, targeting criminal leaders, disrupting supply chains and dismantling networks from the top down.
In a separate speech, García Harfuch addressed the collaboration between the two countries, under which U.S. agencies are processing 155 arrest warrants for extradition purposes related to investigations by agencies in the neighboring country.
He said that 14 individuals — either wanted or considered priority targets by the FBI — have been arrested in connection with investigations into drug trafficking, homicide, money laundering, human trafficking and other activities of transnational criminal organizations.
Regarding financial matters, García Harfuch stated that Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit has added more than 2,300 subjects to its List of Blocked Persons, frozen over 8.6 billion pesos in assets (US $507 million) and blocked more than 24,600 accounts.
He also seized the international opportunity to share the numbers resulting from his ministry’s push to reduce violent crime over the past two years: 63,500 people arrested for high-impact crimes, more than 32,800 firearms seized and 518 metric tonnes of drugs confiscated. The number of daily homicides has dropped from 86 to 42, a more than 50% reduction.
En Buenos Aires, Argentina, me encuentro participando en la Conferencia Internacional para el Control de Drogas, donde compartimos los resultados de la Estrategia Nacional de Seguridad que encabeza la Presidenta @Claudiashein y que ha fortalecido las capacidades de inteligencia,… pic.twitter.com/kqGn1H6gpX
— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) August 18, 2026
From his official X account, García Harfuch posted images of his participation in the Buenos Aires conference and reiterated Mexico’s commitment against international crime.
“Mexico will continue to cooperate with its international partners based on clear principles: shared responsibility, reciprocity, mutual trust and full respect for our sovereignty,” he said.
With reports from Imagen and Proceso
