US Demands Concrete Results From Mexico on Border Security, Fentanyl

Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed security and fighting drug cartels in a phone call.

Aerial view of an US Border Patrol pickup bext to the wall being constructed at the US-Mexico border in Santa Teresa, N.M., as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, on Jan. 14, 2026. PHerika Martinez/AFP via Getty Images

The United States is placing pressure on Mexico to hasten a crackdown on drug cartels, saying that gradual improvements are not enough to slow the flow of deadly fentanyl into American communities.

The directive came during a Thursday phone call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente, part of a series of high-level discussions aimed at increasing bilateral security efforts.