US Government ‘Cannot Demonstrate’ Progress After $3 Billion Investment in Mexico: Watchdog

Drugs are still moving across the border and the homicide rate in Mexico has more than tripled, the Government Accountability Office said.

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stand for the national anthems during an official welcome ceremony at the National Palace in Mexico City on Jan. 9, 2023. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

The United States’ investment of $3 billion in Mexico aimed at addressing organized crime and violence and reducing drug trafficking has not proven to be effective, a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found.

The report (pdf) was published on Sept. 12 and noted that while the United States has provided billions of dollars in assistance to Mexico since 2008, the latter’s security situation has “worsened significantly,” with the country’s murder rate more than tripling.