During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Thursday, Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) spoke about the Mexican government's anti-fentanyl efforts under Claudia Sheinbaum.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Senator McCormick, please.
00:02Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to a great panel appearing before us.
00:07I'm going to start with you, Ambassador Johnson.
00:09It was great to meet you the other day.
00:10We discussed fentanyl overdoses in Pennsylvania and the huge problem it's created.
00:19The Mexican government, I think we agree, needs to do more, and I think your experience
00:23in the military and intelligence in the region will help a lot.
00:27What is your assessment of the new Mexican government and its high-profile raids and
00:32security policies directed at the cartels?
00:36Do you think these have been effective thus far, and what are you seeing?
00:42Thank you, Senator.
00:43I'm encouraged by what I'm seeing recently in Mexico.
00:47I think there are obviously opportunities to improve, but also President Genbom has
00:52not been in office that long.
00:55I think there's opportunities for us to work together more closely, and in particular when
01:02it comes to the sharing of intelligence information with JTF Alpha, JTF Bravo, who track precursor
01:09chemicals and the shipment of drugs to and from Mexico.
01:15I think if we can work to further that relationship and ensure that we are shoulder-to-shoulder
01:21with our partners in Mexico, I think they will rise to the occasion.
01:25I've seen more recognition out of them recently than ever, and the realization that the drug
01:32problem comes with violence and that the violence in Mexico has been horrible.
01:38It led to the death of many politicians.
01:41It is truly the definition of terrorism because of the horrific deeds that are conducted against
01:48the communities, and I think there's a lot of Mexican people that are not, they're not
01:53corrupted by the money.
01:55They're coerced by the fear of what will happen to their family if they don't look the other
01:59way or provide support in some way to the cartels.
02:03So I think there's a great opportunity there to work with them on providing security for
02:07those that are doing the right thing.
02:08Good.
02:10A piece of that problem, as we talked about, and a broader problem, is China using its
02:17mercantilist policies, but also its trade with fentanyl prefactors coming into Mexico,
02:24and also circumventing some of our trade agreements by manufacturing in Mexico and exporting into
02:30the United States.
02:31Would you care to comment on what role you would hope to play in influencing Mexico and
02:36its relationship with China?
02:38Yes, sir.
02:39Thank you for that.
02:40I'm also encouraged by what President Shane Baum has said about prioritizing relationships.
02:46I think what I'm seeing in Mexico, and even in other locations in Latin America, people
02:52are beginning to realize that China does not have their interest in mind in these trade
02:58relationships.
03:00One thing that I've used effectively, and I think it would also be effective in Mexico,
03:05is to look at where China is geographically located and where Latin America is.
03:10And there's nothing that they're finding in Latin America that they couldn't find in Asia
03:15or even on the African continent.
03:18The only reason for being in Latin America is because it's an irritant to the free nations
03:23in the Western Hemisphere.
03:25And I think they're beginning to realize that, and I think there's opportunities if we just
03:29continue to highlight that and talk to the governments.
03:32I mean, if a democracy fails in the Western Hemisphere, China celebrates.
03:38If a democracy becomes safer, more secure, stronger, with opportunities for its own people,
03:44we become stronger here in the United States, as do they.
03:48So that's-
03:50That's my idea.
03:51Good.
03:52And speaking of stronger, safer democracies, Ambassador Glass, on Japan, as you know, Japan
03:57has recently made significant decisions to invest further in defense to combat China's
04:05expansionist policies, as well as North Korea.
04:08How do you expect the United States to deepen its defense ties with Japan in a way that
04:15would meet our goals, President Trump's goals of peace through strength?
04:20Senator, thank you very much for the question.
04:23And that clearly is probably the greatest priority I have as I go over there, if confirmed.
04:30If confirmed, one of the functions that we're working with the Japanese right now that we
04:40can certainly improve upon and focus is the multilateral relationships that they have
04:45with other countries, specifically Korea and the Philippines.
04:49And then to show the importance of what that means to the Trump administration is working
04:55within the Quad.
04:56That was a relationship that was brought together by Secretary Rubio for the first
05:01meeting with foreign leaders that he had just a few weeks ago.
05:05And so that's India, Australia, Japan, and the United States.
05:09So we can work to further those relationships to push back against China.
05:14We certainly, on the military side, Japan is increasing their military spend.
05:19They've now come out and announced that they'll reach 2% by 2027.
05:24And the prime minister even said that they can exceed that if the situation deems necessary.
05:31Very good.