The Inter-American Dialogue’s Mexico Program convened the inaugural session of its new quarterly, off-the-record U.S.–Mexico High-Level Dialogue Series, which will host six convenings per year, bringing together senior stakeholders from government, the private sector, and the expert community. Held under the Chatham House Rule, the series is designed as a trusted space for candid, solutions-oriented exchanges on the most pressing issues shaping the bilateral relationship.
This first session examined the state of U.S.–Mexico security cooperation and the most actionable pathways for collaboration. Participants emphasized that durable cooperation must account for political cycles in both countries and that sustained engagement matters because relationships—and trust—underpin policy outcomes.
A central theme was that security cannot be separated from trade and migration, particularly at the border, where national security priorities, migration pressures, and transnational criminal activity converge. Participants highlighted the operational paradox of seeking tighter control while maintaining a functional border for lawful commerce and supply chains. Several noted that improved coordination will require an approach that is simultaneously security-driven and economically literate.
Participants also stressed that effective cooperation must address the “market system” that sustains organized crime: (1) illicit drugs, (2) weapons flows, and (3) the financial networks that enable criminal operations. Many agreed that the financial layer is among the most actionable areas for near-term impact. Participants pointed to deepening coordination and greater institutional buy-in in Mexico and emphasized that improved information sharing—under shared standards and mutual respect—could enable more meaningful disruption of illicit financial flows. The discussion also referenced the importance of demonstrating effective Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) performance as both countries navigate evolving compliance expectations and international scrutiny.
On operational strategy, participants discussed the limits of relying primarily on high-profile targeting and argued for a more sustained emphasis on intelligence, investigations, and institutional capacity, particularly at the subnational level. Several underscored that impunity remains a major constraint on deterrence and public trust, and that reducing violence while degrading criminal operational capacity requires stronger investigative and prosecutorial follow-through, not only enforcement actions. The group also discussed political risk: pressure for rapid results and escalation narratives can outpace institutional realities, complicating cooperation in Mexico, where collaboration with the United States is both necessary and politically sensitive. Participants cautioned that moving from reactive coordination to durable cooperation will require jointly defined priorities and better ways to measure progress, rather than unilateral metrics.
The roundtable concluded with broad agreement that the most credible path forward combines sustained bilateral engagement, a whole-of-market approach spanning drugs, arms, and money, deeper information sharing, and long-term institution-building—while maintaining a border that is both secure and economically functional.
This event was by invitation only.
