Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto has returned from a trip to Mexico to visit with the state attorneys general from all 31 Mexican states, the Federal District, and Mexico's Attorney General, Eduardo Medina Mora, according to a press release from her office.
She made the trip to address the problems of methamphetamine trafficking, money Laundering and human trafficking. Much of the meth used in Nevada is believed to be smuggled in from Mexico.
She was joined on the trip by the Attorneys General and Deputy Attorneys General from the Western states of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, North Dakota, Hawaii, and California, all members of the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG).
Mexico's Attorney General provided an overview of that country's drug interdiction efforts, as well as the implementation of regulatory controls on pseudoephedrine, a chemical used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
"Building this alliance between Mexico and the United States is crucial to curbing the problem of methamphetamine in our country and in Nevada. However, the problem goes both ways and we have to actively do our part to fight methamphetamine use here," said Attorney General Masto in the press release.
"It comes down to supply and demand. The United States is the largest consumer of the methamphetamine made in Mexico. We cannot just demand Mexico stop the flow of supply without also actively working to curb the demand in the United States."
Participating U.S. and Mexico attorneys general also shared perspectives and experiences on the need to work cooperatively to reduce the smuggling of firearms into Mexico; diminish substance abuse; and to continue to make effective strides to interrupt and bring to justice money laundering, drug trafficking and human trafficking criminal organizations that operate on both sides of the border.
Arizona Attorney General, Terry Goddard, Chair of CWAG, offered to host the next forum in the Spring of 2008 to follow-up and provide specific focus on the topics discussed.