Mexico wants the United States to stem the flow of arms into Mexico as effectively as Mexico has curbed the flow of migrants, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Thursday.
Mexico proposed that arms trafficking be given the same "high priority" as immigration, Ebrard said at a press conference presided by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
"Mexico is going to be demanding the measures the United States must take in exchange for the measures Mexico is taking," said Ebrard while meeting with top U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in Washington on Tuesday.
"They have to do a lot more ... very little is being done, if anything," Ebrard said.
According to the release from Mexico's Presidency, 70 percent of firearms used to commit crimes in Mexico came from the United States.
To address the problem, the two countries have agreed to create a bi-national group to review the use and origin of firearms linked to crimes in Mexico on a monthly basis.
The group will focus on border-crossing points, such as San Diego-Tijuana, El Paso-Ciudad Juarez, Laredo-Nuevo Laredo, McAllen-Reynosa and Brownsville-Matamoros.
"Our ultimate goal is to freeze arms trafficking at the border with the United States," Ebrard said.
Pressed by Washington, Mexico has reduced the flow of Central American asylum-seekers at the U.S. border by 58.7 percent by Sept. 10, since Mexico put in place stiffer controls in early June, according to Ebrard.
