Merida Initiative Faces Questions from Congress

The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management held a hearing on October 4, 2011, to discuss the threat of Mexican drug cartels and the U.S. response to the problem.  The hearing, titled Assessing the Merida Initiative: The Evolution of Drug Cartels and the Threat to Mexico’s Governance, Part 2, had testimony from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Department of State.  The speakers universally agreed that the Merida Initiative had made significant inroads against drug cartels in Mexico, and all recommended continued support for the program.