WASHINGTON — Sens. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., introduced the Mexico Security Assistance Accountability Act, which would require the State Department to develop a strategy to dismantle the Mexican drug cartels that ensures U.S. security assistance is delivering the best return on investment for taxpayers.

“For far too long, the Mexican drug cartels have poisoned communities in Pennsylvania and across the country with deadly fentanyl, killing more than 4,000 Pennsylvanians each year,” McCormick said. “We need a clear strategy to dismantle the cartels that have real accountability and metrics for success, so we know security cooperation is actually achieving results.

I look forward to working with the Administration on this common-sense approach to saving American lives.”

Kelly said, “Every day, Arizonans see up close the consequences of illegal drug trafficking into the United States. Our relationship with Mexico and a shared security mission are critical to combat the cartels that produce these dangerous drugs.

Our bipartisan bill will establish mission goals to effectively dismantle cartels and increase the capabilities of Mexico’s law enforcement, strengthening U.S. national security and protecting our communities.”

The Mexican drug cartels are the leading driver of the fentanyl overdose crisis that has killed more than 300,000 Americans.

In the 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration assessed, “Together, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have caused the worst drug crisis in U.S. history. They dictate the flow of nearly all illicit drugs into the United States…[including] the relentless stream of illicit fentanyl and methamphetamine crossing the border.”

In the last 15 years, the U.S. government has spent more than $3 billion on security assistance in Mexico. During that time, the Mexican drug cartels have gained significant ground. A 2023 report by the Government Accountability Office raised concerns about the effectiveness of U.S. security assistance in Mexico, finding that the State Department had not identified specific projects to achieve U.S. goals, had not outlined which performance indicators should be used to gauge results, and had not established monitoring and evaluation plans to assess progress towards these goals.

This bill would require the State Department to develop a strategy for U.S. security assistance in Mexico to dismantle the cartels, increase the capacity of Mexico’s military and public security institutions to degrade the cartels, and combat public corruption and impunity.

The strategy must include priorities, milestones, and performance indicators to monitor and evaluate results of U.S. security assistance.