DEA Chief Accuses Mexican Officials of Cartel Collusion — Amid “Daily Coordination” Claims

On August 23, 2026, DEA Administrator Terry Cole told Univision that recent indictments expose senior Mexican officials working directly with the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG, adding that U.S. authorities recently warned certain officials about their CJNG ties. In the same breath, Cole described daily, fluid communication with Mexico’s Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch, framing the relationship as simultaneously cooperative and adversarial. This episode unpacks the accusations, the diplomatic tightrope both governments are walking, and what it signals about the fragile state of U.S.-Mexico security cooperation.