The United States is placing pressure on Mexico to hasten a crackdown on drug cartels, saying that gradual improvements are not enough to slow the flow of deadly fentanyl into American communities.

The directive came during a Thursday phone call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente, part of a series of high-level discussions aimed at increasing bilateral security efforts.

Both governments issued a joint statement on the discussion, which focused on security matters, and reiterated “the importance of the U.S.–Mexico partnership.”

The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs underscored a firmer stance in a post on X.

“The United States made clear that incremental progress in facing border security challenges is unacceptable,” it said.

“Upcoming bilateral engagements with Mexico will require concrete, verifiable outcomes to dismantle narcoterrorist networks and deliver a real reduction in fentanyl trafficking to protect communities on both sides of the border.”

On Jan. 11, Rubio and de la Fuente held a call on improved cooperation to combat narcoterrorism. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott described that discussion as addressing “the need for stronger cooperation to dismantle Mexico’s violent narcoterrorist networks and stop the trafficking of fentanyl and weapons.”

Pigott said that Rubio “reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to stopping narcoterrorism and stressed the need for tangible results to protect our homeland and hemisphere.”

On Jan. 12, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke about security, drug trafficking, trade, and investment.

“We talked about various topics, including security, with respect for our sovereignty, reducing drug trafficking, trade, and investment,” Sheinbaum said in a post on X the day of the phone conversation. “Collaboration and cooperation within a framework of mutual respect always yield results.”

Sheinbaum opposes any U.S. military deployments or strikes in Mexico, telling reporters that such options are “not on the table.”

The fentanyl crisis remains central to U.S.–Mexico relations. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in February reported an 85 percent drop in illegal immigrant arrests at the southwest border versus prior peaks. Fentanyl seizures, nonetheless, persist, as CBP seized 1,029 pounds of fentanyl, with methamphetamine seizures rising 15 percent that same month.

Border encounters fell to a record low in November 2025, according to CBP. Illicit drug inflows continue, with cartels driving the majority through ports of entry. CBP searches approximately 18 percent of vehicles at crossings, as GOP analysts say more work is needed on improving border security. Republicans have increasingly called for strikes within Mexico.

Trump is simultaneously negotiating with China on fentanyl precursors, making progress on rare earths and agriculture deals in exchange for tariff relief.