The Government of the United States, through the Merida Initiative, donated technological equipment with a value of $ 1.6 million for chemical laboratories, questioned documents, criminology and ballistics of the Attorney General the State of Zacatecas.
Improvement of forensic investigations is critical to the bilateral engagement between the United States and Mexico in the fight against organized crime and strengthening each link in the chain of justice.
Through the Merida Initiative, the Government of the United States seeks support Mexican security institutions and improve the quality and use of process analysis and forensic evidence, and promote greater collaboration between expert services and other actors justice sector in order to strengthen the evidence presented during criminal trials. Proper presentation of evidence is a critical component for a successful delivery of justice in the adversarial criminal justice system in Mexico.
In addition to highlighting the importance of the expert results in trials, Joel Christensen, Program Officer Safety and Law Enforcement, Office of the Merida Initiative of the United States Ambassador to Mexico, highlighted the friendship and commitment between the two countries and also he acknowledged that those who work for justice must have the best tools to do their jobs and thus tackle organized crime.
BACKGROUND
The Merida Initiative is a bilateral agreement for cooperation on security between Mexico and the United States of America. Over the nine years of its implementation, the Merida Initiative has resulted in greater cooperation between the United States and Mexico. The Merida Initiative provides tangible support to Mexican security and judicial institutions, strengthen border security, and encourages efforts to counter the activities of transnational criminal organizations and illicit narcotics trade. Until today, through the Merida Initiative , the US government has provided 1.8 billion dollars in equipment, training and technical assistance to the Government of Mexico.