DPR: Intelligence cooperation must be strengthened to prevent new drug trafficking routes

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of Commission I of the DPR RI, Amelia Anggraini, said that the government needs to strengthen international intelligence cooperation to prevent new drug smuggling routes, following the death of Mexican drug lord “El Mencho”.

Amelia, in Jakarta on Thursday, said that the statement from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) regarding the link between drug dealers in Mexico and smuggling networks to Indonesia adds a more complex security dimension.

Such a situation could open new opportunities for drug distribution to already identified markets, including Indonesia.

“This approach must be carried out in an integrated manner between diplomacy, intelligence, and law enforcement,” said Amelia.

According to her, the death of a key figure in a cartel network often does not stop organized crime activities, but potentially triggers fragmentation of the group and internal power struggles.

In addition to strengthening intelligence cooperation, she said, the government also needs to increase surveillance at strategic entry points, as well as deepen data exchange with law enforcement agencies in partner countries.

The incident serves as a reminder that threats to Indonesia do not always come in the form of direct armed conflict, but also through transnational criminal networks that move dynamically following changes in the global situation.

According to Amelia, the state must be present proactively, both in protecting its citizens and in maintaining sovereignty from the threat of cross-border narcotics.

“The security of Indonesian citizens and national resilience must be ensured to run in tandem through a rapid, coordinated response, and based on a comprehensive risk analysis,” she said.

Previously, the Mexican Army Special Forces killed seven members of the New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG), including its leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” in a military operation in Jalisco on Sunday (February 22).

The Ministry of Defense stated that the operation was carried out in Tapalpa, the base of the CJNG, with the support of the National Guard, national intelligence, the Attorney General’s Office, and Air Force aircraft to capture Oseguera.