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Governor Gibbons Meets With
Senior Government Officials in Mexico
August 20, 2007
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Last week, I traveled to Mexico where I had the
opportunity to meet with senior government officials on a variety of
topics that affect both our state and their nation. These meetings
provide me with a great perspective about how we can increasingly
cooperate to address two of our state's greatest issues - increasing
economic opportunities here in Nevada and the challenges our state faces
as a result of the growing methamphetamine epidemic.
 Nevada’s
diverse geography, breathtaking landscapes, and renowned entertainment
are just a few reasons that that our state is among the top destinations
in the world. To promote the many exciting opportunities that Nevada has
to offer and to bring more foreign tourists to our state, we must work
to strengthen relationships and improve access to Nevada for tourists
from counties around the world, including our neighbor, Mexico. I flew
to Mexico City on a newly established nonstop route from Las Vegas.
While in the country I met with tourism officials and representatives of
the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority who are permanently
based in Mexico City to foster ongoing relationships in the country to
bring more visitors to Nevada.
One of the many other critical issues that I addressed with the Mexican
government was the significant financial burden placed on Nevada
taxpayers due to the flow of methamphetamine from Mexico. At this point,
close to 90% of the methamphetamine confiscated here in Nevada
originates in Mexican superlabs.
 What
was once a product of smaller clandestine mom and pop labs is now
created in Mexican superlabs primarily because of Mexico’s history of
lenient policies regulating procurement of large quantities of
pseudoephedrine - the primary ingredient used in the production of meth.
During my meeting with the Deputy Attorney General, we discussed
Mexico's improved partnership with the United States to implement
safeguards at Mexico’s ports of entry. Today, Mexico only accepts
pseudoephedrine at 3 ports where the import quantity has been severely
curtailed. Once the pseudoephedrine has been received at the ports only
500 kilograms or less can be sent to legitimate manufacturers who
process the materials into tablets, most of which are put into
over-the-counter cold medications.
Prior to Mexico’s efforts to tighten the laws, pure
pseudoephedrine could be purchased over the counter, while under new
stricter controls, a doctor’s referral is required.
I was extremely pleased by the steps the Mexican
government is taking and believe that in collaboration with policies to
regulate the sale of precursor drugs, such as pseudoephedrine, coupled
with increased access to treatment and prevention resources, we stand to
make great gains in the fight against meth. Our partnership with Mexico
and the steps we are taking here in Nevada are critical in our local and
nationwide efforts to combat meth production, distribution, and use.
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