Mexico's Chief Detective Apologizes for Fentanyl Comment

The head of Mexico's detective service apologized Thursday for saying his country is "the champion" of fentanyl and meth production, the AP reports. The comments Tuesday by Felipe de Jesus Gallo, the head of Mexico's Criminal Investigation Agency, appeared to contradict past statements by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has denied any fentanyl is produced in Mexico. Gallo's office cited a report of the comments by the Associated Press, and acknowledged that Gallo "used an inadequate word," but didn't specify whether the offending word was "champion."

"It is clear that this word, which was reported by AP and a Mexican media outlet, was inadequate," his office said. "For that reason, Mr. Gallo publicly apologizes, and explains that his intent, in which he clearly shouldn't have used the word, was to emphasize the long battle that our country has had to carry out against the production, export and shipment of synthetic drugs." Gallo's comments at a US-Mexico conference on synthetic drugs in Mexico City Tuesday drew López Obrador's ire at his daily news briefing Thursday. The president has long claimed that Mexican cartels only press it into pills or add finishing touches, and he demanded that Gallo's office explain the comments, calling them "alarmist." (More Mexico stories.)