Strengthening Counter-Narcotics Responses through DEA Diversion Investigations Courses
in Mexico
Querétaro, Mexico 6 February 2026
From 2–6 February 2026 and 9–13 February 2026, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), through the Regional Technical Officer for the Americas of its Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme, supported two United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Diversion Investigations Courses held in Querétaro, Mexico, at the Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la República) training facility, La Muralla. The courses were delivered with the support of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
The courses focused on enhancing the capacity of law enforcement authorities to detect, investigate, and disrupt the diversion of substances used in the illicit manufacture of synthetic opioids, new psychoactive substances (NPS), and other controlled drugs. Emphasis was placed on identifying suspicious shipments, investigating supply chains, developing actionable intelligence, and strengthening inter-agency and cross-border cooperation to address emerging drug threats.
During the training, the INCB GRIDS Programme introduced participants to its operational platforms and tools, including IONICS, GRIDS Intelligence, and the AI-enabled SNOOP system. Practical demonstrations illustrated how open-source intelligence and secure, real-time communication can support investigations into chemical diversion networks and facilitate timely operational action.
The engagement reinforced the value of coordinated international action and demonstrated how GRIDS tools can enhance regional cooperation and operational effectiveness in countering diversion and the illicit manufacture of dangerous substances.
Participation of the INCB GRIDS Programme was made possible through the generous support of the United States Government, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
The
Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme and
Project ION and
OPIOIDS Project operates under the INCB’s Article 35 mandate of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, supporting governments’ capacity to exchange real-time information on trafficking, illicit manufacture, marketing, and sales of NPS, synthetic opioids, fentanyls, and related chemicals, with the aim of disrupting and interdicting the distribution of dangerous substances.
Click here to learn more about the GRIDS Programme
Click here to learn more about the OPIOIDS Project
Click here to learn more about the Project ION
