Informative Speech

After reading Mexico’s Illicit Drug Networks and the State Reaction, I have concluded that this short read is highly informative and intriguing. I personally was drawn in by the horrific stories of violence, kidnapping, and mass murders of deadly encounters, and fascinated by learning how the state planned and responded. Author Nathan Jones, is able to illustrate why Mexican drug cartels have been able to prolong existence while under attack by Mexico and the United States. He is able to do so by examining and comparing two types of illicit drug networks and how they provoke different state reactions based on their business strategy. Jones relates his discoveries to the Arellano Felix Organization because “it was one of the first Mexican cartel to be targeted by the state and split along trafficking-oriented and territorial lines [where] one survived and one did not” (p. 12). This read is significant because it allows for the government to better distinguish between drug networks that will withstand the test of time, and those that will crumble under pressure. Jones utilizes his findings and applied it to the novel, and the current drug prohibition program.

Drug Trafficking, civil unrest, and kidnapping are commonly associated with Colombia. However, a closer look at the South American Country, which is slightly less than two times the size of Texas, reveals not only a very rich culture that centers on fine arts and language preservation, but also a country that strives for economic progress and effective government. All of which is typically overshadowed by the notorious guerilla warfare and drug cartels.

The United States agency of drugs have discovered that for all of the illegal drugs consumed in the nation has been transported by the Mexican cartels. “U.S. federal officials say that the mexican cartels operate in dozens of U.S. cities and analysts say they are moving to consolidate their control of the entire supply chain of illegals drugs”(Schwartz, 1). The government of the United States have been conducting the investigation to now if the cartels are north. Many big cities today have a piece of the cartel organization working there and also producing drugs to distribute within the city. According to the investigation done by the DEA and U.N officials “Mexican cartels have established command - and - control centers to orchestrate cocaine shipments by sea and air along the still wild caribbean coast with the help of local authorities”(Booth, 2). All though that the cartel are moving to the United States they are still leaving command center in mexico to conduct shipments by ground or any other shipments overseas. The cartel is able to transport such quantities of drugs with help of the local authorities and other corrupt government officials.

Because of their constant pursue by American drug agencies, they had divided their organization into lesser-known drug lords to help their evasion from the American government. Today, the Guadalajara cartel has been worn down and has fewer members since the mid 1980’s. The remaining members of the cartel are fighting over the influence of the Mexican government and for revenge of past offenses and betrayals. On what is known as today’s Mexican Drug War.

The United States has a long history of intervention in the affairs of one it’s southern neighbor, Latin America. The war on drugs has been no exception. An investigation of US relations with Latin America in the period from 1820 to 1960, reveals the war on drugs to be a convenient extension of an almost 200 year-old policy. This investigation focuses on the commercial and political objectives of the US in fighting a war on drugs in Latin America. These objectives explain why the failing drug policy persisted despite its overwhelming failure to decrease drug production or trafficking. These objectives also explain why the US has recently exchanged a war on drugs for the war on

Miller, Sean J. “Putting Mexican Cartels On ICE.” National Journal (2009): 21 Academic Search Premier. Web 8 Nov. 2011

In the article, “Medellin Cartel: Why We Can’t Win the Drug War,” the author, Robert Filippone, suggests that the corruption in Colombia is due to many people profiting from the Medellin Cartel. The cartel’s operations extended beyond the production and transportation of cocaine and included people not directly involved in drug smuggling, such as chemists, engineers, architects, and aviation pilots. The enormous profits from narcotics trafficking provided financial benefits to many segments of Colombian society. Although I acknowledge the fact that there was, and still is, corruption in Colombia, there are many positive aspects of Colombia that Narcos fails to

The drug dealers have captured a great deal of power in Colombia, and have adopted the position of the government in many instances. The drug trade has ruined the image of Colombia, and has caused the world to forget about the other goods produced in Colombia, like coffee, flowers, oil and gas for instance. As the website put out by the Colombian Government Trade Bureau entitled “Colombia Trade News” states,

During the early 1990’s Colombia being one of the biggest exporters of narcotics in history, led by Pablo Escobar, who had a wide range of organized crime affiliations throughout Latin America. Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug lord and he smuggled narcotics all the way to South Florida as when authorities tried to capture him. One of Pablo Escobar’s most important alliances was that of the Mexican-based traffickers. Escobar knew that this was an important trade route because of its geography and how it would be easier to smuggle the narcotics into the United States. This allowed a smuggling partnership between both countries and Mexico was to eventually lead their own drug based trafficking system with the help of Pablo Escobar. From the distributed drugs, cartels would take a certain amount of profit, and would use that money to bribe Mexican officials. By bribing Mexican officials it was insured that if smugglers were to be arrested they would either be let go, the case would be dropped or taking action against a rival smuggling group by giving away information about the rival’s plan to carry

The international drug trade from Latin American states is having an impact on a global scale. The trafficking of drugs along with corruptness and murder is an international conflict that is being fought daily. There are many aspects of the drug war from Mexico and other Latin American states which have effects on United States policy as well as policies from other countries that participate in the global suppression of illegal drugs.

Drug cartels have grown and expanded throughout the interior and exterior of states for many years. The way drugs started to be introduced to Mexico, Colombia, and other places around the world was believed to be a myth. It was a tale that was known by many through storytelling, which over the years turned into an actual realistic issue. One of the most known cartels that existed for a long time was The Medellin Cartel. It became a subculture of its own, creating a world full of violence, women, money, firearms, death but most importantly power and fear. Located in Colombia this brutal subculture will show how they become one of the wealthiest subculture in the world surpassing even its own country’s riches.

The government has made some gains, but at a heavy price. A total of 34,612 people have died in drug-related killings in Mexico in the first four years (Siddique). Most of these killing are between cartel rivals fighting for the control of territories. There are five cartels operating in Mexico: the Sinaloa, the Gulf, Juarez, Tijuana, the Zetas. The major cartels are the Gulf, Sinaloa and Juarez (Cook 21). Many of these cartels have joined together forming powerful alliances known as the “Federation” (Cook 17). The cartels work together, but they remain independent organizations.

Violence in modern Colombia takes place in many forms. The three major categories are crime, guerrilla activities, and attacks committed by drug traffickers. Violence has become so widespread and common in Colombia that many people have now become numb to it. The Colombian economy has also benefited from the illicit drug trade; however violent it may be. During the 1970s, Colombia became well known, as one of the world’s most important drug processing, production, and distribution centers for marijuana and cocaine.

The Sinaloa Cartel is recognized as the world’s most powerful drug cartel, it operates in 17 of Mexico’s 31 states. The Sinaloa Cartel is a multi-billion dollar operation, and the largest in Mexico. It’s rise to prominence was one of circumstance and great leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel saw it’s rise when Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman took control of the cartel in the early 1980’s when it’s founder Migel Angel Felix

The Cali Cartel was less flashy with their money compared to other cartels at the time and were more about the business side of drug trafficking. They would ship mostly to Europe and Asia, where it was less likely to get caught. They did not get along with the other cartels around and would give information about them to the police to get themselves out of trouble. The Cali Cartel had competitions against the Medellin Cartel, another cartel from Colombia, especially Pablo Escobar, the leader of the Medellin Cartel. It got very violent between the two cartels and killings often occurred. The Cali Cartel started a group called People Against Pablo Escobar or PEPES, specifically to threaten him,” The Cali cartel began to attack the Medellin cartel -- particularly Pablo Escobar -- as their competition became more and more violent”(“The Colombian Cartels” 1). They would inform the police of his whereabouts, which ended up getting him caught and eventually put in jail. The Cali Cartel then took over the cocaine business until they all got caught and jailed. Most of the cartel sat for ten to fifteen