Mexico’s War on Drugs Essay

The changes in key government leadership positions have had significant implications on Mexico 's drug trade business (Lupsha 1995). Take the example of one of Mexico 's leading drug traffickers, Juan Garcia Abrego who is widely known as the inventor of Mexican drug trafficking. Abrego 's drug smuggling operations flourished under former President Salina 's administration. When former President Zedillo entered office in December of 1994, Abrego lost the high-level protection provided under the former President Salina. Without this level of protection, Abregos influence in the drug trade industry decreased dramatically to the point of bankruptcy, in a traditional business sense. During this transformation, other well-connected cartels gained uncontested access to large drug trafficking corridors once controlled by Abrego. Despite Abregos deteriorating drug influence in Mexico, President Zedillo put a large bounty on him, making Abrego the most wanted drug smuggler in Mexico. Nevertheless, Abrego 's eventual capture was highly celebrated by the United States as a sign of Mexico 's increasing efforts and dedication to the elimination of illicit drug smuggling operations. In my opinion the example of Abrego 's lost influence and highly celebrated capture directly relates to the politic rhetoric and corruption that is associated with

Recently, Mexico has been facing a horrendous civil war. This internal conflict is coming from the country’s powerful drug leaders. This epic drug war was been taking place ever since these “cartels” relocated from the South American nation of Columbia to Mexico in the mid 1980s. since then , this bloody conflict has arose several issues in Mexico. Mexico’s new president, Felipe Calderon, just recently launched an all out military campaign against these drug lords in 2007. This campaign included increased military personnel stationed in locations of intense combat. These increased troops eventually ammounted to more than 25,000 troops stationed throughout

The U.S decided to work with the Colombian government to establish an extradition treaty between the countries in 1979 (United States Congress ). This treaty would allow the U.S to extradite the cartel traffickers for a trial in the U.S. This caused Pablo to attack the government and this ultimately caused the Medellin cartel’s downfall. In the early 1990’s the cartel’s leaders were apprehended and the leader Pablo Escobar was killed in a firefight after having to run for his life. (PBS2).

Drug trafficking has become an increasingly growing problem in the world today. Illegal drug trade is a worldwide black market consisting of production, distribution, packaging, and sale of illegal substances. Although today’s "War on Drugs" is a modern phenomenon, drug problems have been a common problem throughout history. The market for illegal drugs is massive, when we consider the estimated global drug trade value is worth $321 billion (Vulliamy). The most drug trafficking happens on the border between Mexico and the United States. Former Mexican President Felipe Calderon said, “Our neighbor is the largest consumer of drugs in the world. And everybody wants to sell him drugs through our door and our window”

The problem of drugs coming over into the United States from Mexico is not new, but it is serious and in spite of many efforts by American law enforcement and border authorities, it continues day after day. This paper reviews the problem from several perspectives and brings to light attempts the U.S. has made to stop drug trafficking on our border with Mexico. The biggest issue regarding border security is the power of the drug cartels, and the majority of emphasis in this paper is directed towards the cartels.

A journal article written by Luis Astorga and David A. Shirk, dives head first into the Mexican

In February 2011 the United States began sending unarmed drones to collect information on drug traffickers. Later in August, the United States started in cross border raids, sending CIA operatives and older military personnel to aid the Mexican military. In addition to assisting Mexico, the United States increased security on our side and spends approximately $3 billion on securing the border. Decriminalization is a highly disputed policy option, in November of 2012 two states in the United States passed laws for the legalization of recreational use of marijuana. However, it is still a United States federal law that marijuana is illegal. Although decriminalization would lead to less incarcerations, it would put more drugs in the hands of users and increase drug exporting from Mexico. A prime strategy that both the United States and Mexico have been using is to take out the “high value” individuals or “foot soldiers”. This takes out the mass exporters but still leaves the middle and lower class drug traffickers. Which then the middle class moves up and takes over for whatever “high value” cartel that was just taken out. Almost immediately after, Mexico’s new president, Enrique Peña Nieto took office in December of 2012. Of those who reported missing or those who just “disappeared” the Peña Nieto government claims they will seek to verify all the missing ones. After coming into office, the administration of Peña Nieto changes the security policies. In

The war on drugs has been going on for a while between Mexico and the US; George W. Bush had signed the Merida Initiative with the then, President Felipe Calderon. Shortly after the Merida Initiative was signed, in April of 2006, Project Gunrunner launched. Developed by the Ammunitions, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agency who planned “to stem the flow of firearms into Mexico and thereby deprive the narcotics cartels of weapons” (Embassy of the United States Mexico, n.d.). Fast forward 3 years, and Attorney General Eric Holder took office, in order to continue support to the southwest border. In a speech given speech in Cuernavaca, Mexico, Holder stated “the Justice Department was committed to adding “100 new ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms,

The intensity of killings shows just how valuable these import routes are to the cartels. This is a billion dollar a year business that results in people from the United States becoming hooked on drugs. There is strong pressure from the leaders of these drug cartels all the way down to the petty criminals dealing drugs on the street with dangerous retaliations waiting for those who don't produce. This means that

Due to a high increase in drug related violence, the slight thought of legalizing drugs crossed through former President Felipe Calderon’s mind. Felipe Calderon was a former Mexican President that was known to cause the increase of drug related crimes in Mexico between the years of 2006 and 2012. Felipe Calderon built campaigns in order to target or try to eliminate some of the biggest cartels in Mexico and eventually this backfired with some of this most severe effects that have ever been experienced in Mexico’s history. Many people may not even realize or just think for a minute about how important this situation is for Mexico. Drug related violence is not only something that is effecting Mexico’s economy, but also its future generations.

The Economics and Politics of Drugs and Violence in Mexico video by the University of Chicago, explains some of the problems of violence in Mexico as well as the drug cartel that is rising. Eduard Guerrero explains the evolution and triggering mechanisms of Mexico’s organized crime violence since December of 2006, and that it has increased in numbers to up to 76 thousand by 2011. While the drug cartels that have been around, also lead to violence in Mexico.

“International events, like the recent soaring demand for heroin in the United States and the earlier crackdown on Caribbean smuggling routes and Colombian cartels in the 1980s and 1990s, have had significant local repercussions in Mexico. Even though the various sides are fighting for different goals this time around   the current war has much less to do with ideology and much more to do with wealth the Drug War participants and their methods are remarkably similar to those of the Cold War.”(Keller). In Keller’s article he explains how that now a days the war has more to do with wealth and power. Mexico’s cartels make billions of dollars off of the U.S with different kind of drugs. “Mexico produces and distributes marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine to most of the world. Its largest market, the U.S., sources 90% of its cocaine from Mexico. Drug trafficking is a lucrative activity for the Mexican cartels, generating estimated annual revenues of US$35 billion to US$45 billion for Mexico, with a profit margin of approximately 80%” (Duff) Duff Explains why cartels are getting so violent, Mexico gets about $35 billion to $45 billion due to the U.S getting 90% of its drug source from Mexico. Currently there’s seven major cartels that are providing drugs to the U.S.” For this reason, many cartels are fighting for the

The amount of drugs in mexico is a crazy. The number of drugs they have been bringing into america is also hardcore. Tens of thousands of people die every year due to this business. On September 27, 2011 ,Five severed heads are found in a sack near an elementary school in Acapulco which is really jacked up. Just imagine a little mexican kid walking down the street eating a taco and seeing five heads just in a sack by his school. Today, Mexico is a major supplier of heroin to the U.S. market, and the largest foreign supplier of methamphetamine and marijuana. Mexican production of all three of these drugs has increased since 2005. Which is not a good thing.

The US/ Mexico borderlands are the site of a number of “flows” of goods, people, and ideas over the last century. The US is attempting to increase the “flow” of some goods such as food, but restricting others like illegal immigration and drug trafficking. The US has been trying to stop drug smugglers and illegal immigration by setting some policies. When Salinas became the president of Mexico, his number one priority was to stop drug trafficking and smuggling it into the US so both countries could sit and talk about NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Drug trafficking was and still is the number one problem in Mexico. “During Salina’s six-year term in office, arrests nearly doubled, prominent traffickers were jailed, and principal figures in the Camarena case were convicted.”(Andreas) The Salina’s antidrug offensive helped pacify US critics and paved the way for the passage of NAFTA. But this agreement did not stop drug smugglers, it actually encouraged more drug-related corruption. “As more government resources were devoted to drug control, smugglers responded by devoting more resources to paying off those doing the controlling.”(Andreas) The NAFTA was consider a success in the early years, US Government thought that Salina’s government did very good and it was going to stop drug trafficking. It was not until later that they realized NAFTA was not as good as it looked, Mexican trucks were able to cross the border with food without being checked by the US police, so

According to up to date studies and statistics, the united states of america is the largest buyer of the illegal drugs in the world. Hundreds of tons of the drugs and narcotics are being ingested by american citizens daily. The coast guard can only seize a fraction of the amount of products that make it in the us. These individual drug cartels monopolizing the trafficking market are a growing problem for the U.S economy and need to be located and controlled. In order to seize these individuals who are growing in power and numbers, the U.S. must control the connections between Mexico and Columbia.