Drugs Inc

For many years, drugs have been the center of crime and the criminal justice system in the United States. Due to this widespread epidemic, President Richard Nixon declared the “War on Drugs” in 1971 with a campaign that promoted the prohibition of illicit substances and implemented policies to discourage the overall production, distribution, and consumption. The War on Drugs and the U.S. drug policy has experienced the most significant and complex challenges between criminal law and the values of today’s society. With implemented drug polices becoming much harsher over the years in order to reduce the overall misuse and abuse of drugs and a expanded federal budget, it has sparked a nation wide debate whether or not they have created more harm than good. When looking at the negative consequences of these policies not only has billions of dollars gone to waste, but the United States has also seen public health issues, mass incarceration, and violent drug related crime within the black market in which feeds our global demands and economy. With this failed approach for drug prohibition, there continues to be an increase in the overall production of illicit substances, high rate of violence, and an unfavorable impact to our nation.

Before we begin our tour of the drug war, it is worthwhile to get a couple of myths out of the way. The first is that the war is aimed at ridding the nation of drug "kingpins" or big-time dealers. Nothing could be further from the truth. The vast majority of those arrested are not charged with serious offenses. In 2005, for example, four out of five drug arrests were for possession, and only one out of five was for sales. Moreover, most people in state prison for drug offenses have no history of violence or significant selling activity.5

The United States of America has been more or less victorious in every war this nation has been involved in since the beginning of modern American history except one, the war on drugs. What makes this war uniquely terrifying is the fact that this is the first modern age war to be fought on American soil. Just in the year 2014 the war on drugs claimed a little over seven times as many American lives as pearl harbor and 9/11 combined. However, the death toll isn’t the only thing that’s rising. Each year the cost of waging this war climbs higher and higher. Over the past four decades the United States as poured over one trillion dollars into fighting drugs inside our own boarders, relying on taxpayers to supply the capital. While the Obama administration assured Americans the border was

Everyone is aware of the ongoing drug war between American border patrol agents who wish to fulfil their duty which is to defend the border and Mexican cartels who seek only to expand their narcotic empire at the United States and Mexican border. The Mexican cartels are often times defined as ruthless outlaws who infiltrate and distribute narcotics into the United States in order to maintain high prices and eliminate competition. Their methods are immoral and executed with ease because of their access to heavy artillery. As a result, “Since 2006 more than 40,000 lives have been taken via mass graves, beheadings, and kidnappings” (Newsmax 2). Fear is at the core of the Mexican government leading to corruption installed by the cartels. The corruption is to a degree to which there is no help for the victims or the families that have been victimized unless America steps in to help end the cartel’s reign. Drug culture created by the cartels is increasingly polluting American citizens, especially those vulnerable to the influence in border cities. The cartels are expanding their power to a degree where it can be alarming to the national security of the U.S. Therefore, the U.S. will be able to decrease crime at the border by increasing its security, and by helping the Mexican government regain stability in the country which will ultimately minimize cartel expansion.

The United States has spent over 30 years fighting the war on drugs. Americans have paid a heavy price financially. The drug enforcement budget is now $40 billion. A lot of time, effort, and money go into America’s attempt in eliminating trafficking, dealing, and the use of illegal drugs. Many believe that this is a war worth fighting, while others feel that America will never conquer the war on drugs. The latter suggest legalization as an alternative plan that will help save the country millions of dollars. In this paper, I will examine the history of the drug war as well as the arguments for and against fighting the war on drugs.

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

The United States has been engaged in a “war” for nearly 25 years. It is a war with unclear goals; ending the war in a victory is made nearly impossible due to subjective statistics and hazy results. At the heart of this continuing struggle, the “war on drugs,” is the fundamental question: Is this a battle the United States can win? It is likely everyone will agree drugs are harmful; they have serious medical side-effects. Drugs are addictive; they can ruin a family, a job, a life. The war is continued with the goal of eradicating the drug epidemic. With that in mind, the war on drugs has had a minimal impact on drug use in the United States. Instead, it has created a military police force,

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 core strategy of the War on Drugs is to eradicate drugs and prevent all causes of drug use. So almost all of the efforts in the last few decades have been focused on eliminating the supply of drugs and incarcerating drug traffickers. But this disobeys

Illicit drug trafficking is a way for terrorists to make their money. Drug trafficking offers them large amounts of money that funds their operations. The Taliban traffics opium in Afghanistan and terrorists in Columbia traffics coca in Latin America. These are just a few of examples of illicit drug trafficking. Dirty money is considered to be money earned illegally. It has been estimated that over one trillion dollars have been available for terrorists to use for their illegal activities (Adler, 2013). According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2010), roughly 380 tons of heroin is trafficked in the middle east. Even though five tons are seized, the rest of the 375 tons of heroin is distributed throughout the world. The war on drugs has been increasingly popular with much recognition from the media. Although this has been the main emphasis, people have almost forgotten the importance of the war against terrorism. This is particularly bad because drug trade goes hand in hand with terrorism and fosters organized crime internationally (Adler,

Tackling the War on Drugs (CD) and Combating Transnational Crime Organizations (TCO) is an important national security problem. While addressing this issue in a scholastic forum, I immersed myself into this problem set using the guidance of assuming the role of Colonel Tim Killian. Utilizing the provided case and the ADIA framework and course concepts, I reviewed and assessed the information presented. The goal of Joint Task Force North (JTFN) J-5 is to develop a “strategy for military support to counter drug efforts and more broadly fight transnational organized crime.”

The War On Drugs has been an incredibly long, ineffective and costly initiative aimed at stemming the flow of illegal drugs into the United States with a specific focus on the well-worn trafficking paths snaking inward from south of the Mexican border. The failure of the War is perhaps best reflected in the incredible carnage and violence which continue to grip key border regions like Juarez. This territory, controlled by the notorious Juarez cartel, is the site of ongoing turf wars with rival drug peddlers, the Sinaloa Cartel, as well as with law enforcement and paramilitary groups of varying degrees of corruption. Lawmakers partnered in the United States and Mexico have been absolutely flummoxed over how to address the current state of affairs, which is in a decided state of intensification. Evidence suggests, however, that contrary to the strategy of heightened militancy taken on by both federal governments, the real path to better enforcement against the cartel is to disrupt the steady influx of guns and military-grade weaponry.

Here's a look at what I believe more people need to know about the Mexican Drug War and Cartel. The Mexican drug cartels have been like a disease spreading like a wild fire all over Mexico over the years. The Mexican government has been fighting a war with drug traffickers for a long time. Also, drug cartels have been fighting with each other for control of territories in Mexico. Over 60,000 people have been killed from 2006 to 2012, according to Human Rights Watch. Many people have been robbed, tortured, kidnapped, injured, and murdered through out the domestic drug war that is going on in Mexico. Officials have dispatched thousands of troops and experienced police officers to contain the “self-defense” groups in the towns of Mexico. These people claim that they are simply filling a void left by incompetent or corrupt officials in their government. Many of the people taking on these gangs that control their parts of the region say they do not care much about the illegal drug trades going on around them. These cartels have been supplying the United States and Mexican people for decades. All these town people want is for the criminals to leave the regular residents of their towns in peace.

Between 1981 and 1996 the U.S. Government has spent more than $80 billion fighting the "drug war". Government agents continuously patrol our southern border, from Florida to California, in an effort to ward off large scale drug smuggling. Thus far, their efforts appear futile (Bayer 33).

The “War on Drugs” is the name given to the battle of prohibition that the United States has been fighting for over forty years. And it has been America’s longest war. The “war” was officially declared by President Richard Nixon in the 1970’s due to the abuse of illegitimate drugs. Nixon claimed it as “public enemy number one” and enacted laws to fight the importation of narcotics. The United States’ War on Drugs began in response to cocaine trafficking in the late 1980’s. As the war continues to go on, winning it hardly seems feasible. As stated by NewsHour, the National Office of Drug Control Policy spends approximately nineteen billion dollars a year trying to stop the drug trade. The expenses shoot up, indirectly, through crime,