The war on drugs plunged Mexico into violent depths in 2005, especially along its northern border. Drug-related homicides soared, and former elite soldiers on the payroll of a drug cartel were responsible for numerous kidnappings and killings. Murder victims’ tortured bodies frequently appeared on roadsides in key drug trafficking hubs throughout the country – and scores more victims, including more than 40 U.S. citizens, vanished without a trace. From within maximum security prisons, cartel leaders continued to run their illegal enterprises, killing rival inmates and ordering hits on enemies beyond the prison walls. Wild shootouts erupted on city streets as police and soldiers battled criminals, who on occasion were themselves law enforcement
The drug war has caused many problem problem in many countries especially in mexico where the heat of the problem has come to be from raging war between the government of mexico and drug cartels, from many cities not being safe because of the constant violence throughout the country to economic disruption and more. More than 164,000 people had died between 2007 and 2014 because of the drug war in mexico, more than the iraq and afghanistan war zones combine.
Here lies a stale lifeless body after a drug cartel raids a small town, just south of the Texas border. In December of 2006 and still ongoing, the Mexican Drug War has resulted in the death of tens of thousands of individuals. Mexico believes that in order to put an end to the Drug Wars, America needs to control its need for drugs. The first call to action involves new policies and restrictions on the exports and imports of drugs in between the United States and Mexico.
Mexico has a long history of cartels the deaths, drugs and weapon trafficking is in all time high increasing year by year. “Mexico's gangs have flourished since the late 19th century, mostly in the north due to their proximity to towns along the U.S.-Mexico border. But it was the American appetite for cocaine in the 1970s that gave Mexican drug cartels immense power to manufacture and transport drugs across the border. Early Mexican gangs were primarily situated in border towns where prostitution, drug use, bootlegging and extortion flourished” (Wagner). They keep themselves armed and ready with gun supplies shipped from the U.S, taking control of the drug trades. The violence is spilling so out of control that
The United States is the world’s number one consumer of narcotics and thus 90% of cocaine seized in the U.S. comes from Mexico due to the close geographical boundaries it is easy to smuggle illegal drugs into the U.S. from Mexico. The U.S.’s demand for narcotics and other drugs creates an 18-39 billion dollar market each year, all coming solely from drug sales. Drug violence is a direct result of protecting each business 's product. Cartels like the Zetas use violence to create a “brand” for their franchise. The violent cartels create a sense of fear so no one gets in their way and so others will comply with their wishes and demands.
I recall spending winters in Ciudad Juarez with my entire family making traditional dishes such as tamales and buñuelos for Christmas. My cousins and I would go outside and have snowball fights and race bikes throughout our neighborhoods. Today it is still difficult to walk around the streets after 7:00pm. Not only does this affect Mexico, but it also affects the United States in an appalling way. A recent study conducted by CNN states that ‘El Chapo’ Guzman has poisoned the streets of Chicago, America’s third largest city. Approximately 80% of illegal narcotics found in Chicago traces back to the Sinaloa Cartel led Guzman. Jack Riley, a deputy administrator of the DEA in Washington, reinforced that Guzman has enabled, “the ability to enter in partnerships, businesses, with nearly 150,000 street gang members who make their living putting heroin and cocaine and meth on the street." El Chapo’s large drug scale operation in Chicago is also a supply point for major cities such as Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Ohio, New York City, among many others throughout the nation. "Guzman is the reason you've got kids fighting over just one corner, and shooting each other" stated by Art Bilek, a retired Chicago detective. As a result of the ongoing Mexican drug war, approximately 100,000 houses have been abandoned in the wake of this violent war as many have moved to the U.S to seek safety and improved living conditions. Thousands of innocent families are being caught up in the drug war’s carnage. To many cartel members, this war is seen as an exchange of bodies for
Over the past couple of decades, drug cartels have skyrocketed in different countries especially in Mexico. With wars like these, there is violence everywhere around Mexico. In a fairly recent article, called Mexican Military Runs Up Body Count in Drug War by Azam Ahmed and Eric Schmitt, it explains how the cartel is starting to be a lot more powerful over mexican soldiers. In the article it states, “The Mexican authorities say the nation’s soldiers are simply better trained and more skilled than the cartels they battle…. But experts who study the issue say Mexico’s kill rate is practically unheard-of (NY Times, 3)”. This shows that they could be possibly hiding something away from the public. Just
In 2006, Mexico began to crack down on drug trafficking operations in union with the United States. Why all of the sudden? In regard to that question, my paper will include a history of events leading up to this sudden crack down on drug trafficking, from its start in the 1960’s until today. After the history of the drug war, I will discuss the main states involved like the United States and Mexico itself. Along with their main goal of eliminating drug trafficking all together, although it is a very high expectation. Mexico has sent out 50,000 soldiers that are being paid less than a burrito vendor, in attempt to lessen the
Mexico’s War on Drugs differs from many other wars since it isn’t a war between two parties but instead between the government and their own people. It is fueled by the United States’ desire for drugs, which allowed many Mexican cartels to prosper. Long before Felipe Calderon took office, the drug trade thrived without much opposition for the government. However, in 2006, Calderon mobilized troops to combat drug traffickers, thus sparking what is now known as the Mexican drug war("Mexico"). The ongoing war has had devastating consequences for both sides, with a total of 106,000 lives lost("Mexico"). Among these lives, numerous atrocities against independent reporters and children have been committed, yet the war continues to rage on. Currently,
During the mid-2000’s former President of Mexico Felipe Calderon announced his war on the cartels and led to a crackdown against these organizations, along with assistance with
Currently in Mexico, there is a “War on Drugs” that is basically all the drug cartels against the Mexican government. This “War on Drugs” began in 2006 and is currently ongoing due to incorrect government presence and not being able to stop every cartel. This war has caused more problems that have just about nothing to do with drugs and is just causing other civilians to do certain things and go through situations that they do not deserve or need to go through. In act to try and end this war, there are police and other military soldiers doing whatever they think they have to do or what they think will get them what they want.
Although, other killers can make up to three-hundred ninety dollars, or four hundred sixty-eight dollars. Besides the pay, Monterrey social worker Juan Pablo Garcia said, “The schools are closed, and there is no work and no opportunity. On the other side, the criminals, they say, ‘Come here. There is a job for you.'” That is, killing and victimizing others. Yet the killers are being victimized too. As a result, Mexico cartels have not come to an end followed by the news CNN Library this Wed September 23, 2015. Mexico’s long-running drug war “ a skull of someone thought to be a victim of drug violence lies on the ground in Ciudad Juarez in early 2010. The border of ciudad Juarez has been racked by violent drug-related crime, making it the most dangerous cities in Mexico’s war on drugs.” Also, figures released on January 11 by the Mexican government that 12,903 people were killed in drug-related violence in the first months of 2011. Since December 2006, the mexican government has been fighting a war with drug traffickers; most commonly “El Chapo” world’s most powerful drug trafficker. The numbers do not end, 60,000 people have been killed from 2006 to 2012 due to drug-related violence and 26,121 people missing in Mexico. I personally think this will never end, for the reason that the government, police officers in Mexico, and many others are involved with drug
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.
The War between the two major drug cartels in Mexico, Los Zetas and the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, has exploded to new extremes and is now affecting multiple countries. There are multiple cartels in Mexico who control certain sections of the country, but all have aligned with one or the other of the two Goliaths. This war started over the drug routes stemming from southern Mexico to the United States of America. The Sinaloa Cartel has controlled these routes for many decades; however, with the up-rise of Los Zetas, the competition for the drug trafficking market has roared into a brutal war between the two. Now as the
According to Michelle Alexander, why and how has the “war on drugs” developed over the last 40 years? What are the main political and economic factors that led to the war on drugs, and what are the main political and economic factors that shaped it as it developed over the last four decades? Draw on material from the Foner textbook chapters 25 through 28 to supplement Alexander’s discussion of the political and economic context.
As stated throughout this essay, Mexico has taken a hit with the outstanding homicide cases due to this drug war.