There is clearly a high demand for recreational drugs in the United States, and because of this drug cartels all through Mexico and South America have thrived for decades. This essay will explore some of the reasons why Mexican Cartels have thrived in the new Millennium creating a drug trade that is estimated to bring The Cartels over 3 billion dollars in profits this year alone. It will also explore the tactics used by both the United States and Mexico in combatting the illicit drug trade and the cartels that have their hands firmly in their control.
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
The Mexican government has been fighting a war with drug traffickers since December 2006. At the time, drug cartels have fought each country for control of territory. (“Mexico Drug War”) Many people in Mexico are unwilling to wait so instead, in communities all across the country, groups of men have donned masks, picked up rifles and machetes, and begun patrolling their neighborhoods and farmlands. Many Mexican have lost their faith in the government of willing to protect them. (Foreign Affairs Vol.92) More than 60,000 people have been killed from 2006 to 2012 due to the drug war violence, but when Enrique Pena Nieto assumed the presidency, intentional homicide numbers have declined slightly, but the number of kidnappings continues to rise. Ninety percent of the cocaine that enters to the United States traffics through Mexico. Mexico’s main supplier of marijuana and methamphetamines in the United States.
The drug war has cost many problem problem in many countries especially in mexico where the heat of the problem has come to be from raging war between the govt 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 (Kurzgesagt).
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.
The United States have declared that it is doing its best to combat the war on drugs. The drug problem has not stopped and the people continue to buy drugs no matter what circumstances they are obtained. With drugs prices rising, people are willing do anything to get drugs even if it leads them to become involved in criminal activities such as robbery. The money and military activity have not been enough, and the “urban problem,” has not been resolved. The United States has the largest demand of drugs in the world. While other countries also face the drug problem, the United States has spent the most money and law enforcement; however, its effectiveness is questionable. Consequently, now there is a great amount of drugs coming from Mexico’s borderline into the United States. The drug cartels have become more violent, killing Mexican officers and innocent people in order to smuggle their drugs. The United States needs more security control and better coordination between agencies to fight the violent Mexican drug war spilling across the southern border. There is not enough organization between the D.E.A and other groups such as the Department of Homeland Security. The United States has little hope of winning the war unless enough protection on the border and Border States are developed. The agencies need better coordination between the federal, state and locals agencies in order to prevent more drugs to cross
Due to drugs-related gang violence since 2006, when Mexican President Felipe Calderón entered office, more than 100,000 people have been killed (CNN Library, 2017). Among the major Mexican cartels - Los Zetas Cartel, Gulf Cartel, La and La Familia Michoacana, the Sinaloa Cartel is the most dominant drug trafficking organization in Mexico with an increasing presence in the United States. Roughly 80% of illegal substances like heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana are supplied by the Sinaloa Cartel (Woody, 2016). There have been several attempts of increased pressure from both the U.S. and Mexican governments to disrupt drug trafficking organizations and this has led to significant instability and violence escalating into a national security crisis.
Drug trafficking has plagued the U.S. and Mexican border for many years. The lack of cooperation between the U.S. and Mexican government has allowed millions of dollars worth of drugs to be smuggled over the border. However, recently the Mexican government extradited thirteen prisoners to the U.S showing it realizes that it can’t stop the drug problem on its own. One of the many factors that led the Mexican government to start extraditing was the escape of Mr. Guzman. This event embarrassed the Mexican government as it showed their inability to keep powerful drug traffickers contained. The sad truth is that the demand for drugs will always be present and people will always be able to supply them. Though governments try to enforce drug laws nationally, they can really only restrict the flow of drugs across the border. When Cormac McCarthy wrote the book No Country for Old Men, he tried to capture the brutality of the drug world, and the effect it can have.
The War on Drugs has devastated Mexico’s socio-economic infrastructure while failing to stop the manufacturing and trafficking of drugs, both domestically and internationally.
Mexico vs. United States drug war for many years the U.S has blamed Mexico for its violence, and much of the violence coming into the United States. Americans tend to blame Mexico and everyone else for its violence when most of the time they are the ones to blame. As a matter of fact, they are people who tend to believe the drug war in Mexico all started because of the United States. Mexican president Miguel Aleman said once too united states president the U.S is just as much to blame as Mexico the only difference is Mexico is the big trampoline of the drug war and the united states is the big pool referring to Mexico as being the crossing of all drugs around the world in search too deliver their merchandise to the big pool the united states
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
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 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.
The former head of the DEA, Michele Leonhart, asserted that “it may seem contradictory, but the unfortunate level of violence (in Mexico) is a sign of success in the fight against drugs.” The capture of a major drug kingpin is always officially labeled as a “victory in the war on drugs,” but these drug kingpins are still able to manage their business openly behind bars in Mexico. Plus, like clockwork, violence ensues after a major arrest as a result of a new struggle for power. The bureaucrats don’t want to acknowledge that Mexico’s drug war related violence will never subside no matter how many “victories” are declared with the capture of a major trafficker. Those “victories” don’t affect the demand for illegal drugs.
As stated throughout this essay, Mexico has taken a hit with the outstanding homicide cases due to this drug war.