The Role Of Organized Crime In Mexico

A widely propagated myth would have us believe that Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera and his Sinaloa Federation are less violent than many of their competitors. Statements from journalists and analysts allege that Sinaloa is more businesslike than Los Zetas, whose reputation for brutality is well-documented, and that this business savvy somehow renders the group relatively benign. In turn, this has led many to believe that the Mexican government could broker a deal with the leader of one of Mexico's largest criminal organizations.

What’s more these cartels’ will also use the kidnaped women and girls for their own personal use. Nevertheless, the spread of human trafficking in Mexico has declined, yet the biggest problem has moved into the Mexican mountains, where remote areas have little or no authority at all. These areas are where the cartel usually pays off the authorities. But, in the case

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

Mexico’s violence on drugs is constantly ongoing. Its imposes a security threat to the United States and threatens the stability of the Mexican state. Drug trafficking is not the only issue of mutual interest between the United States and Mexico but Mexico is the third most largest and important source of oil which has been dropping since 2005 (New York Times, Hanson, 2008). Violence is a major problem when it comes to its drug cartels. They have tried to double their police force to make sure military forces from involving themselves in the drug movement. Consumers have become very upset at the quality of the drugs they are receiving so that increases the violence. Due to the drug violence increasing so much that kids cannot play in their neighborhood due to fear and intimidation. It’s not a safe environment for their citizens

At first, Mexican drug cartels were structured just like family owned businesses. There would be a family member who was the main drug lord and cousins and uncles of the family would be the body guards and drug dealers. After the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) lost their power within the Mexican government the structure of drug cartels became much more complex. A hierarchical diffusion is seen within the drug cartel system because the drugs spread from one important drug lord to another, and we generally see this happening in the urban part of Mexico, more than in the rural areas. A corporate structure began forming as hierarchies began developing under drug lords and more people got involved. Professor Guillermo Trejo of Notre Dame 's Kellogg Institute claims that once the PRI lost their power there was a rapid increase in violence. This is because of Mexico’s former President, Felipe Calderón, who politically associates with the National Action Party (PAN). In 2006 President Calderón declared war on the drug cartels. This milestone triggered a huge change within Mexico’s international relations, government, and culture.

Mexico is the eleventh most populated country in the world with a $2.2 trillion economy (CIA, 2017). It is also an extremely popular tourist destination for Americans and Europeans alike. Moreover, its people have had the highest average annual hours worked in the world every year for the last three years (OECD, 2017). Despite this, their unemployment rate is estimated to be 3.6% and their underemployment at 25% (CIA, 2017). I am going to expand on this country’s issues with corruption, organized crime, violence, the economy, and how I assess their future will affects us here in the United States.

“Organized crime had coopted practically all policing and spaces for the administration of justice” States Maldonado Aranda in Stories of Drugs in rural Mexico. The impact on the community is addiction rates are rising and rapes as well. AA groups have been taken over by the Cartel to help support themselves by recruitment for gunmen, also financially. (Maldonado Aranda, 2014) Young women are dragged by their own peers, then raped, again withthe silent violence they don’t have the agency to speak up about it. Who has stepped up to help is Dr. Jose Manuel Mireles Valverde, the founder of Autodefensas. Autodefensas is a militia in Mexico who fights the Knights of Templar Cartel in Michoacan.(Manzo, 2015) Dr. Valverde wanted to arm the citizens in small cities in Michoacan against the Cartels, I couldn't agree more. To find the perfect solution to helping the people, it’s needed to have field work completed then applied anthropology. I believe arming the citizens will give them more protection in day to day life. Arming the people can give them agency to start a civil war against the corrupt government controlled by the Cartel. I also believe the US government should get involved and have the freedom to expedite the Cartel leaders and gunmen to the states.I don’t think removing immigrants from their homes to the states will be effective. Removing the Cartels will let the people of

The United States Department of State classifies 58 different organizations as foreign terrorist organizations (US DOS). Of those 58 FTOs only one is located in South America, and none are located in Mexico. Despite the lack of official FTOs in Mexico, non-state violence is at an all-time high and the country is more dangerous than ever. This is because of the presence and prevalence of drug cartels throughout the country. These drug cartels employ violent tactics as part of their drug trafficking network. But these cartels are more than just criminal organizations. The scope of the violence, the fear they instill in the population, and the influence they have on policy shows that these organizations should be considered as more than petty criminals trying to make money. While economic gain remains one of the main goals of these groups, there is much that falls under the umbrella of terrorism.

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

The alliance members operate in secret to protect themselves, relying on connections at the highest levels of leadership and corrupting parts of the federal police and military to maintain the upper advantage against rivals. The place of Sinaloa has been a center for illegal actions and contraband in Mexico for a long time, as well as a place for marijuana and poppy agriculture. Mostly all of the trafficking organizations in Mexico have their start in the area of Sinaloa. They were, a small group of farming families that lived in rural parts of the state. In the 1960s and 1970s, they moved from the contraband trade into drugs, particularly marijuana. One of the first to traffic large amounts of marijuana was Pedro Aviles, later he brought his friend's son, Joaquin El Chapo Loera, alias "El Chapo," into the trade (Sinaloa Cartel). The Sinaloa Cartel is a criminal organization that controls much of this related criminal activity. They are very good at what they do, creating techniques over years of practice and smuggling so many illegal drugs all across the western hemisphere. It makes you think how people can live when they are doing such risky actions. You can also are there any good things about these criminal organizations that benefit Mexican society. The fact is that there are

Through bloody feuding, Mexico’s main criminal insurgencies, including: The Knight Templar, Los Zetas, Sinaloa Cartel, and The Gulf Cartel, divide the country into gang territories. Since 2006, Mexico 's powerful drug-trafficking organizations have committed more than 60,000 drug-related homicides, including the mass murder of innocent civilians. Due to civilian massacre increase, kidnappings and extortion have become a mundane event. In February 2014, the Mexican government confirmed that 26,000 people still remain "disappeared." From 2007 to 2011, nearly 70% of guns recovered from these Mexican criminal activities originated from the United States. In addition, Mexican cartels take between 19 to 29 billion dollars annually from U.S. drug sales alone. Although conflict between Mexican cartels ensues all across the country, the main focus of the dispute lies in the seizing of the capital. Due to the demand of narcotics located in the United States, however, the deadliest part of this war takes place in the Northern part of Mexico, on the frontier, in la Cuidad Juarez and Tijuana. According to one expert:

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 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.

Fairly recently, the news was buzzing with reports of “El Chapo”, Mexican drug lord, escaping from his cell at a high-security prison in Mexico through a mile-long tunnel. However, according to CNN analysts, rather than the tunnel, it was corruption that ultimately set him free (Shoichet). Government corruption has been a serious issue for Mexico since colonial times and without a proper solution, it won’t be getting better anytime soon. This widespread corruption affects the entire country of Mexico, and to some degree, the countries that frequently interact with Mexico such as the United States. It is an important issue because it has a major effect on Mexico’s economy and political progress.

Imagine waking up every day with the constant fear of being killed and not returning back to a family. Some people in Mexico wake up every morning and wonder if they’re even going to make it back home and sleep. “Drug-related violence in Mexico continues to rise. An estimated 7,000 people died in Mexico in 2009 as a result of the drug war significantly more than the 1,300 people who are believed to have died in 2005 before the war began. There were also an estimated 1,200 kidnappings in 2009. Paradoxically, Mexico’s strong stance against the cartels seems to be contributing to increased drug-related violence.”(Duff) Duff points out that the violence in Mexico keeps rising.” The Mexican government’s war against drugs has also affected the distribution