After a few days in office, Mexico’s ex-President Felipe Calderson sent over 6,500 Mexican troops to battle drug traffickers in Michoacán, Mexico, making an unofficial declaration on drugs in Mexico (Timeline: Mexico’s). Today, there are more than 50,000 troops patrolling Mexico’s streets (Timeline: Mexico’s). They are there to combat the drug cartels, who have slowly taken over Mexico, causing residents to fear for their lives and flee the country. Many Mexicans’ trust in law enforcement have “dropped about 35 percent in 2011 from 50 percent in 2007 (Cynkar).” The reason is because so many of the cartels have been paying off law enforcement officials, causing the justice system to become corrupt. Therefore, drug trafficking has thrived with …show more content…
Drug cartels have been able to build up their reputation and claim a stake in the country. They are able to put fear into Mexicans because they have turned the country around. They even made it “the kidnapping capital of the world (Cawley).” Many cartels use kidnapping as a way to remind people who they are and also a way to ransom money out of the people and government. This trend spiked around the same time ex-President Felipe Calderon’s assault on organized crime. Many of Mexico’s well-known cartels were significantly affected, causing them to lose revenue from drug trafficking. But it also stimulated newer, smaller criminal organizations to rise, though they found other ways to make an income besides drug trafficking. The problem seems to continue grow and change from drug trade to other criminal activities. This makes it unsafe for the citizens of Mexico, government officials and any organize crime groups because they all get caught up in the killing. The United States is also affected because United States is one of the main places that Mexico’s drug cartels supply and the United States are helping fund the Mexican government in their war against drugs. They have invested, “over 100 million per year in military and police assistance, including world-class weapons, training and intelligence …show more content…
It may be succeeding in taking back the control that the cartels have but at the same time it is ignoring the citizens. Vamilk Volkan wrote an article on chosen trauma and unresolved mourning. It is mainly on how “humans cannot accept change without mourning what has been lost.” The problem is that Mexican’s have lived through the troubles that drug cartels have brought with them for years. This sudden change to reverse what has been going on has startled Mexican’s. They do not know how to come to terms with what is going on and so they just sit back and watch people get killed. They need to be able to redirect all the issues that they have known in a way to help the government. The trouble is that it has been going for a while and they cannot clarify what the root causes that allowed drug cartels to take
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduria General de la Republica, PGR) had issued information related to the conformation of the seven principal drug cartels present at Mexico:
The United States has no more important foreign relation ship than that of which it enjoys with Mexico, and vice versa. These two countries share interwoven societies and economies. Although there have been disagreements and turbulence between the two countries, which partnership is without these? The Strength of each country’s democracy is fundamental to the other’s. This relationship that the two countries share directly affects that lives of millions of Mexican and United States citizens everyday. Recently these two countries have become even more unified than ever before. Tackling issues such as Border Control, Countering Narcotics, Dealing with multiple Law enforcement agencies, Human Rights laws, trade and development, etc. There are many issues that they are mutually interested in and must deal with. Yet, there are some vast differences in which these two countries are run. There are also many similarities, which we must take into account. Both Democratic Governments have similar structures, containing a legislative, judicial, and executive branch. Yet, these structures are very different internally, containing specific duties that the other country’s branch may not have.
Mexico is a country rich in tradition, history and culture. Unfortunately, Mexico has not been talked about for any of those descriptions I mentioned above lately. Mexico has become a country full of death and violence. The Mexican government has been fighting a war with drug traffickers since December 2006. At the same time, drug cartels have fought each other for control of territory. More than 60,000 people have been killed (CNN). Despite the “war” launched at these multi-billion dollar organized crime groups, Mexico has not been able to stop its slide as a failed state. Almost every day there seems to be either dead bodies lying on the ground, a school closed due to vandalism, disappeared people, or bullet-riddled houses and cars. Sadly, there is not much the citizens of Mexico can do to ask for justice and change to the mess they are living in right now. So who is to blame for all of this? The Mexican drug cartels have completely taken over Mexico. They have become powerful through corruption and violence. The cartels use their power to intimidate and even murder anyone who tries to get in their way. They do not have a problem with decapitating heads in order to make a statement. The drug cartels also use their money to gain power. Given the amount of money they have, the cartels have millions of dollars invested in keeping authorities off their business. They can be very effective in bribing government officials at all levels, from border patrol just patrolling the border to state and high ranking federal officials. Given the resources they have, they can reach out and kill government officials at all levels. Since government officials are faced with bribes and or certain death, even the most unbreakable are caut...
The cartels are now in control of most of the drug trades and are successful. The Mexican border gives them the power to go everywhere they desire, making them a relentless force. “To date operation Xcellrator has led the arrest of 755 individuals and the seizure of approximately 5 U.S. Currency more than 12,000 kilograms of cocaine, more than 16,000 pounds of marijuana, more than 11,000 of methamphetamine, more than 8 kilograms of heroin, approximately 1.3 million pills of ecstasy”(Doj 2). Mexican cartels extend to central and southern America. Columbia is the supply of much of the cocaine exported to the U.S. Colombia is under control of South American gangs, they do business with the Mexican cartels to transport drugs the north. The Northern Mexican gangs hold the most control because the territory is very important (Wagner1). They are many different types of cartel in Mexico it also signifies that there are killing each other so their cartel can expand an...
Over the last several decades, violence has consumed and transformed Mexico. Since the rise of dozens of Mexican cartels, the Mexican government has constantly been fighting an ongoing war with these criminal organizations. The cartel organizations have a primary purpose of managing and controlling illegal drug trafficking operations in Central America and South America to the United States. Violence on a massive and brutal scale has emerged due to the nature of the illegal drug trade. Because the drug trade is vastly widespread, cartels are often fighting one another and competing in business. Mexican authorities count at least 12 major cartels, but also talk of an untold numbers of smaller splinter groups. (Taipei Times). Five cartels from Mexico have risen to become the extremely powerful amongst all the drug organizations operating in Mexico. The Guadalajara Cartel, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Tijuana Cartel, the Juarez Cartel, and the Gulf Cartel. These organizations, along with other distinguished Mexican cartels, have plagued Mexico with violence, terror, and fear due to the essence and nature of illegal drug trafficking.
Drug trafficking has been a massive concern between the borders of Mexico and the U.S. “since mid 1970s” (Wyler, 1). Drug trafficking is “knowingly being in possession, manufacturing, selling, purchasing, or delivering an illegal, controlled substance” (LaMance, 1). A dynamic relationship exists amongst Columbia, Mexico, and the U.S. the informal drug trafficking economy. This growing informal drug economy leads to many individuals creating a substantial living through this undercover market. These individual drug cartels monopolizing the trafficking market are a growing problem for the U.S economy and need to be located and controlled. If this trafficking continues, the U.S. informal economy will crush the growth of legal industries. The trafficking and abuse of drugs in the U.S. affects nearly all aspects of consumer life. Drug trafficking remains a growing issue and concern to the U.S. government. The U.S. border control must find a way to work with Mexico to overpower the individuals who contribute to the drug trafficking business. This market must be seized and these individuals must be stopped.
Security is a large issue to deal with in Mexico because of the drug cartels. The drug cartels create violence and other crimes towards the innocent by-standards. Drug cartels are not afraid to steal weapons from the government and do not mind killing people if they get in the way. The United States has tried helping Mexico with this problem by giving Mexico military and police assistance, including world-class weapons, training and intelligence. However, the cartels that remain are the smartest, deadliest, and most vicious of all. A little modernized
Mexico’s geographic position has served its country well in exporting and importing goods but it also has inflicted other kinds of illegal markets. Illegal trade has always been active between United States and Mexican borders, for example, in 1920 when alcohol was prohibit in the U.S, Mexico was its supplier. In 1980, Mexico did contraband narcotics but in small scales with connections from the Colombian cartels. But since the Colombian cartels in 1990s were dismantled Mexico then took over the wholesale of illicit drug market. The Drug cartel conflict started in December 2006 when Mexico’s former President Felipe Calderon took office. President Caldron declared war over all drug cartels, and dismissed many corrupted police officers that participated in organized crimes. Roughly around 3,200 officers were fired and in replace Calderon added 50,000 troops to help combat the cartels. By 2007, Mexican cartels controlled 90% of cocaine that was smuggled into the U.S. As cartels were accomplishing to smuggle drugs into the U.S, they also fought against rival cartels for trafficking routes in the Mexican territory. Simultaneously, Calderon’s strategy was to set up Mexican troops in various states to recover authority. It’s been an ongoing war since military intervention was implemented Mexican troops were cracking down on cartel leaders, while at the same time the cartels massacred each other for territory. In 2006, 8 major cartels were active and still are causing damage to Mexico’s reputation: The Sinaloa Cartel operating in the states of Baja California, Sinaloa, Durango, Sonora and Chihuahua. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel operating in the state of Jalisco, Nayarit, Michoacán, Colima, and Guanajuato. Los Zetas Cartel operating ...
The cartel all started with small families that farmed went from being in the contraband trade to being involved into the trafficking of drugs. In the late 1960s moving in the 1970s, the trafficking of marijuana in bulk had begun. This was the beginning of what was going to become Mexico’s most powerful gang and cartel. It is all looked over by one man, who goes by the name of “El Chapo” Guzman. Who is considered the most wanted man on the planet by the U.S. government and they have placed a $5 million reward for a lead to his arrest. As anyone would assume just from reading on how wanted their leader is, this cartel is a force to be reckoned with.Most of their murders either involve the beheading of the people they intend to murder of placing the bodies in acid to leave no evidence at all. In recent memory, they have had a lot of bloodshed over the control of territory of Ciudad Juarez against the Juárez Cartel.
Unfortunately, a simultaneous phenomenon is present: Politics speculation over the use of narco-cartels pseudo authority as a means of support to keep them within the political spheres or simply to regain a political position that was previously lost by lack of adepts, whereas such voluntary
They are adapting by looking into new ways to make money such as extortion, kidnapping, arms trafficking, murder for hire, and human trafficking. Many critics say these actions look a lot like diversifying their moneymaking interests. " For the commercial insurgency, border controls are perfunctory in "free trade" areas, and there is still a great demand for goods that are linked to smuggling" (PRISM Issue No 3). President Calderon's term in office has seen numerous arrests and significant cooperation with U.S. law enforcement, and intelligence activities, which has negated the freedom of movement the cartels once enjoyed.
Linda Wertheimer asked Jason Beaubien (both of them from NPR news) questions and how Mexico stands 5 years after 2006. H states that Mexico is in a critical moment and that some people are not involved, they are still scared about this fight. That Calderon did have the right motives to go after the drug trafficking but all could have been handled differently. He would go on to state it that while some cities have it so bad, some other others would go on as normal. Death numbers are still to this point rising in an alarming rate. Still, Beaubein would go on to say that there is no clear sign of a winner. Both Mexico and the drug cartels had their share of wins and losses.
The Mexican-American border barriers were originally built as part of a three-pronged approach to diminish illicit contraband, drug smuggling, and illegal immigrants. This operation would curtail drug transport routes from Central America. Three headquarters were established along the Unites States border: operation gatekeeper in California, Operation Hold-the-Line in Texas, and Operation Safeguard in Arizona. These strategically placed headquarters have done an outstanding job securing our borders the past decade, however with drug smuggling on the rise, they require much more support from the government. Regrettably, adversaries of the barriers claim that they are more of a political gambit to instigate foreign affairs and a complete waste of taxpayers’ money. These opponents see the United States-Mexico barrier as an unsuccessful deterrent to illegal immigrants and unwanted drugs that ultimately and inaptly endangers the security and wellbeing of immigrants seeking refuge in the States.
This strategic plan is sure to be effective in addition to having more border patrol agents, new fencing around the border and with all of the advanced technology we have today and with the help of the Mexican border patrol each day it creates a safer and efficient border for the U.S. and Mexico.
The effectiveness of the police force in Mexico is poor, as people continue to live in the shadows. The crime involved in drug cartels is horrific and unfortunately usually does not get punished. According to Humans Rights Watch, 60,000 people have been killed from 2006 to 2012. (www.cnn.com) Furthermore, Jose Merino states the aftermath of their ineffective government, “For the last five years, Mexicans have become experts at body counts, but we still are unable to understand the causes of those deaths. Worse, we have become accustomed to seeing bodies, where we ought to be seeing lawful prosecutions.” (www.americasquarterly.org) In this quote, Jose states the effects that all of these crimes have done. Not only that, but the drug cartels know that the governments are corrupt and the police have little power. In addition, all of this has changed the perspective on people of Mexico, “Mexicans do not find their government a dependable ally against criminals. And Mexico’s judicial system remains embarrassingly corrupt, biased and inept.” (www.americasquarterly.org) The people of Mexico have a neutral based perspective on this, seeing how governments deal with cartels. Their trust is also stripped because of how the government responds. Essentially to lessen this problem, Mexico should start law enforcement through creating stability upon jobs, ensure that all cases are investigated, keep a close eye