Mexican Drug War

kages/html/world/2009- mexican-cartel/index.html What is Mexico dealing with?

Drug Cartels and Routes  ORDER.html ORDER.html

The effects -Drug cartels in Mexico control approximately 70% of the foreign narcotics that flow into the United States. -35,286 people have been killed since 2006 in Mexico as a result of the turmoil caused by the cartels. -Drug trafficking its worth between 13.6 billion to $48.4 billion annually

Since February 2010, the major cartels have aligned in two factions, one integrated by the Juarez Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, Los Zetas and the Beltran- Leyva Caretel;; the other faction integrated by the Gulf Cartel, Sinaloa Cartel and La Familia Cartel.

Traffickers have resorted to extreme and non conventional measures to traffic. The last invention was a catapult found in Naco/ Tucson. Another catapult was found in Agua Prieta. The National Guard dismantled the operation.

Felipe Calderón Felipe Calderón Hinojosa was born in Michoacán, Mexico. Michoacán is the location of the most brutal drug cartel violence.

Before Calderón Entered Office  Violence increased from 2000 under President Vicente Fox.  Fox sent small numbers of troops, mostly to the U.S.- Mexico border, to fight the cartels but had little success.  There was a surge of violence in 2005 as the drug cartel La Familia Michoacana tried to establish itself in Michoacán. Some cocaine and drugs seized from La Familia Michoacana during a raid.

 Unlike the passive stance of the previous administration under Vicente Fox, Calderón entered office ready to combat drug violence.  Calderón sent 6,500 troops into Michoacán upon entering office in December This action is regarded as the first major operation against organized crime, and is generally viewed as the starting point of the war between the government and the drug cartels.

Why the Change?  Calderón is from a region of heavy violence; to him the cartel violence is personal.  In 2010 Calderón said that the cartels seek "to replace the government" and "are trying to impose a monopoly by force of arms, and are even trying to impose their own laws."

 In Michoacán there were more than 20 homicides (on average) per 100,000 people in In some towns, this number exceeded 30.

 Even though the violence has continued with more than 22,700 dead since Calderón took office, he has no regrets about being the first Mexican president to stand up to the cartels.  Calderón blames previous administrations for turning a blind eye to the problem. He says they allowed drugs to infiltrate the domestic market and that trafficking is no longer limited to border smuggling.

Past Policies  Policy of non-action  Generally passive stance regarding cartel violence in the 1990s and early 2000s

Further Actions  Now ~45,000 troops involved in addition to state and federal police forces  July 10, 2008: plans announced to double size of Federal Police  purging local police forces of corrupt officers  massive police recruiting and training effort

Policy Implications (U.S.)  Tourism– kidnappings, murders, etc  Drugs coming into US  Governors of Arizona and Texas have asked federal government to send additional National Guard troops to help those already there in supporting local law enforcement efforts against drug trafficking  Increased their co-operation with U.S. street and prison gangs to expand their distribution networks within the U.S.  Mexican officials point out that the illicit drug trade is shared problem in need of a shared solution; remark that most financing for Mexican traffickers comes from U.S. consumers

Policy Implications (Mexico)  On people/cartel  Large banners over highways in cities around country.  Deteriorating security reducing GDP annually by 1%  Infiltrated and corrupted the Mexican federal government and the Mexican  12 mayors & a candidate for governor killed in 2010  Media- reporters, media sources  According to former Presidents of Brazil, Mexico, & Colombia, the U.S.-led drug war is pushing Latin America into a downward spiral; "the available evidence indicates that the war on drugs is a failed war"