1. Geography of Drugs

2. Links between US and Latin America
Coca plant grown almost totally in LatAm
85% of cocaine consumed in USA
Vast majority of illegal drugs are consumed in the USA and moved through Latin America

3. Cocaine

4. HISTORY OF COCA
Coca is not Cocoa
A product of Coca
A product of Cocoa

5. Traditional use among Natives
Chewed as a mild stimulate

6. Traditional use among Natives
Fights altitude sickness

7. Spanish control distribution
Spanish give daily allocation to get natives to work in mines, plantations, etc.

8. Early medicinal use A cure-all:
used in tea, elixir, medicine and, yes, soft drinks

9. Early medicinal use
ill effects surface; banned in USA by 1920s

10. Increased demand during 1960s
Becomes drug of
the wealthy

11. 1980s & 90s
Crack Cocaine becomes drug of the poor

12. III. COCA FARMING

13. Advantages for Farmers
Coca grows well on marginal land

14. Advantages for Farmers
Farmers make 10x more money than selling normal crops

15. Advantages for Farmers
Quick yield:
4-5 harvests per year
bush lives 30+ years

16. Advantages for Farmers
Don’t need to get your crop to market; they come to you

17. Farming & Location
Slash and Burn

18. Farming & Location
Slopes of Andes
in Colombia, Bolivia,
Peru, Brazil

19. Who benefits economically
Economies become dependent on drug industry
Cocaine industry provides cash that support other businesses

20. Who benefits economically
Officials paid off
Plata o Plomo –
“silver or lead”
3. They just kill you

21. Who benefits economically
Rise of boomtown businesses:
bars, brothels, electronics stores, hotels

22. V. CARTELS
Cartel - an international syndicate, combine, or trust formed esp. to regulate prices and output in some field of business

23. Cartel Functions Delivery of product Intimidate/Pay Off authorities
Secure production materials/locations
Launder profits

24. Cartel Dual Image “above the law”
death threats and extreme violence make conviction difficult

25. Cartel’s Dual Image Champions of the poor Sponsor little league teams
Build houses
Build parks and zoos

26. VI. SMUGGLING
Boats “Go Fasts”

27. Cars

28. Planes

29. People

30. Fire Extinguishers

31. Mr. Potato Head

32. Puppies

33. VII. Routes

34. Texas

35. Florida

36. California

37. “It’s not like it hurts anybody”

38. “It’s not like it hurts anybody”
US deaths in Iraq war
5,000
US deaths in Afghanistan
2,000
Drug related Murders in Mexico/USA since 2006:
35,000

39. “It’s not like it hurts anybody”

40. “It’s not like it hurts anybody”
How much does the US spend annually fighting drugs?
$40billion
That’s the same as giving 1,000,000 four year scholarships to UT

41. “It’s not like it hurts anybody”
How much does the US spend to incarcerate drug related criminals annually?
$1.5 billion dollars

42. “It’s not like it hurts anybody”
Who pays for the war on drugs and incarcerating criminals?

43. Is the War on Drugs pointless?
Cocaine costs $1500 a kilo to produce and sells in US for $70,000
Heroin costs $2600/sells for $230k
Meth costs $500/sells for $60k

44. Is the War on Drugs pointless?
US spent $60b on illegal drugs
A drug cartel can have 90% of its product confiscated and still turn a profit
Cartels can make a $6b a year profit using this data (from drug sales is US alone)

45. Is the War on Drugs pointless?
Can the US expect to stop 90% of drugs from getting the country?
What will stop drugs coming to the US?