Thesis: The violence and political corruption that have erupted in Mexico in the first decade of
the twenty-first century are the result of increasing activity of drug cartels. This illegal drug
activity, and its attendant crime and violence, have crossed the border into the United States.
Consequently, the US has a strong interest in ensuring that Mexico return to stability. If the
Mexican government will not become more engaged in the issue, the US should be prepared to
intervene against these cartels.
Summary: In the early twenty-first century, the Mexican government's attempts to rein in the
activity of the country's myriad of drug cartels have fallen short. The result has been
uncontrolled violence, particularly along the US border, over which the drugs are being
smuggled. The Mexican government, riddled in corruption for decades, remains impotent to fight
this violence, as well as the cartels themselves. Thus, US intervention should remain a possibility
to combat Mexico's drug cartels and end their reign of violence.
Mexicali Blues
The US has long been the biggest target for the Mexican drug trade. While the US government
has been working for decades to combat Mexican drug smuggling using local, state, and federal
law enforcement, it simply cannot rely on the Mexican government to do the same on its side of
the border. While a concerted effort between the US and Mexican governments would ideally
defeat drug cartels on both sides of the border, the fact remains that the US is already fighting the
cartels unilaterally.
The stability of Mexico is essential to the homeland security interests of the US. The American
government should therefore do everything within its power to protect its border communities
from falling victim to drug-related violence and crime originating from Mexico. However,
evidence shows that the Mexican government may remain paralyzed in its efforts to defeat the
cartels within its own borders. In light of this fact, the US government would be justified in
intervening south of the border in order to prevent further violence spillovers and to curtail the
Mexican drug trade.
Mexican Drug Cartels
To be sure, the Mexican drug trade--which predates that of Columbia--was borne of demand
from the US as far back as the early twentieth century (Astorga 2003). Violence has always been
attached to the drug smuggling trade, as has political corruption. However, the US "war on
drugs" has created a backlash of sorts against drug traffickers. Still, large-scale government
initiatives combating drug trafficking have typically made the trade all the more dangerous and
its participants more ruthless.
The main party dominating the Mexican government throughout the twentieth century was the
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Over time, the PRI had become so entrenched that the
drug cartels seemingly meshed with them. There was violence, particularly between cartels, but
the PRI's corruption gave many cartels virtual immunity from any prosecution. Many of the most
successful drug traffickers were closely linked, if not related to, prominent politicians. Cartels
would pay local, state, and federal government officials, who would then turn a blind eye to their
activities (Inskeep 2010). In the view of many, the PRI was in effect controlling the drug trade-as long as the cartels kept their activities discreet, did not kill civilians, stayed away from other
cartels' territory, and complied with other "rules," the PRI would not prosecute them.
When President Felipe Calderon, a member of the National Action Party (PAN), assumed office
in 2006, he reversed the PRI's position on the cartels. To his credit, he made it the top priority of
his presidency to root out drug cartels, using tens of thousands of military troops to fight them
(Rosenberg 2010). Government troops attacked cartels and cartels turned on one another as well.
However, in the four years that have followed, Calderon's efforts have fallen short of
expectations. According to some estimates, over 28,000 people have been killed since Calderon's
crackdown began in 2006 (Associated Press 2010).
Although the dead are mostly government troops or members of cartels, many are civilians
simply caught in the crossfire. In many places long considered insulated from the violence, such
as tourist destinations and schools, drug-related violence has erupted and claimed lives. Schools
are being closed amid firefights, and students are being trained on keeping low during such
events (Montagne 2010). Cities along the border are, in essence, becoming the property of the
drug cartels. Ciudad Juarez, located just across the Mexican-American border near El Paso,
Texas, has become one of the most violent cities in North America, with nearly 2,000 killings in
a thirteen-month period (Gillman 2010).
In addition to the violence is the fact that the drug trade has infiltrated virtually every part of life,
particularly along the border. Drug traffickers and cartel members are, in many places, integrated
into government and law enforcement institutions. While the Calderon government relies heavily
on the 25,000 military troops deployed to combat the cartels, in reality, other law enforcement
organizations are invaluable for arresting offenders as well as gathering local intelligence about
drug trafficking. Unfortunately, municipal police are largely impotent, as they are usually
intimidated by the overwhelming presence of the cartels or are simply outgunned by those same
groups (Bowman 2009). In fact, some (including President Calderon) believe that the cartels are
seeking to replace law enforcement altogether and impose their own laws in the areas in which
they are rooted (The Canadian Press 2010).
Furthermore, drug cartel members who are captured and jailed continue to coordinate drug
activity from inside prisons. Mexican prisons are notoriously corrupt--guards can be bribed, and
prisoners can have high access to the outside world via cellular phone. Many drug lords are
simply running their operations while serving their sentences, keeping guards on the payroll and
carrying out vendettas against rivals inside and outside of the prison walls (Stevenson 2005).
Unless military forces assume control over the prisons and the local police, law enforcement
simply cannot defeat the cartels.
An International Issue
Violence and corruption, particularly on a scale as widespread as that which is seen in Mexico, is
enough to cause international concern. However, it is normally considered a domestic issue, one
that the country in question must handle on its own. As stated earlier, much to his credit,
President Calderon is working to destroy the cartels. However, when the drug trade is so infused
into Mexican infrastructure, as well as society, the Calderon government and the military can
only do so much. As one expert suggests, Mexico is not a "failed state" but rather one of "dual
sovereignty" as its citizens live under the rule of both the legitimate government and the cartels
(Willard 2010). If the country fails to embolden its people to distance and protect themselves
from the cartels, the country will continue to suffer instability, and this will continue to spill over
the border into the US.
Violence and crime along the border is an international security issue. The fear in these regions
is sending throngs of people across the border in search of security. According to the United
Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, more than 6,400 official refugees left Mexico since
the violence began, and over 20,000 others sought asylum in other countries (mostly the United
States) by the beginning of 2010. Many were former police officers, journalists, and business
leaders who were targeted by the cartels and/or corrupt police (Brownsville Herald 2010).
Almost one-quarter of the immigrants in the US are Mexicans. While most came for economic
reasons, an increasing number are also crossing the border to escape the violence.
The Mexican government needs help to combat drug cartels and related violence. The admirable
efforts of the Calderon government are undermining his popularity and creating a backlash from
the cartels that only creates more violence. The government is simply unable to immediately
undo decades of drug cartel-friendly government policy and corruption. Meanwhile, drug cartel
violence continues to spill over the border into the US and destabilize American regions along
that line. The US is in a position to help through international aid and offering personnel
(military and law enforcement, if necessary) to help the Calderon government combat this
growing issue. This issue is no longer a domestic one--it is one that threatens the American way
of life as well.
Ponder This
1. What are the major points the author makes about the need for the US to be more active in
stopping Mexican drug cartel violence? Of them, which is the most effective?