Mexican Drug War
Angela Barajas
Caity Embrey
Michael Steel
What is Mexico dealing with?
http://www.nytimes.com/int
eractive/2009/03/22/us/BO
RDER.html
Drug Cartels and Routes
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 BeltranLeyva 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 2006.
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."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38565051/ns/world_news-americas/
 In Michoacán there were more than 20 homicides (on
average) per 100,000 people in 2009. In some towns, this
number exceeded 30.
http://www.unodc.org/pdf/crime/seventh_survey/7sv.pdf
 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
Why Lack of Action in
Past?
 Increasingly powerful cartels in past decade
 Escalation has been in past 5 years in particular
Difficult to prosecute "because members of the cartels have
infiltrated and corrupted the law enforcement organizations that
are supposed to prosecute them, such as the Office of the
Attorney General”
With Calderon’s Election
Assumed office December 1, 2006
December 11, 2006: 6,500 federal troops to the state
of Michoacán to end drug violence there – first major
operation against organized crime; generally viewed as the
starting point of the war between the government and the
drug cartels
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"
Discussion Questions
 Do you think the government made the right move in
acting so aggressively, or should they have tried to be less
public about their actions given the tradition of inaction
and the impacts the War has had on tourism, safety, etc?
 Do you think that Felipe Calderón is doing the right
thing by continuing to take on the drug cartels even
though his party is suffering politically?
 What kind social repercussions do you think people
along the border are experiencing?