Narcotic Trade in Mexico

¶ … Narcotic Trade in Mexico Mexico's War on Drugs: Legitimate Efforts, Ineffective Results Advocates on the war on drugs claim that the Government of Mexico is well on its way to victory since Vicente Fox-Quesada assumed the presidency in December 2000. After taking office, President Fox launched a national assault against drug trafficking and organized crime, developed the 2001-2006 National Drug Control Plan, and made the trafficking of drugs to be a national security issue.

Under the Fox Administration, Mexican authorities have arrested key members of the major cartels and have dramatically increased information sharing between the United States and Mexican Governments. However, a never ending supply and corruption fueled by enormous profits appear to be rendering the legitimate efforts of Fox ineffective. In fact, policies encouraged by the United Stated and executed by Fox may hold the potential for the future destabilization of Mexico. During the stepped up efforts of Mexican government, the drug supply in Mexico only increased.

For example, this country has seen a seventy percent increase in marijuana cultivation and a seventy-eight percent increase in opium poppy cultivation from 2002 to 2003. This occurred despite intensive eradication efforts taking place in 2003 in which Mexican law enforcement agencies seized 2,019 metric tons of marijuana, 354 kilograms of opium and heroin, and 20 metric tons of cocaine. There appears to be a never-ending supply of drugs that eradication efforts simply can't keep pace with. Government, military and police corruption is still rampant in Mexico.

In January 2003, a special anti-drugs unit in Mexico comprised of 700 members had to be disbanded because of corruption within its ranks. Just four months later, a Mexican governor fired the entire state police force consisting of 550 officers after two senior officers were jailed amid accusations of aiding a drug cartel. The large sums of money involved have made the corruption difficult to stop. According to the Chronicle, "Analysts estimate that Mexican drug gangs make $3 billion to $30 billion annually by smuggling cocaine over the U.S.

border and say they have police, politicians and judges on their payrolls." Today, many analysts fear that the democratic political system in Mexico could collapse under an assault by leftist insurgencies allied with powerful drug traffickers. Critics charge that the policies of the United States incorrectly assume that if the Mexican government can eliminate the top drug lords, their organizations will fall apart, thereby greatly reducing the flow of illegal drugs to the United States. In contrast, some believe that efforts are only decentralizing the drug trade.

Instead of only a few organizations controlling the trade, hundreds of loosely organized groups take control. As a result, violence has become pervasive with the potential for destabilization to follow. The problem with President Fox's attempts to curb Mexico's drug activities is that the drug economy had already become a part of the legitimate economy long before he took office. As he makes inroads into eradication and the elimination of corruption, there are rapid replacements eager to profit from the multi-billion dollar business. Unfortunately, one can't simply argue.