Research Paper Undergraduate 3,066 words

Mexican Drug Cartels: Threat, Causes, and Policy Solutions

~16 min read 6 sections Drugs · Illegal Drugs

Abstract

This paper provides a systematic review of the literature on Mexican drug cartels, addressing the scope of cartel-related violence, the billions of dollars generated by illicit drug trafficking, and the human toll on both Mexican and American citizens. It traces the history of U.S. and Mexican government interventions, including President Calderón's security surge and President López Obrador's "hugs not bullets" policy, and explains why these efforts have produced only mixed results. The paper then evaluates a range of proposed solutions, with particular emphasis on targeted enforcement strategies that prioritize violence minimization over drug-flow interdiction alone, and concludes with recommendations for intelligence development, community-based prevention, and coordinated judicial reform.

Key Takeaways

Introduction: Framing the cartel threat and paper's purpose
Background and Overview of Mexican Drug Cartels: Scale of violence, revenue, and drug trends
U.S. and Mexican Cartel Intervention Efforts: Historical interventions and diplomatic tensions
Proposed Strategies for Combating Cartels: Military reform and anti-corruption recommendations
Targeted Enforcement and Violence Minimization: Enforcement strategy targeting violent organizations
Conclusion: Summary of findings and policy recommendations

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What makes this paper effective

It grounds its analysis in concrete statistics — death tolls, security spending figures, and cartel revenue estimates — that give the argument empirical weight and help readers appreciate the scale of the problem.
It presents multiple competing policy perspectives (military confrontation, diplomatic engagement, targeted enforcement) without dismissing any prematurely, allowing the reader to follow the logic toward the paper's preferred solution.
The conclusion moves beyond diagnosis to actionable recommendations, covering intelligence development, cognitive behavioral programming, and judicial reform, which gives the paper a practical policy orientation.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper demonstrates systematic literature synthesis: it draws on sources from the DEA, U.S. Department of Justice, academic journals, and news outlets, weaving them into a coherent narrative rather than simply summarizing each source in turn. This approach allows the author to build a cumulative, evidence-based argument about why past interventions have failed and what a more effective strategy might look like.

Structure breakdown

The paper opens with an abstract and introduction that frame the problem's urgency, then moves into a review-and-analysis section covering historical background, cartel networks, and drug trends. A dedicated section examines U.S. and Mexican policy responses chronologically. The next section outlines reform recommendations from the U.S. Institute of Politics. The extended conclusion shifts into a normative mode, advocating for targeted enforcement, local intelligence capacity, cognitive therapy programs, and judicial reform before summarizing key takeaways.

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Essay 3,066 words

Introduction

Today, Mexico shares one of the world's longest borders with the United States and is one of its largest trading partners (Mexico economy, 2020). Despite some political disagreements over immigration policy, the United States and Mexico have enjoyed a strong relationship over the years, and current indications suggest that this relationship will remain in place well into the foreseeable future. Notwithstanding these trends, however, there are still major challenges facing both countries in the form of violent narco-trafficking organizations known as Mexican drug cartels, which continue to generate billions of dollars in criminal proceeds while simultaneously exacting an enormous toll in human lives.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the relevant literature concerning Mexican drug cartels in order to identify the extent of the problem, its primary antecedent causes, and what steps have been taken in recent years to combat these violent international drug organizations. Finally, in recognition that past efforts have largely been ineffective in stopping Mexican drug cartels, an analysis of potential solutions is followed by a summary of the research and key findings in the paper's conclusion.

5 Sections Hidden · 2,260 words

Background and Overview of Mexican Drug Cartels620 words

In many ways, criminal elements in Mexico are well situated to take advantage of the market represented by the 300 million citizens of the United States. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), "No other country…

U.S. and Mexican Cartel Intervention Efforts480 words

To its credit, the Mexican government has long recognized the threat represented by the cartels operating within its borders and has implemented a number of countermeasures in response. A study by Chi and Hayatdavoudi (2014) with the U.S. Department…

Proposed Strategies for Combating Cartels210 words

Complex problems clearly demand complex solutions, and eradicating the presence of Mexican cartels from the Northern Hemisphere is certainly no exception. Despite the billions of dollars invested in combating the problem over…

Targeted Enforcement and Violence Minimization680 words

While targeted enforcement is consistent with drug-flow minimization goals, the strategy directs enforcement resources in the U.S. toward reducing violence in Mexico. Because it is a deterrence-based approach,…

Conclusion270 words

Over the past decade, a massive rise in Mexican drug cartel activity has been witnessed. During this period, many of Mexico's most prominent and productive urban…

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References

Bonner, R. C. (2010). The new cocaine cowboys: How to defeat Mexico's drug cartels. Foreign Affairs, 89, 35.

Chi, J., & Hayatdavoudi, L. (2014, April). Reducing drug violence in Mexico: Options for implementing targeted enforcement. U.S. Department of Justice. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/246358.pdf

Dhillon, U. (2020, January 30). DEA releases 2019 National Drug Threat Assessment. United States Drug Enforcement Administration. https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2020/01/30/dea-releases-2019-national-drug-threat-assessment-0

Hoover, W. (2019, March 17). Law enforcement responses to Mexican drug cartels. U.S. Department of Justice.

Langton, J. (2011). Gangland: The rise of the Mexican drug cartels from El Paso to Vancouver. John Wiley & Sons.

Liu, K., & Taylor, C. (2012, September). The war on Mexican cartels: Options for U.S. and Mexican policymakers. U.S. Institute of Politics.

Mega, E. R. (2019, February). Violent drug cartels stifle Mexican science. Nature, 555(7744), 37–41.

Mexico economy. (2020). CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mexico/

Mexico rejects U.S. intervention. (2019). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50577522

Murphy, T. E., & Rossi, M. A. (2020). Following the poppy trail: Origins and consequences of Mexican drug cartels. Journal of Development Economics, 143, 102433. https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/deveco/v143y2020ics0304387819303098.html

O'Neil, S. (2009). The real war in Mexico: How democracy can defeat the drug cartels. Foreign Affairs, 88, 63.

Rizer, A. (2015, Spring). Hannibal at the gate: Border kids, drugs, and guns — and the Mexican cartel war goes on. St. Thomas Law Review, 27(1), 19–22.

Rizzo, S. (2019, June 24). Do Mexican drug cartels make $500 billion a year? The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/06/24/do-mexican-drug-cartels-make-billion-year/

Seguridad, J. Y. P. (2013). San Pedro Sula, la ciudad más violenta del mundo; Juárez, la segunda.

Ward, A. (2019, November 27). A terrible idea. Vox.

Key Concepts in This Paper

Drug Cartels Targeted Enforcement Violence Minimization Narco-Trafficking U.S.-Mexico Policy Cartel Revenue Opioid Crisis Decapitation Strategy Judicial Reform Community Prevention