Mexican Cartels’ Rise, Influence, and Solutions: Political Impacts and U.S. Border Challenges

Introduction

The Mexican cartels went through different stages of development and caused many problems for Mexico and its citizens. As crucial questions connected to the assertion, it is vital to highlight the impact of cartels in Mexico on neighboring countries, particularly the US. In addition, an important aspect of addressing this issue will be identifying laws conducive to resolving the situation. The paradox that has emerged in Mexico with the advent of democratic elections and a multiparty system of power has been characterized by a significant rise in the power and influence of cartels. The essay explores the Cartel, explaining why and how it began, the cartel expansion, the rise of influence, and its operations.

History, Background, and Context

The history of cartels began at the end of the second decade of the 20th century when the United States passed Prohibition. The period from 1919 to 1933 has been described as an opportunity for certain groups of people in Mexico to supply the US with illegal alcohol (Smith, 2021). These organizations later became known as drug cartels (Smith, 2021).

The emergence of drug cartels is associated with the activities of Del Moral. Historians cite the multiparty system of power that began at the time as the main reason. Thus, it is due to the fact that cartel leaders have become concerned about their ability to control the distribution channels (Trejo & Ley, 2020). Therefore, it is crucial to understand that the political situation in the country has been the cause of the escalation in cartel relations; hence, democracy cannot coexist with cartels.

Violence has increased exponentially because of the prevailing situation in the country. At the time, Mexico’s President was Felipe Calderon, who held democratic views (Trejo & Ley, 2020). A key aspect of its policy has been to combat cartels. In 2006, his party launched a major combating effort and declared war on the Mexican cartels, resulting in a fivefold increase in inter-cartel wars and drug violence (Trejo & Ley, 2020). As Trejo and Ley (2020) state, “between 2006 and 2012, 70,000 Mexicans were murdered in inter-cartel and state-cartel conflicts” (p. 2). Thus, the measures taken by President Calderon and his party to combat drug cartels have not only yielded the expected results but have made matters much worse.

Problem

Many drug cartels have developed their networks in Mexico. They have been developed for a long time and are smuggling various drugs, for example, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and opium, to the US and its neighboring states. Most of the cartels, for example, Guadalajara, Gulf Cartel, Mileneo Cartel, and Sinaloa cartel, have been operating the drug business, entailing various levels of drugs, without much pressure from law enforcement agencies and state government (Bunker & Sullivan, 2019). The municipal police officers often avoid pariahs and social inferiors in their communities; hence, they are susceptible to bribes or threats from better-equipped criminals (Marley, 2019). Because of this collaboration, not only can drugs infiltrate the police and the Army, but also ex-policemen can become spies working for the cartels.

It is essential to point out that when the President of the United States, Richard Nixon, announced in 1971 that he would enter the country against drugs, the relevant laws were also directed against Mexican marijuana and heroin (Creechan, 2021). However, numerous regions and cross-border influences remain that the US cannot control. The main reasons for the dominance of drug cartels in Mexico are their control of smuggling routes along the US southwest border, along with the ability to produce and distribute cocaine, marijuana, and heroin (Hess et al., 2014). The drug dealers have formed alliances with government officials and lawmakers, making the issue difficult to resolve.

Discussion to Relate Point of View from Sources Used

One of the most critical points of view related to the increasing influence of drug cartels in Mexico is described in the book Votes, Drugs, and Violence. Trejo and Ley (2020) argue that the success of drug cartels requires a specific gray area. This zone type is formed through collaboration between the government and cartel leaders (Trejo & Ley, 2020). As a result, drug cartels can produce and transport drugs without legal problems. They establish a strong ontological supposition that organized crime cannot survive and successfully operate illicit markets without some level of informal state protection.

Writer’s Position

Mexican politicians in the past have taken inaccurate approaches to dealing with drug cartels; in particular, the anti-cartel war that Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched showed that such violent methods would only exacerbate the situation. Therefore, it assumes the position that will underscore the urgency of the situation, not only for Mexico but also for its neighboring countries, particularly the US (Creechan, 2021). There was no hope that the situation would resolve itself.

However, the enactment of the relevant laws would help resolve the situation. Mexico has been one of the nations that has long been notorious for harboring some of the world’s most violent drug trafficking gangs. The drug cartels use the money generated from selling drugs to government officials and lawmakers, purchase weapons in the US, and use them to provoke violence in Mexico. The government of Mexico has deployed thousands of troops to regions in which violence had gone out of control (Marley, 2019). The government has made slight progress, even though at a high cost to the citizens.

Solution

The best solution is to adopt the necessary laws to restrict the activities of government officials in a certain way, which will be essential to prevent possible collaboration between cartels and Mexican authorities. For instance, passing a law that limits foreign agents’ operation in the country (Marley, 2019). In addition, specific laws are important to address the problem of police and army soldiers collaborating with cartels because of inadequate wages and working conditions.

Moreover, the United States, as a country interested in tackling the drug problem from Mexico, could help to finance the implementation of such laws. Since 2006, the government of Mexico has executed a sequence of different policies in an attempt to eliminate the pervasive influence and violence of the drug cartels. The growth of centralization and militarization to fight the drug cartels has featured the policies. President Calderon asserted that they are continuing to appropriate financing to help law enforcement agencies’ efforts in Mexico against the drug cartels.

However, a win on the drug in Mexico is effectively achieved through the creation of job opportunities that may provide people with a sufficient alternative to the drug cartels. Collaboration among health, law enforcement agencies, and social services may assist in reducing the demand, which drives drug trafficking initiatives that entail crime and violence (Felbab-Brown, 2022). Treatment of the addicts and prevention of the drug use onset may complement the work of law enforcement endeavors to minimize supply.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important to stress that the problem of cartels in Mexico needs to be addressed urgently. The adoption of appropriate legislation providing better working conditions for police officers and army soldiers would address that problem. However, careful study of factors such as the gray zone and collaboration with Mexican authorities, which were described in the essay, are also priority tasks. As a reiteration of the thesis statement, it is essential to emphasize that cartels perceive Mexico’s current political system, which represents a democratic choice, as a threat to their existence.

References

Bunker, R. J., & Sullivan, J. P. (2019). Cartel evolution revisited: Third phase cartel potentials and alternative futures in Mexico. Narcos Over the Border, 3(5), 30-54. Web.

Creechan, J. H. (2021). Drug wars and covert netherworlds: The transformations of Mexico’s narco cartels. University of Arizona Press.

Felbab-Brown, V. (2022). How to win Mexico’s drug war. Brookings. Web.

Hess, K. M., Orthmann, C. H., & Cho, H. L. (2014). Introduction to law enforcement and criminal justice. Cengage Learning.

Marley, D. F. (2019). Mexican cartels: An encyclopedia of Mexico’s crime and drug wars. ABC-CLIO.

Smith, B. (2021). The dope: The real history of the Mexican drug trade. Random House.

Trejo, G., & Ley, S. (2020). Votes, drugs, and violence: The political logic of criminal wars in Mexico. Cambridge University Press.