Mexico continues to be the source or entry point for the vast majority of the narcotics that are consumed in the US. Mexico is the leading transit country for cocaine and heroin consumed in the US. It is also the leading source country for marijuana and now methamphetamine.
Occasionally, the federal government of Mexico temporarily deployed the military and federal police officers to maintain order against trafficker-generated violence in highly impacted cities. But more often than not Mexican military — or those posing as military — provide protection for the traffickers and drug gangs.
The heavily-armed "Zetas" complicate matters even more. These are former Mexican military personnel and deserters, some of whom were actually trained by the United States in counter-narcotics operations.
While the Mexican government pledged an all-out effort against drug trafficking organizations, it lacks the capacity to eliminate or even control the leading cartels. The principal impediment to counter-drug success is Mexico's inherent institutional weakness and endemic corruption.
In the longer term, if Mexico is to reduce the production and transit of illegal drugs, the government must continue to consider the problem a high priority, complete ongoing institutional restructuring and transition, and significantly strengthen special counter-drug law enforcement units.
The task is daunting, but early successes against leading drug traffickers have shown that law enforcement progress is achievable. Still, American law enforcement continues to be concerned over reports that Mexican federales and paramilitary personnel are in cahoots with the drug cartels and pose a threat to US border patrol agents and local police in border jurisdictions.
The working relationship between the United States and Mexico on investigations against major traffickers continues. The professional capacity of Mexico's lead counter-drug police agency, the Federal Investigation Agency (AFI), has increased dramatically. However, it is not clear that the improvements have reduced the volume of drugs trafficked in Mexico. Some major traffickers, such as the Arrellano Felix Organization, have been damaged, but other traffickers have expanded operations.
In recent years, the Government of Mexico has arrested a former governor of the State of Quintana Roo, suspected of assisting in the transshipment of millions of dollars worth of cocaine from South America to the US Mexican authorities also arrested Gilberto Garcia Mena, suspected leader of the Gulf Cartel, and Alcides Ramon Magaña, a known drug kingpin.
More recently, Mexican authorities captured Consolidated Priority Organization Targets Otto Roberto Herrera, Jaime Herrera Herrera, as well as Jose Aureliano Felix and Efrain Perez, two prominent members of the Arellano Felix drug trafficking organization wanted in the US
Some traffickers operate drug organizations from jail, and extradition of active major traffickers to the United States remains a challenge. Mexican jails are far from secure. Even security at maximum-security prisons is compromised. It's believed that prison administrators and guards are routinely paid off to help major traffickers "escape" from Mexican prisons.
In 2004, there were three killings at La Palma, including the inmate Arturo Guzman Loera, brother of drug kingpin Joaquin Guzman Loera (El Chapo Guzman). Arturo's murder occurred less than one week after Federal Preventive Police conducted a surprise operation at the facility, specifically to prevent the smuggling of weapons, drugs, and other prohibited objects into the prison.
While Mexican interdiction of marijuana is fair, the interdiction of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine remains poor: less than 2 percent of the volume trafficked in Mexico. These results are probably due to inadequate intelligence penetration of trafficking organizations for heroin and cocaine, and insufficient familiarity with methamphetamine trafficking.
Cocaine is susceptible to interdiction at sea or after it is imported into Mexico before it is distributed in smaller packages for onward transport. Subsequently, land interdiction may still be possible at checkpoints if inspectors are trained, equipped and supervised properly. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec constitutes a natural chokepoint for land transportation. The area offers interdiction opportunities which do not exist anywhere else in Mexico. Over one hundred metric tons of cocaine that arrives in Central America and in southern Mexico pass through or around the Isthmus.
Smuggling and diversion of precursor chemicals like pseudoephedrine within Mexico account for large amounts of methamphetamine becoming available for US markets. The Mexican government has updated its laws and regulations relevant to methamphetamine, and the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks, a division of the Ministry of Health, began to conduct unannounced inspections at the premises of importers of precursor chemicals.
New regulations control the number of pseudoephedrine tablets that can be purchased by individuals. However, at present Mexico neither has the necessary expertise nor the equipment to locate and seize methamphetamine laboratories. In many instances, these laboratories are discovered only when authorities react to fires or explosions.
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he's a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he's the blog editor for the House Conservatives Fund's weblog. Recently, the editors Examiner.com appointed him as their Law Enforcement Examiner. Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.
He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer for NewswithViews.com and PHXnews.com. He's also a columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 300 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com. Kouri's own website is located at http://jimkouri.us
Thoughtful, informative, and accurate article.
However, in the spirit of the free market, it should be noted it’s all about supply and demand. Obviously, the US addictions fuel Mexico’s drug cartel and vice versa. Yet another reason to make consensual “crimes” legal. Like Ron Paul says, I have never used drugs, but I would not want to tell someone else what to do with their own body and jail them for a victimless crime.
The Mexico angle is extremely important – but only half of the story. Here in the US, prisons grow out of control and are mostly filled with those who committed a consensual crime.
Interesting article and Comment.
The Supply/Demand comment is most apt. The reason that there are Mexican drug cartels is that Americans consume enormous quantities of drugs. The problem therefore lies with American consumption, not the supply. No demand means no supply.
In any other field, governments target the demand, not the supply. Smoking and drinking are prime examples. To fund his child health care program Obama has increased tax on tobacco by some 65 cents (I think). Tax on alcohol is also exorbitant. The consumer is targeted.
With drugs that is not the case. I disagree with the Comment that drug consumption is a victimless crime. In my limited experience of America’s drug crisis (although I have seen the same problem here in Europe first hand), it seems that drug consumption is devastating the fabric of American society. So why is so little being done about it?
The answer is simple. Most Americans seem to be consumers. Of the last few presidents, it seems that Clinton, Bush and now Obama, have admitted one way or another to having ‘experimented’ with drugs, although Clinton, of course, never inhaled, while Bush can’t remember whether he ever took cocaine!!!! What a joke!
I expect that if consumers were thrown in jail for a long time for even trying drugs, then the problem would be dramatically reduced, and we would get rid of most of the incompetent idiots who preside over the nation – in Europe, and in the US. Perhaps the Constitution could also be amended to preclude anyone who has ever so much as sampled drugs, even if they never inhaled.
If students at university were also simply thrown out for even sampling drugs, then consumption would decrease dramatically.
The reason none of these measures are taken is that the vast majority of Americans (and Europeans), in our educational institutions, in government, in law, in the media, and indeed in every facet of life, are consumers, or were consumers. ‘Experimenting’ with drugs, as with sex, is regarded as a right of passage.
So, instead of hunting down the suppliers, we should start hunting down the consumers, wherever they are. If those who think that they can experiment with drugs are deprived for good of any job or public office, then we would not have to concern ourselves with Mexican drug cartels and the like. But then those who make a living by lamenting the drug problem would themselves be sitting in jail – and that is where they should be.
And I do think that anyone, like Ron Paul, who thinks that drug consumption is a ‘victimless’ crime should consult those who have been victims of drug addicts seeking money to pay for their addiction; or of parents who have seen their children reduced to zombies, and had to sacrifice their life savings to pay for rehabilitation; or the enormous strain it puts on public services; or visit those inner city areas where even the police fear to go because the war to control supply has created an almost stone-age free-for-all.
So let’s stop blaming everyone else for our decadent ways, and deal with our own pathetic weaknesses. And in the process, we may just get people in public office who are prepared to address the problem head-on, and do not see life through a drug induced haze, or as some ridiculous right of passage that everyone should experience at some point in their miserable little lives.
Joseph BH McMillan http://www.freedomvrights.com
Walk soft … carry big stick … use it ocassionally.