Strategies for Combating Mexican Drug Cartels Research Paper

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AbstractAs the country’s attention remains focused on the Covid-19 global pandemic which continues to ravage the nation’s health and economy, it is easy to overlook the profound threat represented by Mexican drug cartels. Indeed, some authorities estimate that as many as one hundred thousand people have died in drug cartel conflicts since 2006, and this figure does not take into account the tens of thousands of American lives that are lost in the federal government’s ill-fated war on drugs. Against this backdrop, it is reasonable to question why tens of billions of scarce taxpayer dollars continue to be spent on a “war” that is claiming thousands of American lives each year without any substantive return on these investments. The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the relevant literature concerning Mexican drug cartels 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 these 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 concerning these issues in the paper’s conclusion.Mexican Drug Cartels: Present Danger, Future ThreatToday, 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 wranglings over immigration policies, the United States and Mexico have enjoyed an excellent relationship over the years and current indications suggest that this solid relationship will remain in place well into the foreseeable future. Notwithstanding these trends, however, there are still some major challenges facing both countries in terms of violent gangs of narco-traffickers known as Mexican drug cartels that continue to generate billions of dollars in criminal proceeds while simultaneously exacting an enormous toll in human lives. To determine the facts and what can be done, the purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the relevant literature concerning Mexican drug cartels 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 these 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 concerning these issues in the paper’s conclusion.Review and AnalysisBackground and overviewIn 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. For instance, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), “No other country in the world has a greater impact on the drug situation in the United States than does Mexico: the result of a shared border, Mexico’s strategic location between drug producing and consuming countries, and a long history of criminal enterprises that specialize in cross-border smuggling” (Hoover, 2019, p. 2).Although precise figures are unavailable, some authorities have estimated that Mexican drug cartels have already claimed the lives of more than 60,000 people in Mexico, one of America’s most important trading and strategic partners.

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To place this alarming figure into context, this estimate indicates that about one person dies every hour due to Mexican drug cartel-related violence (Rizer, 2015). Even more troubling still, other observers suggest that these estimates are far too low and fail to take into account the deaths that go unreported each year, meaning that the actual figures may be twice as high or even greater (Rizer, 2015). Moreover, even…

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…following this failed attempt to forge a military-based intervention with the government of Mexico, however, the United States started experiencing its first cases of Covid-19 infections and the issue of Mexican cartels has received far less attention despite the continuing severity of the threat.Complex problems clearly demand complex solutions and eradicating the evil presence of Mexican cartels from the Northern Hemisphere is certainly no exceptions. Despite the billions of dollars that have been invested in combating the problem over the years, Mexican cartels remain firmly entrenched in their respective areas of operation and continue to defy interventions by the Mexican government. A study by the U.S. Institute of Politics (2012) identified a number of potentially more effective, broad-based strategies for dealing with the Mexican cartel problem, including the following:· Specialize portions of its military forces to deal with specific facets of the war on drugs by significantly reforming military training procedures, departmentalizing the military and integrating these departments into a larger bureaucratic system, and,· Launch a more aggressive public relations campaign specifically targeting the major leaders of the cartels in order to reduce the culture of fear and helplessness created by the cartels (Liu & Taylor, 2012, p. 6).In addition, in order to root out and eliminate governmental corruption that allows cartels to operate with virtual impunity, the Mexican government should also:· Revise its federal reelection process to create greater accountability mechanisms for politicians in office;· Strengthen its community-level efforts by building strong communities in which people have a wide set of options for legitimate careers by greater subsidizing education and focusing on community initiatives;· Implement a more transparent fund flow between federal and state governments;· Allow for greater public participation in the selection of judges, and,· Reform the wage system, and improve training, resource allocation and accountability mechanisms for law….....

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