subject: The Mexican Drug Problem [print this page] The United Sates is the worlds largest consumer of illicit drugs. However, most of these drugs are grown in other nations and smuggled into this country through various points on the coasts and at the northern and southern borders. Mexico in particular provides a staging point for a vast number of drug distribution operations. There are a myriad of Mexico-based drug gangs, but international cartels also use the country as an intermediary for their United States operations.
The drug problem in Mexico has become so volatile that Mexican federal and regional governments are all but powerless to control it. United States law enforcement officials have attempted to stop the flow of drugs from Mexico, but they have met with little success. Overall, understanding the and eventually fixing the drug problems in Mexico may be essential in curbing rates of drug use and addiction in the US.
The modern Mexican drug trade actually began with the former high-ranking police officer Miguel Gallardo, also known as the Godfather. In the 1980s, Gallardo founded the Guadalajara Cartel and took control of the trade of opium and marijuana across the Mexico-US border, as well as all other trafficking operations within the country. He also partnered with Colombian cartel leaders and profited from the massive amounts of cocaine being shipped through Mexico into the United States.
Many other cartels exist today, and most of them engage in brutal violence with one another in attempts to gain dominance and control of the Mexican drug market. Some of the most notorious smuggling groups include the Tijuana Cartel, the Juarez Cartel, and the Sinaloa Cartel. In total, the United States DEA estimates that there are roughly thirty different groups controlling the drug trade in different regions and across various parts of the border.
Until the beginning of the twenty-first century, the Mexican government made little effort to stop the cartels violence. However, the current president Felipe Calderon is attempting to drastically change the situation. After his 2006 election, he sent thousands of troops to combat drug lords in Michoacan a state in southern Mexico.
These efforts have made little difference thus far. Violence between cartels and against federal agents has increased over the last few years, and it is now spilling over the border into Texas. In 2010, the National Drug Threat Assessment Report cited Mexican cartels as the greatest drug trafficking threat to the United States.
Certain United States citizens exacerbate these drug problems by smuggling firearms into Mexico. Though the Mexican government makes it difficult to obtain guns legally, these smugglers allow drug lords and their vast forces easy access to firearms. Most of the cartels have arsenals that rival that of the Mexican army. The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is attempting to assist Mexican officials in stopping these gun runners, but the violence and drug smuggling rage on.
The Mexican drug cartels have played an enormous role in the United States epidemic of drug addiction. Thankfully, there are rehabilitation clinics across the country that have proven extremely successful at treating addicts and producing long-term recoveries. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, use the links below for a toll-free, no-obligation consultation. Get your life back on track today.
