Transcript Drug Cartels - Personal.psu.edu

The Struggle with Drug Cartels
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Geographic location always
made Mexico a valuable
center for transportation of
narcotics.
Cartels have become more
powerful since the demise of
the Colombian Cartels in the
1990’s
Wholesale earnings from
drugs range from 13- 48
billion dollars.
 Smuggling to U.S. Border
 Opium
 Cocaine
 Marijuana
 Connections made him
point man for Pablo
Escobar.
 Privatized the Mexican Drug
business.
 Arrested on April 8 1989
◦ Gulf Cartel: oldest
organized crime group
now operating (1970present
Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo
(El Padrino)
The War on Drugs: Felipe
Calderon
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2006
◦ December 1: Calderon assumes presidency &
declares war on drug traffickers
◦ Operation Michoacana is launched against La
Familia Michoacana cartel
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2007
◦ Popular singer Sergio Gómez is kidnapped
and killed
◦ Entire police force in Baja California stripped
of weapons due to suspicion of collaboration
with cartels.
◦ Drug related death reached 2,477
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2008
◦ Death Toll: 6,290
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2009
◦ Death Toll: 7,724
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2010 & 2012
◦ Estimated Death Rate: 15,000 each year
Operation of the Drug Cartels
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Highest Level Cartels
◦ Sinaloa
 Most powerful cartel in Mexico
today
 Proximity to border
 Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman
◦ Others:
 Pacific Cartel
 Knights Templar
 Zetas
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Role of Drug Lords
◦ Set prices
◦ Track shipments
◦ Manage employment
◦ Handle pay-offs
Operation of the Drug Cartels
Use of Violence to Protect
Territory
◦ Over 34,000 deaths since 2007
◦ Kidnappings and hostage
situations
[
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“There are no codes. There are no
boundaries. There are no limits. There is
a high degree of impunity. That’s the big
worry of all of us that live in Mexico.
There were limits in the past; now there
are no limits.”
-Security Consultant Carlos Seoane,
on kidnappings by drug cartels.
Mexican Government’s War on
Drugs
Factors Driving Mexico’s
Drug Policy

Government corruption
◦ Ranked 2nd most corrupt police force in
the world
◦ Many upper level officials have faced
corruption charges
U.S. pressure to curb the
illegal drug trade
 Vast crime and violence from
the drug cartels
 Voter dissatisfaction triggered
by the violence
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The Government’s War on Drugs
Government combating
police corruption
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August 2010: Mexico fired 10% of
federal police force.
The anti-cartel operations begun by
President Calderón in December
2006 included ballistic checks of
police weapons
Proposed creation of a national
criminal database and a department
to oversee coordination among police
forces and anti-corruption efforts.
An extra 1,800 federal agents sent
into battle with drug cartels
The Government’s War on Drugs
Mexico’s fight against
drug cartels
2006: roughly 36,000
troops deployed to work
with the federal police
 2008 constitutional reform
merges the Federal
Preventive Police (PFP) and
the Federal Agency of
Investigation (AFI),.
 2011 Calderon's
administration ordered
troops and federal police to
a Gulf coast state where
gunmen dumped 35 bound
bodies on a busy avenue.
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"This is not 'the
government's war against
drugs,' but the fight of all
Mexicans to build an
authentic security, based
on the rule of law and
justice.” -National Security
Spokesman Alejandro Poire
• October 22, 2007- US and Mexico issued a statement
announcing the start of the initiative
• Eventually signed into law on June 30, 2008 by G.W. Bush
• Overall agreement to expand bilateral and regional
counternarcotic and security cooperation in Mexico and
in Central America
• Goal: Reduce $12-15 billion yearly ash flow of drugs
between the US and Mexico
• It is a multiyear plan for US assistance in
Mexico and Central America
• Predicted to cost about $500 million in Mexico
and $50 million in Central America
• Mexico was the area in need of the most aidMexican military and law enforcement
• Mexico: to enhance and complement US and
Mexican efforts against drug, human and
weapons trafficking
• Central America: to strengthen the capacity of
the government to find and destroy
unauthorized drugs, goods, arms and people
• Mexico: $500 million for planes, parts, training,
expansion of the immigrations agency database and
verification system, securing communications
systems, law enforcement training, etc.
• Central America: $16.6 million spread throughout the 7
countries
• Expenditures
• support for the CA Fingerprinting Exploitation (CAFÉ),
• technical assistance on firearms tracing and destruction, border
security
• anti-gang efforts
• Training is included in a $24 million proposal which also
covers logistics and spare parts
• 4,500 federal police have already completed training
 Taught by law enforcements professionals from other
countries
• Millions for canine training
o
Skills learned
 criminal investigative techniques, evidence collection, crime scene
preservation and ethics
 How to view contents of rail cars using Railroad, Vehicle, and Cargo
Inspection Systems
 How to detect weapons and drugs in cars, trains and many types of
containers
 How to hold, transport and classify prisoners
• A US Secretary Firm Instructor in
Mexico was accused of teaching city
police officers “enhanced
interrogation” techniques
• Line between “enhanced
interrogation” and torture not always
clear
Upgrading Capabilities of Mexican & Central
American Governments
•The US helps to train police, prosecutors and defenders
•Support from the US is helping to develop correction systems
•The Mexican government has used funds to establish a
corrections academy to train federal correctional staff.
•Similar efforts in Guatemala, El Salvador & Costa Rica
Equipment Exchange
•Eight Bell helicopters to the Mexican Army/Air Force
•Three UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to the Federal
Police
•Three UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to the Mexican
Navy
Security Cooperation: Drones
Orbiter Mini UAV
Secretary of State Clinton involved
Solutions towards Security Cooperation
Embedded U.S. Security Forces:
• Trust: Information can be compartmentalized
• Training: Experts can give on the job training
• Equipment: U.S. forces can have access
to
American technology
• Laws: Small teams can take advantage of loopholes
• Funding: Cost effective compared to pure funding
B
Criticisms of Merida
• The Mérida Initiative is called "Plan Mexico" by
critics, to point out its similarities to Plan Columbia
•In "Plan Columbia", U.S. has heavily funded the
Colombian military, yet cocaine production has
steadily increased and registered a 27% rise in
2007, before declining in 2008 and 2009.
• Comparison casts doubt on return for investment
on Merida
• Concern over potential compromise of personal
privacy
Challenges to Cooperation:
• Lack of Trust
o Criminal Gangs have infiltrated the security
Mexican security forces
o Mexicans do not trust the U.S. government
• Poor Training
o Tactical, Criminal, Judicial
• Bad Equipment
• Restrictive Laws
o Who is in charge?
o Gun smuggling
• Limited Funding
A
Security Cooperation: Fast and Furious
• Operation by U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms,
and Explosives (ATF)
• Encouraged gun sellers to provide guns to suspicious
buyers
o Gunwalking ("letting guns walk")
• Over half of the 2,000 guns were lost
o Many recovered at crime scenes too late
o U.S. border agent (Brian Terry) killed with guns from
Fast & Furious
• ATF attempted to hide the scandal
o Used the increase in violence from rifles as evidence it
needed stronger gun laws it had long wanted.
• Shattered trust and charges of U.S. recklessness
E
Security Cooperation: Political Pressure
• 2012 is an election year for Mexico and the U.S.
• Mexican electorate threatening change
o Fear of corruption and violence
o Increasing role of the U.S.
• Barack Obama on defensive over Fast & Furious
o Drugs are still crossing the border
o Violence could spill over
o Lobbyists preventing changes to gun laws
F
Drug related
violence continues
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Monterrey attacks; August 26,
2011
Alternative Proposals
◦ Legalization of Marijuana
 Cartels’ greatest source of income
 Analysts suggest as best solution
 Attack as a business, not just a
crime.
 Encourages other forms of crime?
◦ Truce or Accommodation
◦ Negotiate a ceasefile with cartels
◦ Amnesty
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Issue in 2012 Mexican
Presidential Campaign
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Will the drug problem
be handled differently?
◦ Corruption and bribery
◦ Strict rules for the cartels.
◦ Crime and corruption, but violence
kept off the streets