Mexican Drug Cartels

Dozens of mutilated bodies have turned up in Mexico, it epitomises the tragedies that have been occurring over the past six years of Mexico’s drug wars. Since the crackdown on illegal drug cartels in Mexico in 2006, 54,000 people have lost their lives, 16,000 last year alone. What the government is trying to do is stop the illegal trafficking of drugs from Latin America, through Mexico and up into the United States. Due to the geography of the Americas, all land-based drug routes to the USA have to pass through Mexico.

Despite the heavy losses incurred by both sides, successes have been recorded for the government, since the crackdown began over 120,000 cartel members have been detained and 8,500 people have been convicted, but it is not good enough. To properly defeat the massively powerful drug cartels Mexico is going to need help, and not just from the United States, there must be massive amounts of money flooded into the Mexican authorities if these drug cartels are to be defeated. It won’t be easy and it won’t be done overnight, but it can [and hopefully will] work.

The United States is already helping Mexico out, the US has recognised the benefits to America if drug trafficking from Mexico can be reduced, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton said in 2009 “Our [America’s] insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade” and that “the United States bears shared responsibility for the drug-fuelled violence sweeping Mexico.”

The Mexican War on Drugs has not been easy but the government must continue its “war” if Mexico is to move closer to being a fully developed nation, it’s already well on its way.