International Cocaine Trafficking (Essay Sample)

INTERNATIONAL COCAINE TRAFFICKING
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International Cocaine Trafficking
Introduction
The international drug trafficking problem affects many nations across the world. The U.S has been battling drug trafficking across its borders for decades now to improve the state’s security. The government makes international collaboration in seeking information and developing drug trafficking policies. The strategies formulated in the country aim at reducing international trades associated with drug trafficking. Mexicans have the greatest influence in drug trafficking within the U.S. No country matches the drug situation in America as Mexico does. FBI stresses the shared border between U.S and Mexico promotes the prevalence of drug trafficking in the U. S. The increased supply of cocaine from Mexico to the U.S creates insecurity problems in the country. The analysis of the relationships between the U.S and Mexico expands the understanding of the implications of cocaine trafficking from Mexico to the U.S.
Definition of the Problem
The trafficking of cocaine from Mexico to the U.S creates a lot of challenges in the border of the two countries. Mexico has been a great corridor of cocaine trafficking since the 1980s; thus, Mexico cannot be overstated when addressing the supply and sales of cocaine in the U.S. Mexico does not produce coca; meaning the country cannot control trade solely without the engagement of external support. Cocaine traffickers in Mexico have managed to exert an increased control of cocaine trafficking to the U.S. The dangers of transporting cocaine from Mexico to the U.S are reduced with the exerted power of Mexico (Natarajan et al. 2015, p. 414). U.S receives drug supply from Mexican DTOs who dominates the wholesale distribution of cocaine across the U.S According to Basu and Pearlman (2017, p. 21) about ninety-three percent of cocaine reaching the U.S via south America originate from Mexico. Sixty percent of the transported cocaine in America stops first in Central America before shipping to Mexico. Cocaine transportation in and out of Mexico and the U.S originates from the inter-agency periods. Drug trafficking from Mexico to the U.S associates to particular implications that affects not only American citizens but also the cartels engaged in the business. Cocaine trafficking in Mexico leads to increased violence in the country borders; both Americans and citizens fall victims to the violence (Donato and Perez 2017, p. 118). Violence in Mexico is characterized into three main categories depending on the influence of drug trafficking in the region. However, the increased transportation of cocaine from Mexico leads to intra-cartel, inter-cartel, and cartel versus government violence.
Nature of the problem
First, the trafficking of cocaine from Mexico to the U.S results in the existence of violence between rival groups in the production of the substance. Secondly, the sales of cocaine lead to the development of violence resulting from the same criminal syndicate. FBI and DEA reports indicate that the current surge in violence along the trafficking of cocaine originates from the GOM's proactive actions against traffickers (Holland and Rios 2017, p. 1113). Besides, the variables of cartel-on-cartel violence also contribute to the current increment in violence in Mexico.
Drug trafficking from Mexico into the U.S results in the creation of spillover violence. The intentional targeting of civilians and the U.S by Mexicans creates tension associated with violent drug culture. The isolated culture has affected the lives of many people on the border of Mexico and the U.S. The violent drug culture has facilitated the killing of innocent citizens as a result of intra and inter-cartel violence. According to Panthers (2018, p.321), inter-cartel violence promotes the killing of individuals with drug debts to particular organizations transporting cocaine. For instance, Mexican drug traffickers have isolated incidences of torture. Historically, the torture of a Dominican drug customer in Atlanta reminds Americans of the implications of cocaine trafficking between Mexico and the U.S. Spillover violence creates more issues between the states (Phillips 2015, p. 324); the U.S is fighting the problem of drug dealing, while Mexico promotes drug dealing. The two opposing ways of viewing the business have led to the murder of individuals associated with the U.S consulate. The Barrio Azteca street gang has victimized several individuals due to drug trafficking along with Mexico and U.S. The gang is identified in America as Juarez Cartel gatekeepers. The street gang has been linked to criminal activities listed but not limited to prostitution, drug trafficking, murder, extortion, and assaults of different kinds.
Investment in the problem
Drug Cartels and Street gangs
Mexican cartels and street gangs benefit from the drug trafficking problem. The linkage of Mexico and the U.S drug trafficking route has led to the existence of a tenuous and fluid connection between Mexican drug cartels and street gangs. The collaboration between Mexican drug cartels and street gangs in the U.S promotes the trafficking of cocaine. The outcomes of the relationship expose the U.S to difficulties of fighting drug dealing and coping with security issues in the nation. Typically, the connection between drug cartels and street gangs helps cocaine organizations in filing drug sales between Mexico and U.S (Rodrigues et al. 2017, p.625). Besides, the link between the street gangs and Mexican drug cartels provides enforcement for the expansion and control of cocaine trafficking.
Initiatives of the Mexican government
What roles does the Mexican government play in reducing cocaine trafficking in the U.S? Americans often question Mexican governments on the initiatives they are developing towards limiting the supply of drugs to U.S states. Natarajan (2019, p.3) highlights that the government of Mexico under the watch of the president fights against the primary purveyors of drug dealing within and outside the country. Secondly, Natarajan (2010, p. 18) suggests that the government of Mexico conduct investigations and make arrests of drug cartels as a step of limiting drug trafficking and transportation. Natarajan (2000, p.271) stresses that the strictness of the government in handling corruption cases helps the state in fighting drug trafficking. Calderon's administration monitors court cases linked to drug trafficking to minimize the availability of cocaine in the U.S.
The government of Mexico has also deployed military in most violence-plagued areas to replace local and state police. The changes were made to decamp officers with close connections to drug cartels in the country. The narco-corruption cases exposed the high-end corruption of police and state police in country borders (Arredondo et al. 2017, p. 7). However, the engagement of the military in such regions limits the interactions of the cartels to corrupt state officials. Citizens benefit from the government's initiative that promotes the security and safety of the people. President Calderon initiated a clean-up program through the creation and empowerment of the operational Limpieza. The clean-up program aimed at improving integrity through the collaboration of other government agencies (Puyana et al. 2017, p. 311). Secretariat of the public security, Attorney general’s office, and the military actively collaborate to ensure the attainment of corruption-free interactions between state officials and drug cartels. The lean-up program has promoted integrity in the country through the arrests of dozens of corrupt individuals working in public service administrations.
Furthermore, the government of Mexico engages benchmarking reforms in the management of drug trafficking in the country. Benchmarking facilitates the improvement of internal security, information process (physical), and information security processes (Atuesta and Ponce 2017, p. 318). Besides, benchmarking improves the background investigatio