How drug cartels operate U.S. Involvement Afghanistan Colombia Mexico Domestic Consequences

Drug cartels- organizations that participate in the production, transportation, and distribution of illegal drugs.

Methods of trafficking include tunnels, small aircraft, drug mules, and boats

Employ “enforcer gangs” known as sicarios, sometimes acting as paramilitary forces to support larger cartels

Police corruption and government complicity are key parts of the cartels success

Ongoing drug war is characterized by heavy bloodshed, with 35,286 officially recorded deaths to date (December 2006—January 2011)

Primary efforts focused on border security along the U.S.-Mexico border, but no U.S. troops have ever been deployed in Mexico

First example of this is Operation Intercept under President Nixon, which began in September 1969 and was aimed at reducing marijuana trafficking from Mexico

Systemic influence of free trade: NAFTA Mexican government criticizes U.S.

approach as failing to support reduced arms trafficking into Mexico, reduce the demand for illicit drugs in America and stop the trafficking of drug earnings back into Mexico

Afghanistan part of the Golden Crescent, consisting of countries that are involved in illicit opium production.

Golden Crescent also includes Iran and Pakistan.

In recent years, opium production in Southwest Asia had increased as production in Southeast Asia has decreased.

Afghanistan began producing opium after it was outlawed in Iran during the 1950’s.

Soviet Union and Afghanistan established trading bonds.

Saur Revolution◦ Adopted many Soviet

ideals and sought to revolutionize Afghanistan

◦ Rejected by the people of Afghanistan

Led to Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and foreign attempts to drive them out.

Fundamentalist group that sought to reform the country through strict readings of the scripture.

See-sawed on the legalization of opium production due to a variety of factors:◦ Religion◦ Global recognition◦ Mass appeal to the people

of Afghanistan

Fall of Taliban led to large increase in opium production

Steady decline in prices from 2005-2009 Now increasing again in the present day.

◦ $64 per kg in 2009 to $169 per kg this year. 2010 opium production down by 48%

due to large plant infestation that destroyed a majority of poppy plants

Afghanistan has recently administered the following programs to combat opium production in the country:◦ Counter-Narcotics Directorate◦ Modern narcotics control laws.◦ Efforts to establish a police force.

Psychoactive drugs produced by indigenous groups for religious, ceremonial, medical, cultural uses

1975- Operation Stopgap 1981- Extradition treaty between Colombia

and US Four major cartels

◦ Medellin◦ Cali◦ Norte del Valle◦ North Coast

1998- Plan Colombia

1970’s to 1980’s Led by Pablo Escobar, among other

notorious drug lords 1986- Medellin cartel is the largest cocaine

smuggling organization in the world 1989- Declared war on Colombian

government Ended in 1993 Total around 3,500 people killed by cartel

Kidnapping ring Marijuana cocaine

Rival to Medellin cartel Split into 5 groups: narco-trafficking,

military, political, financial, legal 1991- U.S. government seizes 67 tons of

cocaine, 75% originating from the Cali Cartel 1995- 6 out of 7 leaders arrested, but

operations continued within prison Estimated revenue- $7 billion a year

Cocaine production reduced by 60% Capture of drug lords

◦ Violent response by drug cartels Colombia currently gives technical advice

about controlling drug trafficking to 7 countries in Latin America and 12 in Africa

Level of drug related violence has decreased 50%

Quick Overview

History-Origin / early

drug lords- The divide up

Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

- “El Padrino” (The Godfather)

- Guadalajara Cartel

: based in Guadalajara, Mexico

:drug trafficking money laundering

extortion murder

and arms trafficking

Based in Tijuana, Baja California

The Tijuana cartel is present in at least 15 Mexican states with important areas of operation in Tijuana and Ensenada in Baja California.

Criminal Activities

Based in Baja California, Sinaloa, Durango, Sonora and Chihuahua.

Major producer of Mexican poppy and marijuana.

Between 1990 and 2008, Sinaloa Cartel imported and distributed nearly 200 tons of cocaine and large amount of heroine.

Other criminal activities

Joaquín Guzmán Loera- Mexico's top drug kingpin in 2003 after the arrest of his rival Osiel Cardenas of the Gulf Cartel

- Forbes Magazine : 60th of 68 most powerful people : World’s 937th richest man

Casualties:

+30,000 since start of war (Dec 2006-March 2010)

(4,324 From the city of Ciudad Juarez alone)+3,300 from January to March 2010

2010 brought the most drug-related deaths since 2006

100 kidnappings in Arizona related to the Mexican Drug War over the past 2 years

Mexico is world’s largest exporter of marijuana

Accounts for half of the cartels’ revenue

Marijuana and cocaine are largest sources of revenue, but marijuana is more profitable

Sends almost all its crops to the US

Production increased 35% in 2009 from the past year

Nearly 30,000 acres of Mexico planted in cannabis in 2009

Marijuana cultivation is not the problem, organized crime is

Mexican soldiers destroying crops of marijuana. The soldiers rip up the plants first because they don't burn well.

Mexican cartels also running pot farms in the US

One example: Sequoia National Forest, agents have found farms with over $40 million dollars worth of plants

Most workers are in the US illegally

Growers carry with them everything they need: tents, food, guns, fertilizer, irrigation hose and marijuana seeds

Armed men keep watch over the gardens day and night during planting season

Federal and local authorities use aerial surveillance, human intelligence to find marijuana gardens

“Organized criminal threat of the 21st century”

Special agent with the National Park Service looking for marijuana farms

US is stepping up efforts to stop the drug war Goal: Identify and take down whole criminal organization To do so, the US will:

1. Cooperate with the law enforcement in Mexico- Help Mexico with surveillance by giving items

such as helicopters, vessels, planes. Will provide later in

20112. Attack cartels all at once, so there won’t be one super cartel left that does not need to compete with others3. Help establish a strong judicial system in Mexico4. Stop flow of weapons to Mexico by more aggressively

pursuing gun laws and delegating more agents to fight the drug war

Influx of narcotics due to cartels led to sentencing disparities, with the heaviest punitive measures falling on minority groups

Critics argue that the prohibition framework which the United States currently tries to enforce is counter-productive

Demand for drugs in the U.S. creates need for distributors like the cartels, and the illegal status of many drugs drives up prices

Conclusion: cartels will exist as long as profits are high

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Chepesiuk, Ron. The Bullet or the Bribe: Taking down Colombia's Cali Drug Cartel. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003. Print.

Maria Full of Grace. By Joshua Marston. Dir. Joshua Marston. Fine LineFeatures, 2004.

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