By Peter Mannino
Recently, on the Hofstra Portal there was a “personal announcement” with a “Special Mexico Travel Alert” warning students that there is a drug war going on in Mexico and students should generally stay away this spring break. This is good advice. Mexico is in a very violent battle with extremely powerful drug cartels, which are rampant in Mexico.
The story of drug cartels in Mexico is by no means new. They have been operating in Mexico for years with help of corrupt local police and a complacent national government. With the free pass drug cartels were given by the government, they were able to grow to enormous size and wield incredible power.
When President Felipe Calderon came to power, however, this free pass ended. In 2006, Calderon began his war against the cartels by sending 6,500 troops to Michoacan to end the drug violence in that city. Since then, the violence has grown, and now many U.S. officials are worried that the violence, which is located mostly in northern border-states, could spill over into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The war has prompted some commentators in the U.S. to declare Mexico a failed state.
Frankly, I think this view is wrong. The government has had successes in fighting the war, including the recent “mini-surge” in Cuidad Juarez (the epicenter of drug violence), which has, at least for now, dramatically reduced the death toll in that city. Also, Operation Limpieza (cleanup) has rounded up suspected corrupt officials such as Mariano Francisco Herran Salvatti, the former Mexican drug czar. Furthermore, the fact that the Mexican government has initiated the war and is battling on its own suggests the continuing strength of the Mexican government.
The main problem facing Mexico’s war on drugs is that the drug cartels are very well funded and are using very advanced weapons-most of which are smuggled in from the U.S. The Mexican government and Brookings Institute estimate that 2,000 guns are transported from the United States to the cartels each day, and around $15 billion flow to the drug cartels each year. The U.S. has tried to help the Mexican government with the Bush Administration’s 2008 Merida Initiative, which apportioned $1.5 billion to be sent to Mexico to help fight the drug cartels, but clearly more help is needed.
Recently, Obama announced that he is sending a large number of federal agents to the Mexico-U.S. border to help prevent the smuggling of guns and drug money into Mexico. This is a good first step, but the best way for the United States to help Mexico beat the drug cartels is to completely change the way that the U.S. approaches drug policy.
The last two administrations have focused most of their resources on fighting drug dealers and drug source countries. A study done by the Rand Corporation shows that focusing on treatment and prevention of drug use is more effective at lowering the number of drug abusers, than focusing on fighting drug dealers and source countries. The study even suggested that the U.S. redirect about 25 percent of its drug fighting resources from drug enforcement to treatment.
So if the United States was serious about helping Mexico defeat the drug cartels, it would revamp its drug policy to focus on treatment and prevention so that less money flows into the coffers of the drug lords.
Mexico has some serious problems, but it is by no means a failed state. It is fighting its own battles, and I think it is winning. But Mexico cannot do it alone. It needs America’s help. By sending law enforcement agents to the Mexican border, President Obama has demonstrated his willingness to help. But unless Obama will change the U.S. drug policy, I am not sure a lasting solution to Mexico’s drug problem is possible.
Peter Mannino is a sophomore political science student. You may e-mail him at