Mexico's Drug Cartels Page: 2 of 20
This report is part of the collection entitled: Congressional Research Service Reports and was provided to UNT Digital Library by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Mexico's Drug Cartels
Summary
Mexico, a major drug producing and transit country, is the main foreign supplier
of marijuana and a major supplier of methamphetamine to the United States.
Although Mexico accounts for only a small share of worldwide heroin production,
it supplies a large share of heroin consumed in the United States. An estimated 90%
of cocaine entering the United States transits Mexico. Violence in the border region
has affected U.S. citizens. More than 60 Americans have been kidnaped in Nuevo
Laredo, and in July 2007, Mexican drug cartels reportedly threatened to kill a U.S.
journalist covering drug violence in the border region. The United States and Mexico
are reportedly negotiating a new counternarcotics initiative.
Although Mexican drug cartels, or drug trafficking organizations, have existed
for quite some time, they have become more powerful since the demise of
Colombia's Cali and Medellin cartels in the 1990s. Mexican drug cartels now
dominate the wholesale illicit drug market in the United States. Arrests of key cartel
leaders, particularly in the Tijuana and Gulf cartels, have led to increasing drug
violence as cartels fight for control of the trafficking routes into the United States.
The Gulf and Sinaloa cartels reportedly use personal "enforcer gangs" to perpetuate
violence and intimidate Mexican citizens and public officials. Mexican President
Felipe Calder6n has called drug violence a threat to the Mexican state.
This report provides an overview of: Mexican cartels and their operations,
including the nature of cartel ties to gangs such as the Mara Salvatrucha; Mexican
cartel drug production in the United States; and the presence of Mexican cartel cells
in the United States. Mexican cartels allegedly have used their vast financial
resources to corrupt Mexican public officials who either turn a blind eye to cartel
activities or work directly for them. Since 2005, the Mexican government has made
numerous efforts to purge corrupt police. In December 2006, President Felipe
Calder6n launched operations against the cartels in 9 of Mexico's 32 states. He has
pledged to use extradition as a tool against drug traffickers, and sent 64 criminals to
the United States as of August 2007, including the alleged head of the Gulf Cartel.
This report also examines potential policy approaches to the problem of drug
trafficking and violence. Current U.S. and Mexican policy emphasizes interdiction
and eradication. Supporters of this policy maintain that these efforts have reduced
the supply of drugs in the United States. Critics maintain that Administration
officials have refused to release data showing that cocaine prices are falling,
suggesting that the drug supply is growing, not shrinking. These critics suggest that
more emphasis should be placed on demand reduction in the United States, including
drug prevention education and treatment. The Mexican government urges the United
States to increase its efforts to reduce U.S. demand for drugs, stating that it cannot
succeed in its efforts against the cartels so long as cartels stand to earn billions of
dollars annually from the U.S. illicit drug market. Critics of current policy, including
the Mexican government, are also calling for increased efforts to combat arms
trafficking from the United States to Mexico. This report may be updated. For
further information on Mexico, see CRS Report RL32724, Mexico-U.S. Relations:
Issues for Congress, by Colleen W. Cook.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This report can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Report.
Cook, Colleen W. Mexico's Drug Cartels, report, October 16, 2007; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc808015/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.