Drug Enforcement Administration against Mexican politicians – this could get ugly
It was a hot and humid day in Culiacán, Mexico, and the air was filled with tension. Gunshots reverberated through the streets, as the drug cartels engaged in another violent battle for control. The city was a war zone, where assassinations were a common occurrence, and residents lived in fear of drug lords.
Mexico and the United States have worked together for years in their war on drugs. But despite their efforts, Mexico’s drug control remained mainstream. The cartels are stronger than ever, and their violence is on the rise.
It was a strange time for Mexico, as the country was just beginning to legalize marijuana and decriminalize all drugs. It was a step in the right direction, but the cartels weren’t about to give up their lucrative businesses without a fight. They continued to operate with impunity, often with the complicity of corrupt officials.
The situation got so out of control that even the US government was involved in the chaos. Disreputable The “Fast and Furious” scandal He revealed that the United States was allowing weapons to flow across borders into the hands of gangs. The result was an increase in violence, as the cartels became more powerful and bolder in their attacks.
The stats were amazing. In 2020 alone, there were more than 34,000 murders in Mexico, many of which have been attributed to the drug war. It was a brutal reality, one that the people of Mexico had to live with every single day.
But in the midst of the chaos, there were those who refused to give up. The journalists who risked their lives to expose corruption and violence, the activists who fought for change, and the ordinary citizens who refused to be terrorized by cartels.
She was A strange and terrifying time in Mexico, a place where the lines between good and evil have been blurred beyond recognition. However, in the midst of it all, there was a glimmer of hope. Hope things change one day. The drug fight will be broken, and the people of Mexico can live in peace.
But the glamor isn’t coming from the Drug Enforcement Administration, which recently said it targets high-powered politicians in Mexico with ties to drug cartels. Chapeto apparently sang and started jotting down names.
As you can imagine – this probably doesn’t sit well with politicians or drug cartels. Who, by the way, owns the land and the politicians in the US – which means if the house of cards falls, there could be many surprises in the aftermath.
DEA director Ann Milgram faced tough questioning from US lawmakers over the agency’s multimillion-dollar contracts, which were not subject to tender, and allegations that it employed former associates.
The DEA spent $4.7 million on “strategic planning and communications” contracts and other services without a proper bidding process.
During the hearing, Milgram was criticized by Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee, who called for an investigation into the contracts.
Despite this, Milgram declined to discuss the allegations in the AP report, nor whether they were the subject of the inspector general’s investigation.
The hearing comes as the DEA targets Mexican politicians for drug trafficking, with Milgram saying the agency will pursue government corruption in Mexico that protects fentanyl dealers.
She cited the investigation and arrest of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez as an example of the DEA’s efforts to combat the corruption that fuels drug trafficking. The agency is also investigating Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
However, Mexico’s DEA efforts are complicated by the country’s widespread counternarcotics, with frequent assassinations and violence.
The country has begun to legalize marijuana and decriminalize all drugs, but the drug scene remains very challenging.
Despite this, the United States and Mexico continue to work together to maintain the drug war, with events like Fast and the Furious linking the two countries making issues of trust an issue. And most importantly, the current president does not like American interference.
He is a populist president who caters to his own party members and demonizes every other party. He is on a “holy endeavor” to thwart corruption from the government, but there are implications that several members of his party are on the DEA’s list.
What does this mean for US-Mexico relations?
Moreover, the upcoming presidential election could have major ramifications for how we move forward from here.
Let’s make some assumptions, shall we?
Mexico’s drug war was a profound and terrifying experience. I know, there you are!
When President Calderon declared war on drug trafficking organizations in 2006 on the side of the United States, the country was mired in bloodshed, corruption and insecurity.
Military intervention in the drug war has resulted in countless bodies, disappearances, and much more.
What was once a bunch of The major drug cartels have now split into smaller, more violent factions. Each one vie to control the drug trade and become the dominant force in Mexico.
These groups operate with impunity, carrying out brutal acts of violence without fear of punishment. They buy off politicians, extort citizens, and even own land in the United States. They don’t care and when the army gets involved, things get bloody.
This is what full cooperation between the United States and Mexico looks like when the Drug Enforcement Administration and the military are at the helm. The same scenario played out in Colombia in the 1980s, with equally fatal results. Drug cartels are becoming more powerful, adapting to the changing landscape and finding new ways to make money.
As a result of this violence, drugs became more expensive, and the cartels got richer. They have access to military-grade weapons, many of which are provided by the US government, which makes them even more dangerous.
Mexico’s drug war has created a never-ending cycle of violence. And the more the government cracks down on the cartels, the more violent they become. It is a vicious cycle with no end in sight. The only sure thing is that the people of Mexico are paying the price for this failed policy.
But it is the similar approach the US took against gangs in the 1920s that failed spectacularly. The only difference is that drug cartels have much wider influence and much deeper pockets.
However, in this first scenario, they come up with the idea of taking down the cartels – which always ends badly!
Picture this: a scenario where the current President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, explicitly refuses to cooperate with the United States government in its war on drugs. He sees that several members of his party may be involved and decides to take a stand. Diplomatic relations began to erode, with both countries taking a tough stance towards each other.
With this in mind, other countries such as China and Russia will also be quick to seize the opportunity to move into South America and forge new economic relations with Mexico. This could mean that the Mexican government could be more open to Chinese or Russian investment, a move that would put the United States in a difficult position.
The implications of this scenario are enormous. Mexico is the main supplier of many commodities to the United States, and if diplomatic relations are severed or impeded, it will spell economic disaster. Although some economic relations would still exist, trade deals might be renegotiated, and cartels would use this system to grow untouched by the US government. This undoubtedly means more power and wealth for the cartels and less for the Mexican government.
Moreover, if the United States was caught conducting any operations inside the country, it would be considered an act of war according to the Mexican constitution. This would make things very turbulent and create more tension between the two countries.
This is also a possible scenario. Especially since AMLO will be in power for the next two years. Depending on who gets elected to a next term—if it’s someone in his party, that could create a bigger rift between US-Mexican relations, since Morena’s party has a lot of socialist undertones.
After years of tension and mistrust, the United States and Mexico finally have presidents who agree face-to-face on the best way forward to tackle the ongoing drug war. Both leaders look ahead and realize that the War on Drugs has been an abject failure, causing untold suffering and loss of life.
One of the first actions of the new Mexican president is the complete legalization of cannabis and the decriminalization of all other drugs. This step was met with great applause from the US President, who was pushing for a similar step in his country.
With the legalization of cannabis, drug cartels in Mexico are losing a huge source of revenue, and this is encouraging the governments of the two countries to cooperate to tackle the issue of organized crime head-on. The United States provides the resources, intelligence, and technology, while Mexico provides expertise and knowledge on the ground.
The two countries work together to dismantle the cartels and disrupt their operations, stemming the flow of drugs into the United States. The United States invests in the Mexican economy, which helps create jobs and opportunities for the people of Mexico, which reduces the incentive for people to turn to the cartels for employment.
As the partnership between the two countries strengthens, so does the relationship between the people of Mexico and the United States. Trade and tourism flourished, and cultural exchange became commonplace.
The drug war is far from over, but the two countries are finally working together towards a common goal. By legalizing cannabis and taking a fresh approach to the issue, the United States and Mexico are setting an example for the rest of the world. They have shown that with cooperation and willingness to change, anything is possible.
Except…for this scenario I’m not going to hold my breath.
Most likely, the whole thing will happen between the two extreme poles of defaults #1 and #2.
How do you think it will end… It’s strange times we live in!
Mexico is evolving around weeds, read on…
Evolution of the ratification after the ratification of the Mexican drug cartel
