| Michael Webster: Investigative Reporter May | | | | Regardless of decades of efforts, and billios |
| 12, 2008 9:00 PM PDT | | | | of dollars, the United States has not been |
| | | | able to eradicate or even qualitatively |
| Â | | | | reduce this demand. As an advanced industrial |
| | | | country, the United States has a great deal |
| Mexico's National Security Cabinet is holding | | | | of money available to satisfy the demand for |
| an emergency meeting and is expected to | | | | illegal drugs. This makes the supply of |
| declare a state of emergency. They will also | | | | narcotics to a large market attractive. In |
| discuss President Felipe Caldron's current | | | | fact, it almost doesn't matter how large |
| strategies against the Mexican war on drug | | | | demand is. Regardless of how it varies, the |
| cartels. Analysts say they expect the death | | | | economics are such that even a fraction of |
| toll nation wide among the security forces to | | | | the current market will attract sellers. |
| climb, because the traffickers, under assault | | | | |
| both from the government and rival gangs, | | | | Â The Houston Chronicle reports that |
| believe they have nothing to lose. | | | | because they are involved in an illegal |
| | | | business, drug dealers cannot take recourse |
| "I know that organized crime reacts like this | | | | to the courts or police to protect their |
| because they know we're hitting their | | | | assets. Protecting the supply chain and |
| criminal structure," said President Felipe | | | | excluding competition are opposite sides of |
| Calderon of Mexico. "We must join together to | | | | the same coin. Protecting assets is major |
| fight this evil. We must all come together in | | | | cost of running a drug ring. It suppresses |
| saying a categorical, 'enough is enough.'" | | | | competition, both by killing it and by |
| | | | raising the cost of entry into the market. |
| Calderon is reported to be rushing more | | | | The illegality of the business requires that |
| Mexican Army troops to the border cities of | | | | it be large enough to manage the supply chain |
| Juarez, Tijuana, Mexicali, Palomas and | | | | and absorb the cost of protecting it. It |
| others. Its believed that Mexico has 36,000 | | | | gives high incentives to eliminate potential |
| troops fighting the Mexican drug cartels and | | | | competitors and new entrants into the market. |
| their para-military. | | | | In the end, it creates a monopoly or small |
| | | | oligopoly in the business, where the |
| Calderon is seeking U.S. military aid under | | | | comparative advantage ultimately devolves |
| the provisions of the Merida Initiative, a | | | | into the effectiveness of the supply chain |
| multiyear $1.4 billion anti-narcotics package | | | | and the efficiency of the private police |
| proposed by President Bush. | | | | force protecting it. |
| | | | |
| Â Many of the leaders of the cabinet say | | | | That means that the Mexican drug cartels have |
| that the Caldron administrations effort to | | | | evolved in several predictable ways. They |
| curb the violence is failing and that is | | | | have huge amounts of money flowing in from |
| putting the country in danger. Mexican | | | | the U.S. market by selling relatively |
| newspapers report some attendants were | | | | low-cost products at monopolistic prices into |
| Secretary of Government, Juan Mourino and his | | | | markets with inelastic demand curves. Second, |
| counterpart in Sinaloa, Jesus Aguilar. Also | | | | they have unique expertise in covert |
| present was the Secretary of Defense, | | | | logistics, expertise that can be transferred |
| Guillermo Galvan and the Attorney General | | | | to the movement of other goods. Third, they |
| Eduardo Medina, plus the Secretary of Federal | | | | develop substantial security capabilities, |
| Public Security, Genaro Garcia, Genaro Garcia | | | | which can grow over time into full-blown |
| Luna, the federal security secretary, the | | | | paramilitary forces to protect the supply |
| Secretary of the Navy and the Director | | | | chain. Fourth, they are huge capital pools, |
| of National Investigations and Security | | | | investing in the domestic economy and |
| Center among other leaders. | | | | manipulating the political system. |
| | | | |
| As the death toll rises in the bloody war on | | | | A Mexican college professor who wants to be |
| drugs in Mexico with more police officers, | | | | nameless said "cartels can challenge - and |
| soldiers and other officials being | | | | supplant - governments. Between huge amounts |
| unmercifully slaughtered the violence remains | | | | of money available to bribe officials, and |
| unabated. The death toll is more than 3600 | | | | covert armies better equipped, trained and |
| which is attributed to the Mexican drug | | | | motivated than national police and military |
| cartels which is ravaging the country. The | | | | forces, the cartels can become the government |
| deaths have included some innocent Americans. | | | | - if in fact they didn't originate in the |
| | | | government. Getting the government to deploy |
| Edgar Millan, the federal police commissioner | | | | armed forces against the cartel can become a |
| who was gunned down while entering his Mexico | | | | contradiction in terms. In their most extreme |
| City condo early Thursday. Millan oversaw the | | | | form, cartels are the government." |
| civilian wing of the anti-narcotics | | | | |
| offensive. | | | | He went on to say, "the drug cartels have two |
| | | | weaknesses. First, they can be shattered in |
| "These are difficult hours for the Federal | | | | conflicts with challengers within the |
| Police," said Genaro Garcia Luna, the federal | | | | oligopoly or by splits within the cartels. |
| security secretary. "The nation has lost | | | | Second, their supply chains can be broken |
| three of its best men, heroes who gave their | | | | from the outside. U.S. policy has |
| lives in the conscious pursuit of an ideal: | | | | historically been to attack the supply chains |
| to build a better country for all Mexicans." | | | | from the fields to the street distributors. |
| | | | Drug cartels have proven extremely robust and |
| Federal investigators believe the Sinaloa | | | | resilient in modifying the supply chains |
| drug cartel killed Millan in revenge for his | | | | under pressure. When conflict occurs within |
| recent arrests of several of the | | | | and among cartels and systematic attacks |
| organization's top brass. The cartel, which | | | | against the supply chain take place, however, |
| leads an alliance of drug gangs known as the | | | | specific cartels can be broken - although the |
| Federation, is fighting the Juarez cartel for | | | | long-term result is the emergence of a new |
| control of Mexico's smuggling routes into the | | | | cartel system." |
| United States. But the killer must have had | | | | |
| help from inside the police agency, because | | | | In the 1980s, the United States manipulated |
| he had keys to Millan's condominium, | | | | various Colombian cartels into internal |
| officials said. Check or Google Juarez police | | | | conflict. More important, the United States |
| chief resigns for fear of his life | | | | attacked the Colombian supply chain in the |
| | | | Caribbean as it moved from Colombia through |
| Mexico's National Security Cabinet is | | | | Panama along various air and sea routes to |
| expected to ask for more help from the | | | | the United States. The weakness of the |
| Americans, even though Mexico has a history | | | | Colombian cartel was its exposed supply chain |
| of resisting U.S. military aid, a kind of old | | | | from South America to the United States. U.S. |
| fashioned notion of maintaining her | | | | military operations raised the cost so high |
| independence, her sovereignty is expected to | | | | that the route became uneconomic. |
| be put aside as they ask not only for more | | | | |
| money than the 1.4 billion Bush has promised | | | | The main route to American markets shifted |
| but on the ground training for Mexican | | | | from the Caribbean to the U.S.-Mexican |
| military by the U.S. Special Forces. And U.S. | | | | border. It began as an alliance between |
| training for Mexican national and local | | | | sophisticated Colombian cartels and |
| police forces. Both overt and covert | | | | still-primitive Mexican gangs, but the |
| operations are the new strategies Mexico will | | | | balance of power inevitably shifted over |
| be advocating. Mexico has in the past sent | | | | time. Owning the supply link into the United |
| their soldiers to Fort Bragg and other US | | | | States, the Mexicans increased their wealth |
| bases for special training. | | | | and power until they absorbed more and more |
| | | | of the entire supply chain. Eventually, the |
| Some Mexican legislators claim there is | | | | Colombians were minimized and the Mexicans |
| already clandestine covert action taking | | | | became the decisive power. |
| place in Mexico by the Americans and has | | | | |
| taken many different forms reflecting the | | | | The Americans fought the battle against the |
| diverse circumstances in which it is being | | | | Colombians primarily in the Caribbean and |
| used. | | | | southern Florida. The battle against the |
| | | | Mexican drug lords must be fought in the |
| However the circumstances have eroded to such | | | | U.S.-Mexican borderland. And while the fight |
| a point that many Mexican leaders that have | | | | against the Colombians did not involve major |
| no ties with the cartels are desperate and | | | | disruptions to other economic patterns, the |
| are encouraging an out right overt U.S. | | | | fight against the Mexican cartels involves |
| military boots on the ground operation, and | | | | potentially huge disruptions. In addition, |
| accelerate training using U.S. military, CIA, | | | | the battle is going to be fought in a region |
| DEA, FBI and U.S. Police advisers. | | | | that is already tense because of the |
| | | | immigration issue, and at least partly on |
| According to a high ranking Mexican official | | | | U.S. soil. |
| who wants to remain anonymous indicated that | | | | |
| the U.S. Mexican border is a primary focal | | | | The likely course is a multigenerational |
| point for military operations. "There are | | | | pattern of instability along the border. More |
| U.S. Army Special Forces secret operation | | | | important, there will be a substantial |
| bases both in Mexico and the United states, | | | | transfer of wealth from the United States to |
| run by the California National Guard, who are | | | | Mexico in return for an intrinsically |
| on temporary border reconnaissance missions | | | | low-cost consumable product - drugs. This |
| and are due to end within the next month or | | | | will be one of the sources of capital that |
| so." | | | | will build the Mexican economy, which today |
| | | | is 14th largest in the world. The |
| The Mexican cartels are challenging the | | | | accumulation of drug money is and will |
| Mexican government. They have huge amounts of | | | | continue finding its way into the Mexican |
| money available to bribe officials, and they | | | | economy, creating a pool of investment |
| do, and currently have covert armies | | | | capital. The children and grandchildren of |
| (para-military) that are better equipped, | | | | the Zetas will be running banks, running for |
| trained and motivated than national police | | | | president, building art museums and telling |
| and military forces, the cartels are becoming | | | | amusing anecdotes about how grandpa made his |
| the government - if in fact they didn't | | | | money running blow into Nuevo Laredo. |
| originate in the government. Getting the | | | | |
| government to deploy armed forces against the | | | | One of DEA's main functions is to coordinate |
| cartels can become a contradiction in terms. | | | | drug investigations that take place along |
| In their most extreme form, cartels are | | | | America's 2,000-mile border with Mexico; this |
| already running much of the government. So | | | | is an effort that involves thousands of |
| many ask why would America provide the | | | | federal, state, and local law enforcement |
| questionable Mexican Government 1.4 Billion? | | | | officers. Mexican drug groups have become the |
| | | | world's preeminent drug traffickers, and they |
| It is important to point out that U.S. law | | | | tend to be characterized by organizational |
| enforcement agencies have many different | | | | complexity and a high propensity for |
| types of support missions already operating | | | | violence. To counter this threat, federal |
| in Mexico. The U.S. government admits that | | | | drug law enforcement has aggressively pursued |
| they ccurrently have more than 50 federal | | | | drug trafficking along the U.S./Mexico |
| agencies working on the U.S. Mexican border. | | | | border. The DEA; Federal Bureau of |
| The Department of Homeland Security's Bureau | | | | Investigation (FBI); |
| of Customs and Border Protection (BCBP), | | | | |
| which includes the U.S. Border Patrol; United | | | | Today, the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) |
| States Attorneys; and state and local law | | | | serves as the principal national tactical |
| enforcement agencies continue to work | | | | intelligence center for drug law enforcement. |
| together to reduce the amount of illicit | | | | EPIC is multidimensional in its approach to |
| drugs entering the United States through the | | | | intelligence sharing. It has a research and |
| U.S./Mexico Border. But they are not | | | | analysis section as well as a tactical |
| successful ether. The law biding Mexicans | | | | operations section to support foreign and |
| want our strategy to be to attack major | | | | domestic intelligence and operational needs |
| Mexican-based trafficking organizations on | | | | in the field. It is staffed by |
| both sides of the border simultaneously by | | | | representatives from the DEA; FBI; U.S. Coast |
| employing enhanced intelligence and | | | | Guard; BCBP; the Bureau of Immigration and |
| enforcement initiatives and cooperative | | | | Customs Enforcement (BICE); U.S. Secret |
| efforts with the Government of Mexico. | | | | Service; Federal Aviation Administration; |
| | | | U.S. Marshals Service; National Security |
| In recent months, and after Mexican president | | | | Agency; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms |
| Caldron dispatched the Mexican army and | | | | and Explosives; Internal Revenue Service; and |
| federal police to many interior cities and to | | | | the Department of the Interior. Although the |
| Mexican cities on the Mexican U.S. border the | | | | immigration and customs functions were |
| level of violence has risen substantially, | | | | recently incorporated into the Department of |
| with some of it spilling into the United | | | | Homeland Security, representatives from BCBP |
| States. In the last few weeks, the Mexican | | | | and BICE will retain their participation in |
| government began military operations on its | | | | EPIC. |
| side of the border against Mexican drug | | | | |
| cartels and their gangs who are engaged in | | | | DEA reports that they also are maximizing the |
| smuggling drugs into the United States. The | | | | use of technology to combat drug trafficking |
| action apparently pushed some of the gang | | | | organizations. The DEA's Special Operations |
| members north into the United States in a bid | | | | Division (SOD) is a comprehensive enforcement |
| for sanctuary. But while not without | | | | operation designed specifically to coordinate |
| precedent, movement of organized, armed | | | | multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional, and |
| cadres into the United States on this scale | | | | multi-national Title III investigations |
| goes beyond what has become accepted | | | | against the command and control elements of |
| practice. The dynamics in the borderland are | | | | major drug trafficking organizations |
| shifting and must be understood in a broader, | | | | operating domestically and abroad. The |
| geopolitical context. | | | | investigative resources of SOD support a |
| | | | variety of multi-jurisdictional drug |
| Bush policy is to not disrupt the trade with | | | | enforcement investigations associated with |
| Mexico and not raising its cost has been a | | | | the Southwest Border, Latin America, the |
| fundamental principle of U.S.-Mexican | | | | Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. |
| relations. Leaving aside the contentious | | | | |
| issue of whether illegal immigration hurts or | | | | Â Drug trafficking organizations |
| helps the United States, the steps required | | | | operating along the Texas, Arizona, New |
| to control that immigration would impede | | | | Mexico, California and Mexico Border continue |
| bilateral trade. The United States therefore | | | | to be one of the greatest threats to |
| has been loath to impose effective measures, | | | | communities across this nation. The power and |
| since any measures that would be effective | | | | influence of these organizations is |
| against population movement also would impose | | | | pervasive, and continues to expand to new |
| friction on trade. It is a popular belief by | | | | markets across the United States. |
| people on both sides of the border that | | | | |
| politicians from both governments are | | | | Mexican narcotraffickers and other criminals |
| benefiting from the out of control but | | | | easily obtain their firepower north of the |
| lucrative milti - billion dollar drug trade. | | | | border. Effectively reducing the flow of |
| | | | illegal arms would mean tightening laws on |
| The United States has been willing to | | | | gun sales and ownership in the US. |
| tolerate levels of criminality along the | | | | |
| border. The only time when the United States | | | | Not just the police are coming under fire. |
| shifted its position was when organized | | | | Thousands of Mexican citizens are getting |
| groups in Mexico both established themselves | | | | caught in the crossfire. According to the US |
| north of the political border and engaged in | | | | Centers for Disease Control, Mexico has one |
| significant violence. Thus, in 1916, when the | | | | of the highest firearm homicide rates in the |
| Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa began | | | | world, about 20 for every 100,000 people. |
| operations north of the border, the U.S. Army | | | | (The rate for the United States is 7 per |
| moved into Mexico to try to destroy his base | | | | 100,000 people. In addition, there has been a |
| of operations. This has been the line that, | | | | spate of recent high-profile political and |
| when crossed, motivated the United States to | | | | narco-assassinations, many of them carried |
| take action, regardless of the economic cost. | | | | out with guns purchased illegally in the US. |
| The current upsurge in violence is now | | | | |
| pushing that line but just where that line is | | | | Many of the arms used by Mexico's |
| today is not clear. It appears the two | | | | insurgencies were supplied by Washington |
| governments keep moving the goal posts. | | | | either through massive military aid programs |
| | | | or as part of US covert operations that left |
| The United States has built-in demand for a | | | | enormous arsenals behind. Click on or Google |
| range of illegal drugs, including heroin, | | | | Merida Initiative Will It Work? |
| cocaine, methamphetamines and marijuana. | | | | |