Time to Reassess DoD Counternarcotics Strategy

Abstract

The level of drug-related criminal activity along the U.S.- Mexican border continues to increase and spill over into the United States. The Mexican government appears unable to effectively deal with this increase in crime. The increase in activity by the drug cartels, combined with a weakened economy, has created an environment within Mexico that is advantageous to terrorists looking to infiltrate into and launch an attack within the United States. As the Department of Defense (DoD) continues its personnel and equipment drawdown in Iraq and prepares for a similar drawdown in Afghanistan, it has an opportunity to increase its role and level of participation in countering what some have termed a growing criminal insurgency in Mexico. The purpose of this paper is to set forth a new DoD counternarcotics strategy in Mexico that is based on the reallocation of personnel and resources from the CENTCOM theater. This new strategy will support U.S. national efforts to disrupt, contain, and defeat the criminal insurgency at our border.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 10, 2011
Accession Number
ADA559981

Entities

People

  • Ryan P. Heritage

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Combatant Commanders
  • Criminals
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Drug Abuse
  • Geography
  • Governments
  • Homeland Security
  • Military Science
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • United States Northern Command
  • United States Southern Command
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Economics
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.