National Strategy for the Southwest Border: Having the Desired Effect?
Abstract
Over the past two years, the Mexican government has experienced a drastic increase in violence stemming from the drug cartels operating within the nation. Simultaneously, the United States has seen an increase in violent crimes in cities and towns along the southwest border. This paper examines research on the drug cartels to better understand their composition and objectives. Understanding their composition and objectives is fundamental to assessing the effectiveness of U.S. policies aimed at reducing violence and the amount of drugs entering the United States. Because the United States views this increase in violence as a growing threat to its national security, the paper will analyze the effectiveness of U.S. national strategies, particularly those aimed at reducing the flow of drugs, and whether they meet the following objectives: to effectively disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations, to substantially reduce the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, and to improve U.S.-Mexican cooperation regarding joint counterdrug efforts. The paper concludes with recommendations for improving the effectiveness of these policies to ensure the security of our southwest border, which is essential in a post 9/11 environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 18, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA560101
Entities
People
- Mark S. Lovejoy
Organizations
- United States Army War College