Mexican Cartels: Threat and Response
Abstract
Mexico began an all-out offensive against Mexico's transnational drug cartels in 2006, calling the Army and Navy to assist police with law and order. After six years the Mexican cartels still threaten U.S. interests and remain a national security threat to the United States. The U.S. and Mexico are inextricably linked economically, geographically, and culturally and threats to U.S. interests posed by the cartels require focused attention. While significant spill-over violence has not yet reached the U.S., the cartels have expanded operations in the U.S. and their brutal violent acts in Mexico impact U.S. interests. This paper argues that the war on drugs in Mexico has been a failure and that a new approach is needed. The United States and Mexico must continue to work together in order to diminish the levels of violence within Mexico, prevent spillover violence into the United States, and diminish the influence of the cartels. Finally, this paper will recommend changes to the current strategy to achieve those ends.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA590275
Entities
People
- Nicholas P. Vavich
Organizations
- United States Army War College