Abstract
The United States of America and Mexico are known to not only share the same border but also engage in illegal drug dealings. In fact, the main thing that comes to fore when the two nations are named revolves around their drug business. This paper reveals how the drug menace stands out as a facet that bothers the United States of America government when it comes to defining its relationship with Mexico. Cross-border drug trafficking is an issue that develops into many other problems that have to be dealt with by the concerned governments. A closer look at many cross-border challenges that emanate from drugs shows that such problems can be eliminated once drug trafficking is controlled. Many terms have been coined in relation to fighting the challenge of drug trafficking and its effect. Besides, as the paper confirms, other than being a menace, drug trafficking can be viewed as a vocation that creates employment in different sectors. This claim can only be substantiated from an economic sense and without bias. Violence, drug cartels, and arms trafficking among others have become synonymous with cross-border drug trade between Mexico and America.
Introduction
For almost a century, the United States of America has been fighting the drug menace in its society. The proximity of drug manufacturing countries such as Mexico and Colombia to America has exacerbated the problem. Citizens of these countries find a ready and lucrative market in the United States of America. Hence, they are determined to exploit it using all means. Drug trafficking has evolved into an organized crime with a global perspective. According to Ioan (2013), the need to control the lucrative but illicit trade has encouraged these groups to establish organized groups that operate with an economic sense. Money from drug trade is usually channeled through unofficial means as a way of avoiding official scrutiny by government agencies. The pursuit to control drug trade has degenerated into a vicious turf war in the United States of America and Mexico. Indeed, as Campbell and Tobin (2014) assert, drug suppliers from Mexico struggle to control trade routes into America while drug vendors in American states fight wars to control the selling points. Drug cartels have become a vehicle for breaking all laws on the international stage by further engaging in criminal activities such as human trafficking and arms trade. These factors have a direct effect on the United States of America’s effort to fight this trade and general governance. This paper examines drug trafficking as a trade and its effect on the rule of law in the United States of America.
Counter Argument
Although the drug trafficking problem in the United States is mostly viewed from a criminal perspective, it also doubles up as a socioeconomic problem. The divide between America and Mexico in terms of quality of life provides a lead into the notion that the drug problem may not end soon. American society traces its foundations to liberty and freedom. This value has been exploited to the furthest point to give the peoples’ spirit the urge to liberate from anything that ties them down. Drugs provide this liberty. Drugs act as a recreational tool that allows its users to wander into different states of mind that provide excitement to the individual. The American society has the purchasing power thus provides a ready market. On the other hand, Mexican society views American society as a market for their goods. To this society, drug trafficking is a source of income that should be protected in equal measure. Therefore, the economic divide between these two societies creates an interdependence that is difficult to eradicate. Calderon (2012) explains not only how transnational organized crime evolves from one problem to the other but also the consequences it has on both countries. He further explains the difference between drug trafficking and organized crime and their consequences to society (Calderon, 2012). The argument points on this debate can be found in the discussion areas in the paper.
The US and Mexico Case Study
The United States of America shares a common border that runs up to 3145 kilometers spanning the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Part of this border has been fenced off as a measure to stop illegal entry from Mexico into America. Although the two countries share the same border, the United States of America has put in considerable measures to secure its boundary (Klaus, 2015). Illegal entries between the two countries bother the American side more than the Mexican authorities. The two countries further share a perimeter in the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Sea. Legal entries sum up to 350 million persons who cross between the two countries annually. The rugged nature of the border has encouraged Mexican drug dealers to use the vast unmanned borderlines as their conduit for transporting drugs into American society. Calderon (2012) finds that the drug business between the United States of America and Mexico is worth over $34 billion and that this figure continues to expand with time. Human trafficking has been identified as another problem emanating from the drug trade. Drug cartels emboldened by their activities have seized the opportunity of their knowledge about unmanned border points to smuggle people to America. Mexican drug cartels have employed both simple and sophisticated methods to transport drugs. These methods include human mules, tunnels, and the use of drones to deliver their consignments (Kostelnik & Skarbek, 2013). Many deaths have been related directly or indirectly to drug business on both sides of the border. Collaboration between the two countries has led to the development of different initiatives to curb the trade and its effects to society.
War on Drugs
The war on drugs in the United States of America is fought by different agencies that work in collaboration with each other. The main department dealing with this menace is the Drug Enforcement Agency. It is assisted in its operations by all relevant enforcement agencies that are mandated to keep law and order. In the 2015/2016 fiscal year, the Obama administration allocated $25.4 billion dollars for fighting drugs. The budgetary allocation was meant to cover all activities that touch on drugs in America. War on drugs has been fought by the two countries either in collaboration or as individual nations. During President Caledron’s reign, the Merida initiative received $1.4 billion to help the Mexican government in fighting the drug menace. The American government extended its support by providing training programs, equipment, and personnel to the Mexican administration to combat drug trafficking. However, this war has had its ramifications on the American and the Mexican society. Klingner and Espinosa (2014) assert, “The war has emboldened drug cartels by making them more powerful and daring in their operations” (p. 5). Mexican drug cartels have evolved their enforcement organs that have been used to fight back the state organs. They have employed armed groups with paramilitary training. Besides, they have armed the same groups with sophisticated weapons. These groups have turned into governments of their own based on how they operate with utmost impunity. The war on drugs by America will not be won soon because of its dynamic nature. Besides the trade being lucrative, raw materials are readily available in Latin America.
Jobs Drug Trafficking Creates
Drug trafficking is an industry that generates jobs, both formally and informally, with good returns. The persistence of this industry has been fueled by the availability of demand and supply. The demand side is mostly found in both America and Mexico. Most drugs are manufactured in Colombia and channeled through Mexico to the American market. All the players in this field make good money worth their effort. When one looks at the formal side of employment, the government has created agencies with personnel to fight the drug menace (Horace & Eom, 2009). Employment opportunities, courtesy of drug trafficking, can be found in all agencies that are mandated to control the drug business. Drug treatment centers that offer solutions to people afflicted with the drug problem can also be counted among areas of employment, courtesy of drug trafficking. In essence, the trickledown effect of drug trafficking has forced the government and the society in general to employ measures to fight the problem, albeit indirectly (Logan, 2013). On the informal side, drug trafficking has created employment to a string of players in the drug chain. Drug mules are paid to risk their lives by transporting drugs across borders. Once in America, the distribution chain provides employment to many people who pass the drug to consumers. Despite being an illicit affair, drug trafficking is an economic pursuit that cannot be ignored.
Violence on Drug Trafficking
Drug trafficking has become synonymous with violence in all societies. In the American-Mexican relation, the problem has been pushed to unprecedented heights that cannot be explained. Many drug dealers are at the same time drug users who suffer from drug effects of drug impairment. This situation has led to many violent situations being related to drug use and the whole trade of drug trafficking. Besides, violence in drug trafficking has been related to turf wars. Mass killings in Mexico have resulted from cartels that control trade areas. Therefore, they kill people who they perceive to be competitors. The cartels are known to maim innocent people as a way of stamping their authority and/or warning others on the punishment to be meted on them (Morris, 2012). A look at the drugs trade indicates the need to control the supply of the substance as a way of keeping the market prices up. The best way has involved the use of force to fight competitors. Other than violence on competitors, drug cartels mete violence on people who are suspected to collaborate with law enforcers. Therefore, the cartels have killed any collaboration between the people and authorities as a way of having order.
Drug Cartels/Lords and their Power
Drug cartels, just like the Sinaloa, became famous for their extraordinary exploits that saw them export many drugs to the United States of America. Such groups have evolved into global cartels whose operations supply drugs into all corners of the world. Organized criminal groups have developed an elaborate system that controls and supplies drugs. These groups also traffic arms as part of their trade using their contacts on the global arena. Just like the Italian Mafia, drug cartels evolve with time under the leadership of specific individuals (Klaus, 2015). Most of these individuals become so powerful through ruthless means that instill fear among the people who work for them. Drug lords have been known to kill at will. They torture their victims as a way of extracting submission. Mexico has seen a surge in mass killings from drug cartels. It has accomplished this mission as a way of fighting the government’s effort to contain drug trafficking. A look at how drug cartels and drug lords operate will reveals that they (cartels) comprise very powerful people and groups. The amount of resources these groups have enables them to afford anything they want (Tanner, 2005). They are able to compromise a whole government system to their advantage. The case of El Chapo escaping from jail at will is such an indicator.
Danger to the Economy
Drug trafficking is a danger to the economy from different perspectives because the industry transacts huge volumes of cash from the lowest point of the economic ladder. The main danger that drug trafficking poses to the economy is the effect of money laundering. Drug money is moved in cash through unofficial channels as a way of evading enforcement agencies. Looking at this point from an economic point, one realizes that such money can easily cause inflation within the country’s economy because it is not subject to fiscal structures that control monetary flow (Horace & Eom, 2009). The value of the drug business is higher than $34 billion. Such an amount of money has a drastic effect on the economy of the country. Furthermore, drug trafficking and its operations can easily kill other businesses and business prospects. Many areas that are synonymous with drugs are repellent to investors of other business interests because of violence (Kostelnik & Skarbek, 2013). A look at the American neighborhoods with drug history shows that such areas are dilapidated. They lack many amenities that should be available. Visitors to these areas are always viewed suspiciously and hence a target for violence. Such repulsive behavior is a danger to the economic development of the nation.
Conclusion
Drug trafficking is a complex industry that may not be eliminated any time soon. The American government should realize that drugs are part of the society based on the way they have influenced societal affairs. The same society that the government yearns to protect from drugs yearns for the drugs. Total bans on drugs and other legislative frameworks put in place have failed to contain the menace. Thus, the government needs to work more on reducing it than on eliminating it. It will also be prudent for the American government to read from the same script with the Latin-American society because drugs such as cocaine originate from the coca plant, which is a traditional crop from these communities. Coming up with a framework for scheming the growth of this plant can play a better role in controlling the drug trade. Finally, proper management of the border with Mexico will help a great deal to control drug trafficking. The government will be required to invest more in border control as a way of managing drug trafficking.
Reference List
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