O'Day (2000) provides numerous case studies of Mexican military operating north of the border. One month after this assassination, the very progressive and reform oriented Chief of Police of Tijuana, Jose Fredrico Benitez, was murdered. Robinson, Linda, "Mexican mayhem," U.S. News and World Report, July 12, 1999, p. 39. The 2000 certification also had its foes on Capital Hill. Newsweek, June 26, 2000, pp. Perhaps an equal amount of money is brought into the country from the drug trade. Meth production does have its problems(12), however, but with the proper equipment it is relatively easy to make, has a significant profit margin (as much as 1:10; see Arax and Gorman, 1995), and is going through a huge surge in popularity in the United States. AFP, "Latin American leaders slam U.S. assessment on drug fighting efforts," 2/27/98, internet. Sinaloa Cartel's El G1, Puppetmaster of Politicians, Arrested in Durango Subsequently postal money orders and cashiers checks are written on those accounts and mailed to the Colombians, who then may use these financial instruments to purchase commodities in Colombia. In 2000, the activities of 32 countries will be examined. An important Sinaloa Cartel - Los Cabreras figure named Gerardo Soberanes Ortiz, alias El G1, was arrested in Durango. This proved to be somewhat of a difficult task, for both the PAN candidate (Guanajarto Governor and former Coca-Cola executive Vincent Fox) and the PRD candidate (Mexico City Mayor, Cuautehmoc Cardenas) were strong contenders. Frontline, "Colombian Drug War," 4/20/00. Foreign Relations Committee and several Congressional appropriation subcommittees. Money laundering investigative efforts will also continue, especially in light of the highly successful late 1990s effort, Operation Casablanca. He has also openly challenged the United States and Canada to spend up to $30 billion annually to close the "development gap" with Mexico so as to realize an economic convergence between the three nations. Federal agents executed simultaneous arrests Nov. 15 in the Chicago area and in Laredo, Texas. UPI, "U.S., Mexico outline drug strategy," UPI, 2/6/98, internet. Emerging on the scene in early 1994, some 150 people were killed in confrontations between the EZLN and government troops. head of la Divisin Antidrogas de la corporacin, Ramn Eduardo Pequeo,, said AFP, "Mexican opposition, ruling party running neck-and-neck: poll," 8/30/99, internet. to Chicago. Former Deputy Attorney General Javier Coello Trejo was accused of accepting $1.5 million per month by a policeman who testified during the trial of Garcia-Abrego in Houston. The matter is even more complicated due to the fact that green American dollars are no longer considered negotiable currency in Colombia. The most complete information about the large village of Los Herrera (photos, maps, statistics, population) on a single page. Time will proverbially tell if this proposal is seriously considered by the American leadership. President Fox, however, has publicly stated that if evidence of criminal wrongdoing undertaken by his predecessor came to light, he would do what he could to institute legal proceedings against him (Weymouth, 2000, p. 35). AFP, "Mexico's ruling party approves primary rules," 6/14/99, internet. Associated Press, "Mexico drug certification likely," 3/1/99, internet. Consider the following strategies: 1. He proposed a new plan for business with Colombia. Minor changes in substance, but major in that they were the first real chip in the PRI shield and its party-state model. More substantively, he signed a free-trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association that will go into effect in July of 2001 . Dedazo, Spanish for "big finger," refers to the closed, secretive method used by seated Mexican presidents to unilaterally designate their own successors (AFP, 2/27/99). Possession of American currency has national security implications in Colombia - if you have lots of American cash it is surely drug money, and you may be working with our enemies - FARC and/or the ELN. what I can see they do have the area on lockdown. Less than 200 miles are currently fenced, and that fencing is literally full of holes. 14. The Herrera family has close ties with families in the town of Carreras, durango. The efforts proved to be far too little and too late. The plane had been re-directed to Dallas because of bad weather. Dollars sent home by Mexican workers located in America have become a crucial and integral component of the Mexican economy, surpassing American investment in Mexico by nearly one billion dollars per year (AFP, 10/30,00). Leadership of this cartel is currently being contested, but Adado' brother Vicente seems now to have gained control. Wonder if theyre with el chapo now or the zetas. The six primary Mexican syndicates with international capabilities currently operating are as follows(2): 1. AFP, "Top Mexican, US officials to meet amid new drug claims," 6/2/99, internet. The suspect Jaime Herrera Herrera was detained in Culiacan in Sinaloa state along with an alleged accomplice. Durango Becoming Ground Zero for Zetas-Sinaloa Cartel Battle Brutality and calloused disregard for life became the norm for rebel and soldier alike. Mayor Enrquez Herrera would go on to run for senator and win the position. With smuggling networks in place, the 1970s saw the cartels branch out on their own and begin to smuggle the high demand drug, marijuana, into the United States. El G1 is infamous for allegedly owning the Senator of Durango, Jos Ramn Enrquez Herrera, whose political campaign he helped finance. The matter has become more convoluted due to the recent emergence of a powerful right-wing entity, the Self-Defense Force. It is unclear at this point how the military will deal with this new challenge. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 allowed for nearly 4 million illegals (the plurality of whom were from Mexico) to permanently stay in the U.S., apply for citizenship and ultimately bring in close relatives. Despite the public proclamations of mutual support and cooperation, the United States seems generally prepared to continue its model of unilateral interdiction. AFP, "Mexico arrests former top cop," 3/28/98, internet. Maintain tight contacts with Mexican government officials. The command of the In response to the issue of American corruption, he recently responded, "I ask myself how tons and tons of drugs enter the United States without anyone noticing and how consumption grows without anybody stopping it." Los herreras durango . - YouTube Belmont, CA: West/Wadsworth, 1998. eventually resulted in the seizure of 39 kilograms of heroin, as well as the ALL in Carreras town are in it since the 50's. 9/27/00, internet. 4. This criminal cell - they accuse - was led by Edgar Herrera Pardo, known as El Caimn, and operated mainly in Tijuana and Tecate. Data: In Los Herrera, 32% of individuals have completed secondary education and 16% of households have a personal computer, laptop or tablet. President Fox has expanded his vision, calling for a coordinated Latin American war against drugs trafficking (Associated Press, 10/9/00). Gene Hanrahan), North Carolina: Documentary Publishers, 1985. Chapos Meth Maker "El Viejito" apprehended ~ Borderland Beat Generaciones enteras se han baado en Hervideros y disfrutando los beneficios teraputicos del agua termal. The overall estimate of the total illegal immigrant population in the U.S. ranges from 5 to 6 million, and is growing. In an historical context, that move is now generally viewed as having been successful. Reuters, "Clinton, Zedillo try to ease strain," 5/7/97, internet. In 1994 sheriffs of two border counties were jailed along with a county clerk and a county judge. In 1963, the much loved Mexican President Lopez Mateos instituted measures that permitted new voices to enter the Chamber of Deputies. With the changing political winds, Excelsior is now paying the price for its years of prostituted reporting. The Gulf Cartel is based in south Texas (Brownsville and Laredo) and northeastern Mexico (Tamaulipas) and controls the gulf region, as its name implies. According to the background the 'JH' was arrested Mexican police are prone to corruption for many reasons. President Fox has of late pressed matters in the press, openly calling on the United States to take on a greater responsibility for the drug problems (Associated Press, 11/27/00). value increases as it moves to America. That operation was shut down in May of 1993 however. To be successful, he will need to take control of the economy away from the traditional Mexican power brokers, and that will not be easy. Informacin interesante. An additional example of the game that is played - a few hours after the United States announced that Mexico had been re-certified in 1997, Mexico announced that Humberto Abrego, a major player in the Gulf Cartel who was in custody in Mexico, walked out of the police headquarters and escaped somehow. He was so offensive that those with whom he was making deals wanted to kill him. INTRODUCTION TO THE DRUG CARTELS AND THE DRUG WARS Endless and eternal is their name. By 1997, it appeared that Colombia's drug cartels were going to die out. Those dollars are integral to the Mexican economy - clinics are built, teachers are hired, roads are constructed, churches are erected. Zacatecas: CJNG Responds to Cartel de Sinaloa Video Message Early life and career[edit] During the 1930s he began smuggling whisky across the Mexico-United States borderthrough south Texas. "All we can do is act as a voice of conscience to encourage these people to avoid danger, but the deaths will continue because people are desperate," says Grupo Beta coordinator Agua Preita (LaFranchi, 2000, p. 2). During the 1999 certification process, however, neither Mica nor Feinstein challenged President Clinton regarding the re-certification of Mexico, although both publicly indicated that they still had serious reservations about the decision. The Sonora Cartel was founded by Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, who although imprisoned, appears to still be a major player in the new formed Federation, in part because he is the uncle of the Felix-Arellano brothers. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one. Associated Press, "Non-Panama presence hurts drug fight," 7/30/99, internet. AFP, "Mexican television host murdered for drug debts - prosecutor," 8/27/99, internet. market, dam thats alot. From the standpoint of the business community, the need to move commodities in an expedient fashion is paramount, especially perishable goods which make up a significant portion of the Mexican-American trade. Recent court testimony has revealed how torture, kidnapping, and murder has been used regularly by the PRI to maintain control and generally crush dissident voices; a model similar to that used by Joseph Stalin decades ago (AFP, 9/3/99). Two left-wing terrorist groups, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN), have picked up the drug trade gavel dropped by the Colombian cartels, and are now running the show. Associated Press, "Border crackdown blamed for tension," 7/28/99, internet. When asked by Mexican officials to put a stop to this illegal arms trade, American officials have indicated that the demand for the weapons is on the Mexican end, so they, the Mexicans, should stop it - an interesting bit of international diplomatic hypocrisy that the United States can engage in, because at present it has the biggest stick. The Juarez Cartel is now paying El Paso gangs in drugs and weapons for stolen vehicles. AFP, "More than 350 Mexicans died trying to enter US illegally in 2000." 9. Tied in to this is his call for increased privatization of state-owned industries, and a desire to join Mercusor, the Argentine and Brazilian dominated free-trade bloc. According to the same government report, there are now approximately 20,000 drug dealers in Mexico who sell their products in more than 8,000 schools just in Mexico City alone. He also had Gutierrez Rebollo, the Mexican Drug Czar, on his payroll. In what may become a decided shift in public policy efforts, Barry McCaffrey noted, "you cannot arrest yourself out of a drug problem." UPI, "California man convicted in largest meth conspiracy ever," 4/23/97, internet. AFP, "Mexican authorities investigate death of official accused of drug links," 5/29/99, internet. The Mexican Attorney General's office announced the arrests of seven members of the Juarez Cartel in May of 1997. AFP, "Former police chief arrested on drug charges," 2/27/99, internet. Senator backs Mexican call for scrapping of 'certification'," 9/22/00, internet. Sicarios scream: We are the absolute Cartel Jalisco! They have survived changing markets and fluctuating political climates. Instead of paying with cash, the Colombians would forfeit half of their cocaine shipments to Garcia-Abrego who then took the risk of selling, but also took the profits (Lupsha, 1995:90). Do you like Los Herrera? the polydrug trafficking Herrera and Zambrana families. of chocolate bars. At present, Mexican residents in the border zone are legally permitted to own American manufactured vehicles that are no less than five years old. To date however, some very public and seemingly legitimate efforts are being undertaken by President Fox in an attempt to steer his nation down this new path, and he has taken a very aggressive public position on a number of fronts since his election. El Arqui fled to a cave nearby and hid out inside it, protected by a number of bodyguards. Western Union records. There is some precedent for this - the European community, for example, has seen some success in its multi-national cooperative law enforcement efforts as they have taken on the Italian mafia(Edelbacher, 1998). As the phenomenal economic run in America continues(and there appears no end in sight), the economic migration from south to north will likewise continue. "It seems every law enforcement agent who can't be corrupted is killed" (Bulita, 1997). Adopting the role of benevolent autocrat, he saw Mexico through a period of general economic growth, peace, and prosperity. With more than $6 billion a year of much needed U.S. currency pouring into the Mexican economy from legals and illegals working north of the border, half of which likely comes from illegals (the so-called 'wet-back dollars'), American law enforcement can expect little serious help from the Mexican government in this arena (AFP, 10/30/00). Mexican In July of 1993, nearly 6 tons of Cali/Sinaloa cocaine was seized in El Salvador (Reuters, 6/12/93), and Sinaloa co-leader "El Guero" (Hector Luis Palma Salazar) was eventually arrested. How will the cartels in Mexico and the rest of Latin American respond to this initiative? There is very little grass-roots opposition to the cartels among the Mexican people. The world community is certainly supportive. AFP, "Mexico to get 23.7 billion dollar financial aid package," 6/15/99, internet. Christian Science Monitor, "Drugs surge from Mexico as U.S. hunts for solution," 2/29/96, p. 1, 10. In September 1977, DEA agents at JFK Airport TexThey tie him to the Herrera Drugtraffickingfamily. Durango to Chicago. Larmer, Brook, "A leap of faith," Newsweek, 3/10/97, pp. In the summer of 1999, a U.S. spy plane crashed in Colombia, bringing some measure of publicity to this unfolding drama (see generally, Hammer and Isikoff, 1999). It will surely be an organic document, subject to change and amendment over time. whose family members began the org in the 50s. Again, the September 1999 arrests by U.S. officials of 93 Juarez cartel associates mentioned previously, along with the loss of drug supplies and millions in currency will surely serve to weaken the Juarez cartel and further strengthen the Gulf Cartel and The Federation. There are probably a dozen Mexican syndicates that are involved in the drug trade. Only time will tell if this was mere political posturing or an agreement of real substance. As of this writing, the cartels are moving with great success, perhaps too much success, for the street level law enforcement community reports that drug supplies are up, purity is up, and prices are down. His willingness to pump additional oil to ease the winter 2000-2001 energy crisis, and his public support for a reduction and long-term stabilization of oil prices is even more central to American interests. Christian Science Monitor, "Mexico: drug justice deferred," 5/23/99, internet. It appears as if the cartel leaders, even those who are not in partnership with the Mexican leadership, are willing to play along with the certification game, to give themselves up from time to time for a token arrest, and to let a small cache of their drugs be publicly "captured" and burned to achieve a positive public relations effect. Adding to the problem of rank-and-file officer corruption is an internalized and institutionalized mode of corruption within the police ranks. What is clear is that the Mexican military are heavily involved in the transportation of marijuana and that they will use force to protect their business. Several (4) Senate seats were lost in 1988, and a state gubernatorial race was lost for the first time in 1989. The Gulf (or Matamoros) Cartel - This cartel was run by Juan Garcia-Abrego, but he was captured in January of 1996 and convicted in Texas in October of that year. A recent episode involving two low-ranking American military personnel attempting to smuggle a group of Mexicans across the border near Tijuana may only be considered a singular episode (AFP, 10/13/00), but people smuggling has the potential to overtake the drug trade in terms of gross revenue and profitability in the 21st century. Use these stars ("0" you like little, "5" you like a lot) to rate with your opinion. Among other voices, United States Senators Paul Coverdell and Dianne Feinstein want to see Mexico more aggressively cracking down on drug barons and assisting in extraditing them to America. Or don't you like it much? As Abadinsky (2000:257) has pointed out, "the Herrera's did not buy off the power structure in Durango - they are the power structure." In the midst of a heated campaign for the first time in its 70 year history as has been discussed, the matter has spun out of control. Jalisco cartel now has presence in 28 states: US Congress Since 1990, the United States has increased the number of DEA agents on the border by 37 percent. They are enmeshed in the local socio-economic, political scene, and the family basically controls the state. Bad PR move, maybe Chapo found out and turned him in? "These are just isolated cases of smugglers reacting to increased patrols," said Carlos Luna Herrera, regional coordinator of Grupo Beta (AP, 7/28/99). Did you know that this town in Durango has 653 inhabitants? 6. AFP, "Mexico lacks sufficient resources in fighting drugs: top US official," 6/3/99, internet. Only recently has there been even a crack in PRI dominance. The most vocal critic during the 1999 re-certification process came from House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt who was quoted as saying, "Mexico has not done enough to meet the requirements of our law" (PST, 3/1/99). The Calexico area was once a relatively easy target for smugglers with only 81 agents assigned to patrol the area in 1996, and only a small handful of those 81 agents worked any given night shift. Consider the following statement made in 1997 by Thomas Constantine, then Director of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): "These sophisticated drug syndicate groups from Mexico have eclipsed organized crime groups from Colombia as the premier law enforcement threat facing the United States." The matter became all the more politically charged when it was revealed several months ago that a significant portion of the delinquent loans that will now be paid off with tax dollars were campaign donations to the PRI (Associated Press, 9/1/99). Recent works have begun to surface which speak to this issues (Morris, 1991; Nadelmann, 1993), though many are in Spanish. Criticism and finger-pointing has become commonplace on both sides of the Rio Grande. Some would classify the Sinaloa Cartel as a major player, but its current power seems to be greatly diminished. Once nominated in this party-state system, the PRI candidate is all but elected. This occurred only hours before Tavia was to propose a plan to the Attorney General to purge the regional police of corrupt officers. Another market of interest to the cartels involves stolen vehicles. Reuters, "Mexico drug war diverts cocaine back to Florida," 2/13/98, internet. THE RISE OF THE MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS The Mexican cartels originated in response to a demand for smuggling both people and contraband into the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. Edelbacher, Max, "Organized crime in Europe," Paper presented at the 1998 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Meetings, Albuquerque, March 1998. 41-47. 421-443. wasn't his dad hard line against any use. The nation encompasses 756,000 square miles and has a population of nearly 100,000,000. Rather, they seem to be deeply imbedded in the current Mexican socio-political, economic scene. The PRI was wildly successful and eventually blended in with the government, evolving into the present autocratic party-state system, which has brought Mexico a relative measure of domestic peace over the past 70 years (see generally, Meyer and Sherman, 1979).