A "rapid and sudden collapse" – Part 2

When the U.S. Marines banned their soldiers from taking leave in Tijuana, Mexico, it was one of those little symbols that suggested the tempest of modern Mexico, a nation engaged in a brutal civil war pitting often corrupt government officials against major drug cartels seeking free passage and safe haven in that border nation. The above headline, taken from a recent Pentagon report, is the worst-case, but very possible end-game for Mexico’s government if it is unable to stem the tide of this drug war. The recent headlines are filled with horrific stories; a recent story depicted one “cleaner” who apparently disposed of over 300 cartel murder victims in vats of acid. With new information available, it’s time to take another look at this peril beyond our southern border.

The cartels have their fingers in almost every Mexican state, almost all police departments and at the highest levels of government everywhere. Estimates place the actual leadership of over 8% of the Mexican municipal governments directly in the hands of cartel leaders. Murder is as common as traffic accidents – 2008 saw 6,000 drug-related killings (many brutal torture-slayings or beheadings), double the rate of the previous year. The battle is over control of the lucrative supply routes into the U.S., where the Mexican cartel have links to over 230 American cities, according to a federal report issued in December.

Some states are dirtier than others, but none can compete with the vile corruption of Sinaloa, a state that rests on the Pacific. The December 28, 2009 Los Angeles Times presented this little vignette: “Yudit del Rincon, a 44-year-old lawmaker, went before the state legislature this year with a proposition: Let's require lawmakers to take drug tests to prove they are clean. Her colleagues greeted the idea with applause. Then she sprang a surprise on them: Two lab technicians waited in the audience to administer drug tests to every state lawmaker. We should set the example, she said. They nearly trampled one another in the stampede to the door, Del Rincon recalled.”

The escalation in this drug war, which has decimated tourism and made life or ordinary citizens living hell, was precipitated by a crack-down initiated by Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon; Mexico’s cartels retaliated with their own militias, getting tip-offs of raids and strategies from their huge cadre of well-paid and highly corrupt officials within the government. Violence exploded, making much of Mexico too dangerous to travel.

Now the problem is spilling into the U.S., particularly the border states of Arizona and New Mexico. The February 24^th NY Times: “The Phoenix police regularly receive reports involving a border-related kidnapping or hostage-taking in a home… The Maricopa County attorney’s office said such cases rose to 241 last year from 48 in 2004, though investigators are not sure of the true number because they believe many crimes go unreported.” High grade weapons smuggling, into Mexico, is often launched from the American side of the border. New Mexico is struggling with mega-wealthy Mexican drug lords who have bought homes for their wives and children but continue to ply their violence south of the border.

Shortly before his inauguration, President Obama met with Calderon to explore America’s involvement in solving this very threatening situation. We already supply over $400 million for equipment, software and training for use in this drug war, but Mexico wants to step-up the intelligence-sharing, direct cooperation and financial aid from the U.S. Given the potential consequences, I can’t disagree, bad economy notwithstanding. It is vastly less expensive to stop this drug war on the other side of the border.

I’m Peter Dekom, and I approve this message.