In War on Drugs, US Lawmakers Blind to Cartels and Corruption in Their Midst El Universal
go to original October 19, 2014

Three Brothers and One Dirty Secret: There is a problem in Mexico. Some of its links to America are well-known - others less so. Watch to find out more and visit the website at GlobalWitness.org. (GlobalWitness)

Forty years ago, the then president of United States, Richard Nixon, took his country into the longest war it has ever been involved in: the "war on drugs." It is a campaign that this great global power, based on all the evidence, has lost.

The effects of that defeat have influenced U.S. public opinion: the states of Colorado and Washington have already legalized marijuana for recreational use and 19 others allow for the consumption of the plant for medicinal purposes. In Mexico, lawmakers haven't even begun to discuss the issue.

The problem is that the Mexican cartels, which initially only exported drugs, have diversified: in addition to their drug-related activities, they have added the exploitation of persons, extortion and kidnapping. In addition, these activities are also indirectly assisted by the world's largest consumer of drugs.

According to the U.S. government itself, seven Mexican cartels operate in that country, where they obtain resources through the sale of drugs and weapons to further extract income from the population of Mexico. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), at least 2,000 police officers in the country are under investigation for alleged links to organized crime.

It's not a new subject that should come as a surprise to our neighboring country. During President Obama's first administration, about 130 U.S. Customs & Border Protection agents were arrested on charges of corruption linked to the drug cartels in Mexico. In 2009 alone, the DHS Inspector General's Office opened 839 corruption investigations involving agents of that agency.

The dimensions of the influence amassed by Mexico's organized crime cartels would be unthinkable without the active involvement of accomplices within the U.S. government. Up until now, it has been found that the level of infiltration has reached border county sheriffs. One must consider the possibility that these networks have already spread beyond that to other authorities.

Based on the Manichean argument that corruption only affects Mexico, U.S. Congressmen have called on the government in Washington to reconsider its cooperation with Mexico's battle against crime, and have even suggested reconsidering the provision of indispensible material and logistical support. They ignore that the United States itself is in the midst of a battle against widespread corruption without which these huge criminal organizations would not have the influence they already possess.

Translated by Miguel Gutierrez

See the original at Worldmeets.US

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