Essay On Mexican War On Drugs

Are we winning the War on Drugs? Most opinions are split 50/50 on this question. One thing is for certain, Mexico is the biggest exporter of drugs into the United States. This epidemic has created wide-spread problems for both countries; the Mexican drug cartel has crippled their country with violence and political corruption and it has affected the United States in a social-economic way. First, let me give some reasons and history around the U.S./Mexican “Drug War”. The two major reasons why Mexico is the biggest exporter of drugs to the United States is the proximity of the two countries. The border between Mexico and the United States spans six Mexican states and four US States (California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas). In addition, there are forty five Mexico-US crossings, 330 ports of entry, two rivers, Rio Bravo and Colorado and two deserts, the Sanoran and the Chihuahuan that straddle both countries. According to the Migration Information Source, in 2004, 660,000 passengers and 12,338 trucks crossed the border every day. (Los Angeles Times 2012) This makes it very challenging for the US to catch every drug smuggling opportunity. Also, the American market for drugs is the largest in the world and …show more content…
The US federal government spent over $15 billion dollars in 2010 on the War on Drugs. This equates to $500 per second spent on battling this epidemic. (New York Times 2014) From President Richard Nixon launching Operation Intercept 1 in 1969, Ronald Reagan’s Operation Condor in the early 1980’s to President Obama’s “narcoterrorism” in the 2000’s the US has a long standing battle against drug trade in Mexico. The War on Drugs contributes to multiple challenges in the United States; Health Care Cost, Gang Violence, Money Laundering, Political and Economic Gain and Illegal Gun and Weapon Trades. Do these costs and political challenges make the War on Drug’s