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Mexico’s Drug Problem

Mexico is known as one of the best spring break attractions for the many collegiate students in the United States with its beautiful beaches and its unique atmosphere. As spring break approaches, many will head off to Mexico and its beaches for a good time with their friends and family, but they rarely consider the darker sides of the country of Mexico. I chose to research Mexico because I have always wanted to visit there after hearing all the fun stories from my friends. As I furthered my research I discovered their problem dealing with drugs. The drug cartel is one of Mexico’s largest problems if not the biggest. The Mexican drug cartels have been around for decades but didn’t start to become a huge problem until the Colombian Cali and Medellín cartels slowed down in the 1990’s.

The origins of the Mexican drug cartel can be traced back to a man named Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. He was a former Mexican Judicial Federal Police agent. He was the first person to team up with the notorious Columbian cocaine cartels. He began by sneaking marijuana and opium into the United States. In the 1980’s there were no other drug cartels in Mexico. Nicknamed “The Godfather,” this man oversaw all drug operations in Mexico. Instead of politicians protecting the innocent citizens they paid “The Godfather” for protection for themselves. He decided to divide up what he controlled because it was least likely to be caught by law enforcement. He was arrested on April 8th of 1989. This began conflicts between the newly formed cartels, which exponentially increased Mexico’s drug problem.

“YOU don’t lose guns. You don’t walk guns. You don’t let guns get out of your sight,” said Carlos Canino of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). (The Economist, Not So Fast, Jan. 21st, 2012) This quote was from an angry interview with congressional investigators. He was asked about the operation named, Operation Fast and Furious. This operation was...