However, despite the reliance on the food and agriculture sector, Colombia’s drug trade makes up 1 percent of the country’s GDP, and the cartels are estimated to export $10 billion annually. To put this into perspective, this means that the illegal drug trade roughly makes up a quarter of Colombia’s legal exports. Out of the $10 billion annually exported by the drug cartels, $4.6 billion of the profits were exports sent to the United States. According to a report released by Business Insider, about 90 percent of the cocaine used by American’s originate from Colombia. In addition, Colombian groups control the distribution of cocaine and heroin in the United States across 40 different cities, primarily located in the
However, some people that come here come just to make their drug cartels economy good because they come here to sell they’re products. The “drug war” in northern Mexico is one gigantic bloodbath. The Mexican government says that as many as 28,000 people have been slaughtered by the drug cartels since 2007. A very significant percentage of those deaths have happened in areas right along the U.S. border.
In his article, “Toward a Policy on Drugs,” Elliot Currie discusses “the magnitude and severity of our drug crisis” (para. 21), and how “no other country has anything resembling the American drug problem” (para. 21). The best way to describe America’s drug problem is that it is a hole continuously digs itself deeper. America’s drug issues were likely comparable to other country’s at one point in time, but today it can be blamed on the “street cultures” (para. 21) that continue to use and spread the use of illegal drugs. These street cultures transcend the common stereotype of drug users, such as low income communities in cities or welfare recipients, and can be found in every economic class and location. They are groups of people who have
Haylie Galvan Barrio Azteca Gang Gang violence in El Paso has been a major issue since the emergence of one particular gang- Barrio Azteca. The streets of El Paso were rapidly becoming a home to violent acts and drug trafficking. The infamous Barrio Azteca gang was formed in the 1980’s in Texas originally as a prison gang. It started as a prison gang before they expanded out onto the streets. Several of the founding members banded together in order to protect themselves from rival Hispanic gangs.
Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Drug Policies. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1464837 Jenner, M. S. (2011). International Drug Trafficking: A Global Problem with a Domestic Solution.
With reference to the facts outlined above arises the questions why so many Mexicans try to come to the U.S.. There are abundant push factors for Mexicans, which persuade them to go to the USA. There are incredibly high crime rates in Mexico, especially in the capital. Homicide and drug related crimes are among others one of the biggest problems of the country. In the last 5 years about 47,500 people have been killed in crimes relating to drugs.
Because the cartels were focused on their shipping cocaine, the violence that they emitted was focused on the drug trade. Looking again at the issue of extradition, one can see how the acts of violence committed during this period were motivated by their involvement in the drug trade, allowing them to focus their violence. Los Extraditables carried out a campaign of assassinations—which included, judges, political figures, policemen, and many more—and bombings in order to prevent the possibility of extradition. These acts of violence were focused on stopping extradition and not necessarily to overthrow the current government or to push a political agenda. The cartels were able to employ sicarios and bombs to take out political figure that would work against them.
"Here are the powerful Mexican drug cartels that operate in the US." Business Insider. Business Insider, 31 Jan. 2016. Web. 09 July 2017.
There are many,many kinds of drugs that are subject to drug prohibition laws which are transported and sold illegally throughout not only our country, but throughout a majority of the world. This is called drug trafficking. In the past decade drug trafficking has become a growing problem. Drug trafficking itself is worth about $435 billion per year; cocaine alone is worth $84. Though drug trafficking may be a huge part of some countries’ economies, it is a problem that continues to grow and cause problems for other countries.
The purpose of this research is to draw a connection between a history of gang violence in Central America and drug trafficking in Mexico and Central American and Mexican migration patterns to the U.S. Beyond that, this paper highlights U.S. involvement in the increase of gang violence specifically in Honduras and El Salvador, and how the U.S. demand for narcotics has fueled the Drug War throughout Latin America but mostly in Mexico. This paper also shows how U.S. policies on the legalization of certain drugs and criminal justice reforms can decrease illegal immigration and improve the lives of people seeking to migrate north. Introduction As large numbers of Central American and Mexican migrants continue to cross the United States’ southern border, many
41). These drug cartels present a difficult problem in that they not only import illegal drugs, but they often are in dispute over both territory and police ownership (Warner, p. 42). These cartels are smuggling drugs across the border from many different regions of the world and present a very difficult situation for law enforcement. This may be due in part to their intimate knowledge of the area they operate in, as well as that of their connection to gangs, which they utilize to assist in cross-border movement. The current number of both law enforcement agents and law enforcement agencies along the border is not sufficient in either numbers or strength to curtail these illicit
America is a country known for its impregnable environment— one of the essential lures for others to join this melting pot of people. In recent years, the southern border has been left open and vulnerable to contamination, brutality, and economic downfall. From where have these realities catastrophizing our nation arisen? Walking in almost freely, pregnant herds of Mexican illegal immigrants infiltrate the United States by the millions, carrying on their backs a plethora of diseases, including, but not limited to, Malaria, Leprosy, and HIV, along with millions of pounds of cocaine and marijuana each year. The drug war in America grows rapidly and is a strong contributor to the violence seen in the nation today.
There have been many causes due to the United States of America and Mexico border disputes. These include its extensive history through sources such as the several past wars and the countless disputes between residents. With the strong issue of territorial claims that contradict each other, treaties have been seen as useless with an even more inadequate attempt of fence construction as seen in Image 1. With many bandits and thieves in this area, drug trafficking and illegal immigration is an impending dilemma.
The ineffectiveness of the United States’ original 20th century Immigration and Nationality Acts and work programs for Mexican migrants, contributed to the gradual rise in Mexican immigration trends from the 1940s-1990s. And the United States’ reforms of its previous immigration policies and its increase in border enforcement during the Bush and Obama Administration, effectively led the nation into the decline the Mexican immigration trend into the 21st century. Although it is in the US’s best interest to minimize the influx of immigration patterns into its country, it must also take into account its ability to protect its temporary Mexican residents. If the US is going to continue increasing its control and militarization of the border, it should also provide alternatives for Mexicans seeking an escape from the emerging drug war. For the future, US immigration reforms should be reformed along with the changes in the socioeconomic conditions of the US but those of Mexico as
The 2014 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA) Summary discourses evolving expansions associated with the trafficking and use of main illicit drugs abuse. The U.S. seizures of illegal substances in shipment exceeded 1,626 metric tons, demonstrating that DTOs have great succeed in shipping thousand tons of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, and MDMA into the United States each year. (DEA 2014) There are exceptional smuggling and shipping methods related with each drug type, but drug seizure statistics and federal, state, and local law enforcement reporting shows that smuggling overland and transportation by vehicle surpass all other methods of smuggling combined. The 2014 National Drug Control Strategy, in which has had very little