Drug Cartels Brian Fan Kevin Hoang Woosup Lee

Drug Cartels Brian Fan, Kevin Hoang, Woosup Lee, Gina Liu, Alyssa Vu

Outline How drug cartels operate U. S. Involvement Afghanistan Colombia Mexico Domestic Consequences

What are Drug Cartels? Drug cartels- organizations that participate in the production, transportation, and distribution of illegal drugs.

How Drug Cartels Operate Methods of trafficking include tunnels, small aircraft, drug mules, and boats Employ “enforcer gangs” known as sicarios, sometimes acting as paramilitary forces to support larger cartels Police corruption and government complicity are key parts of the cartels success Ongoing drug war is characterized by heavy bloodshed, with 35, 286 officially recorded deaths to date (December 2006—January 2011)

Los Zetas

U. S. Involvement Primary efforts focused on border security along the U. S. -Mexico border, but no U. S. troops have ever been deployed in Mexico First example of this is Operation Intercept under President Nixon, which began in September 1969 and was aimed at reducing marijuana trafficking from Mexico

U. S. Involvement Systemic influence of free trade: NAFTA Mexican government criticizes U. S. approach as failing to support reduced arms trafficking into Mexico, reduce the demand for illicit drugs in America and stop the trafficking of drug earnings back into Mexico

Afghanistan Opium Drug Cartels

Basic Statistics Afghanistan part of the Golden Crescent, consisting of countries that are involved in illicit opium production. Golden Crescent also includes Iran and Pakistan. In recent years, opium production in Southwest Asia had increased as production in Southeast Asia has decreased. Afghanistan began producing opium after it was outlawed in Iran during the 1950’s.

Soviet Period (1979 -1989) Soviet Union and Afghanistan established trading bonds. Saur Revolution ◦ Adopted many Soviet ideals and sought to revolutionize Afghanistan ◦ Rejected by the people of Afghanistan Led to Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and foreign attempts to drive them out.

Taliban (Late 1990’s) Fundamentalist group that sought to reform the country through strict readings of the scripture. See-sawed on the legalization of opium production due to a variety of factors: ◦ Religion ◦ Global recognition ◦ Mass appeal to the people of Afghanistan

Present Day (2005 ) Fall of Taliban led to large increase in opium production Steady decline in prices from 2005 -2009 Now increasing again in the present day. ◦ $64 per kg in 2009 to $169 per kg this year. 2010 opium production down by 48% due to large plant infestation that destroyed a majority of poppy plants

What is being done Afghanistan has recently administered the following programs to combat opium production in the country: ◦ Counter-Narcotics Directorate ◦ Modern narcotics control laws. ◦ Efforts to establish a police force.

Columbia Drug Cartels

Brief History Psychoactive drugs produced by indigenous groups for religious, ceremonial, medical, cultural uses 1975 - Operation Stopgap 1981 - Extradition treaty between Colombia and US Four major cartels ◦ ◦ Medellin Cali Norte del Valle North Coast 1998 - Plan Colombia

Medellin 1970’s to 1980’s Led by Pablo Escobar, among other notorious drug lords 1986 - Medellin cartel is the largest cocaine smuggling organization in the world 1989 - Declared war on Colombian government Ended in 1993 Total around 3, 500 people killed by cartel

Cali Cartel Kidnapping ring Marijuana cocaine Rival to Medellin cartel Split into 5 groups: narco-trafficking, military, political, financial, legal 1991 - U. S. government seizes 67 tons of cocaine, 75% originating from the Cali Cartel 1995 - 6 out of 7 leaders arrested, but operations continued within prison Estimated revenue- $7 billion a year

Maria Full of Grace (2004)

Progress Cocaine production reduced by 60% Capture of drug lords ◦ Violent response by drug cartels Colombia currently gives technical advice about controlling drug trafficking to 7 countries in Latin America and 12 in Africa Level of drug related violence has decreased 50%

Mexico’s Drug Cartels § Quick Overview History - Origin / early drug lords - The divide up §

Origin Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo - “El Padrino” (The Godfather) - Guadalajara Cartel : based in Guadalajara, Mexico : drug trafficking money laundering extortion murder and arms trafficking

The Divide Up

The Divide Up

Tijuana Cartel (The Arellano-Félix Organization) Based in Tijuana, Baja California The Tijuana cartel is present in at least 15 Mexican states with important areas of operation in Tijuana and Ensenada in Baja California. Criminal Activities

Tijuana Cartel (The Arellano-Félix Organization)

Sinaloa Cartel (Pacific Cartel / Federation) Based in Baja California, Sinaloa, Durango, Sonora and Chihuahua. Major producer of Mexican poppy and marijuana. Between 1990 and 2008, Sinaloa Cartel imported and distributed nearly 200 tons of cocaine and large amount of heroine. Other criminal activities

Sinaloa Cartel (Pacific Cartel / Federation) Joaquín Guzmán Loera - Mexico's top drug kingpin in 2003 after the arrest of his rival Osiel Cardenas of the Gulf Cartel - Forbes Magazine : 60 th of 68 most powerful people : World’s 937 th richest man

Mexican Drug War Statistics Casualties: +30, 000 since start of war (Dec 2006 -March 2010) (4, 324 From the city of Ciudad Juarez alone) +3, 300 from January to March 2010 brought the most drug-related deaths since 2006 100 kidnappings in Arizona related to the Mexican Drug War over the past 2 years

Marijuana Mexico is world’s largest exporter of marijuana Accounts for half of the cartels’ revenue Marijuana and cocaine are largest sources of revenue, but marijuana is more profitable Sends almost all its crops to the US Production increased 35% in 2009 from the past year Nearly 30, 000 acres of Mexico planted in cannabis in 2009 Marijuana cultivation is not the problem, organized crime is

Mexican soldiers destroying crops of marijuana. The soldiers rip up the plants first because they don't burn well.

Mexican cartels also running pot farms in the US One example: Sequoia National Forest, agents have found farms with over $40 million dollars worth of plants Most workers are in the US illegally Growers carry with them everything they need: tents, food, guns, fertilizer, irrigation hose and marijuana seeds Armed men keep watch over the gardens day and night during planting season Federal and local authorities use aerial surveillance, human intelligence to find marijuana gardens “Organized criminal threat of the 21 st century” Special agent with the National Park Service looking for marijuana farms

Recent Activity US is stepping up efforts to stop the drug war Goal: Identify and take down whole criminal organization To do so, the US will: 1. Cooperate with the law enforcement in Mexico - Help Mexico with surveillance by giving items such as helicopters, vessels, planes. Will provide later in 2011 2. Attack cartels all at once, so there won’t be one super cartel left that does not need to compete with others 3. Help establish a strong judicial system in Mexico 4. Stop flow of weapons to Mexico by more aggressively pursuing gun laws and delegating more agents to fight the drug war

Domestic Consequences

Domestic Consequences Influx of narcotics due to cartels led to sentencing disparities, with the heaviest punitive measures falling on minority groups Critics argue that the prohibition framework which the United States currently tries to enforce is counterproductive

Domestic Consequences Demand for drugs in the U. S. creates need for distributors like the cartels, and the illegal status of many drugs drives up prices Conclusion: cartels will exist as long as profits are high

References Boville, Belen. The Cocaine War in Context: Drugs and Politics New York: Algora, 2004 pg. 79 BBC, “Mexico’s Drug War: Number of Dead Passes 30, 000”, December 16 2010 <http: //www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-latin-america-12012425> accessed 1 -30 -11 Cook, Colleen W. “Mexico’s Drug Cartels” Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, October 16 2007 Loew, Morgan "Los Zetas" Draw Concern Of U. S. Government, " KOLD 13 News, Kold. com; 2005, accessed 1 -30 -11 Schlosser, Eric. “The Prison-Industrial Complex”, The Atlantic Monthly, December 1998. <http: //www. theatlantic. com/past/docs/issues/98 dec/prisons. htm> accessed 2 -1 -11 Toro, Maria Celia. Mexico’s “War” on Drugs: Causes and Consequences Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers 1995 pg. 71 Felbab-Brown, Vanda. Shooting Up. Washington DC: The Brookings Institution, 2010. 113 -155. Print. http: //www. unodc. org/documents/cropmonitoring/Afghanistan/Afg_opium_survey_2010_exsu m_web. pdf http: //www. unodc. org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan_Opium_Survey_2008. pdf http: //www. usip. org/publications/establishing-rule-law-afghanistan-0 http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Opium_production_in_Afghanistan http: //www. unodc. org/unodc/en/press/releases/2010/September/sharp-drop-in-afghanopium-production-says-unodc. html http: //www. pbs. org/newshour/rundown/2010/09/afghan-opium. html http: //www. pbs. org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/cron/ http: //www. justice. gov/dea/pubs/history/1975 -1980. html http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Illegal_drug_trade_in_Colombia http: //neorepublica. com/

References Chepesiuk, Ron. The Bullet or the Bribe: Taking down Colombia's Cali Drug Cartel. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003. Print. Maria Full of Grace. By Joshua Marston. Dir. Joshua Marston. Fine Line. Features, 2004. http: //www. pbs. org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/an-honest-citizen/map-colombia-cocaine-andcash/colombia/536/ Livingstone, Grace. Inside Colombia: Drugs, Democracy and War. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 2004. Print. Beith, Malcolm (2010). The Last Narco. New York, New York: Grove Press. "The Border Monsters". Time Magazine. 2001 http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Mexican_Drug_War www. fas. org/sgp/crs/row/RL 34215. pdf http: //articles. cnn. com/2008 -08 -08/justice/pot. eradication_1_marijuana-plants-drug-cartelspot-production/2? _s=PM: CRIME http: //www. npr. org/templates/story. php? story. Id=126978142 http: //exiledonline. com/mexican-drug-war-intel-report-over-22000 -dead-police-detain-27 -of -the-zetas-foot-soldiers-open-hunting-season-on-cops/ http: //www. gpo. gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-111 shrg 56913/pdf/CHRG-111 shrg 56913. pdf http: //blog. alltreatment. com/2011/interview-with-mexico-drug-war-expert-sylvia-longmire/# http: //www. aviapress. com/viewonekit. htm? ICM-35221 http: //www. telegraph. co. uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/2185489/Taliban-makes-50 mfrom-Afghanistan-opium-trade. html