If you support President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, or AMLO as he’s known here in Mexico, you’re probably thrilled right now. The president has made a lot of progress on some key issues—particularly corruption and crime—since taking office last December. But even his biggest supporters would have to admit that there are still problems with the country’s justice system. In particular: Despite all the resources being devoted to eradicating them, drug cartels remain extremely powerful in Mexico.
The Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman Loera, better known as El Chapo, was sentenced to life in prison this week for trafficking cocaine, heroin and other drugs into the United States.
The Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman Loera, better known as El Chapo, was sentenced to life in prison this week for trafficking cocaine, heroin and other drugs into the United States.
Guzman led a violent criminal enterprise responsible for smuggling tons of narcotics into the U.S., including heroin and methamphetamine that were smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border via tunnels dug beneath it by his associates’ construction companies. He also ran kidnapping rings and bribed government officials to ensure that his business ran smoothly — even when he was arrested or escaped jail time on various occasions (including one time when he escaped from prison via an underground tunnel).
His successor as head of the Sinaloa cartel, Ismael Zambada Garcia, also known as El Mayo, remains free — and so does Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a.k.a. El Mencho, head of the rival Jalisco New Generation cartel.
The drug lord who took over from El Chapo is Ismael Zambada Garcia, also known as El Mayo. He remains free — and so does Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a.k.a. El Mencho, head of the rival Jalisco New Generation cartel.
El Mencho is still at large and has been on America’s most wanted list since 2010 for his role in trafficking cocaine into the U.S., according to Forbes magazine’s 2018 list of global billionaires (which includes several men involved in illegal activities).
Here’s a look at why cartels still thrive in Mexico despite all the resources devoted to eradicating them.
Cartels are strong because they’re well-organized, have deep pockets and have influence in government. The Mexican government is corrupt, so it’s hard to eradicate cartels. The U.S. government is also corrupt, so it’s hard for them to help Mexico eradicate the cartels.
Here are some other reasons why cartels thrive:
There are estimated to be around 80 drug cartels operating in Mexico now.
There are estimated to be around 80 drug cartels operating in Mexico now. The number of cartels has increased since the time of El Mencho’s rise to power, but it is likely that there are even more than that. Drug trafficking has become so prevalent that it’s hard to keep track of who’s who and what they’re doing.
These cartels are responsible for an estimated 34,582 intentional homicides in the country last year, according to the Mexican government — part of a broader wave of violence that led to more than 37,000 deaths in 2018.
You see, the cartels are responsible for an estimated 34,582 intentional homicides in the country last year, according to the Mexican government — part of a broader wave of violence that led to more than 37,000 deaths in 2018.
These organizations control most drug trafficking routes and have been responsible for much of Mexico’s drug-related violence since they first emerged during Prohibition. They also provide employment opportunities for thousands of people; many residents work directly for them or indirectly through businesses such as restaurants or hotels owned by cartel leaders’ families or associates.
Drug trafficking and violence are two sides of the same coin: If you stop one side from happening (drugs), then you necessarily increase another side (violence).
Thanks to cooperation from the government of President Enrique Peña Nieto, American authorities were able to extradite Guzman twice for trial in Brooklyn on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.
Thanks to cooperation from the government of President Enrique Peña Nieto, American authorities were able to extradite Guzman twice for trial in Brooklyn on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.
In February 2014, Guzman was arrested by Mexican marines and taken into custody at an apartment complex in Mazatlan. He then spent more than two years under heavy guard at the maximum-security Altiplano prison near Mexico City before being extradited to New York City in January 2017–where he faced trial alongside other members of his cartel who had been captured by American law enforcement agencies or turned themselves over voluntarily (including Ismael Zambada Garcia aka El Mayo). On February 12th 2019, after two days of deliberations by a jury consisting entirely of women (who were instructed not to discuss their deliberations with anyone), Joaquin Guzman Loera was found guilty on all counts including murder conspiracy charges against him; possession with intent distribute cocaine; conspiracy import cocaine into the United States; use firearms during crimes such as murder conspiracy; international money laundering conspiracy involving hundreds millions dollars worth drugs sold across America over many years time period
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has vowed not to extradite suspected traffickers for trial in the U.S., even as he continues his predecessor’s policy of using the military and federal police forces against cartel leaders.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has vowed not to extradite suspected traffickers for trial in the U.S., even as he continues his predecessor’s policy of using the military and federal police forces against cartel leaders.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Lopez Obrador said he wants to focus on reducing violence, not extraditing drug lords. He also said that while it’s important to capture criminals, they cannot be put on trial in Mexico because there are no adequate facilities or qualified judges here and most cases take years before they’re resolved — two problems that plague US courts as well.
Conclusion
The drug cartels are still thriving in Mexico because the government is not doing enough to stop them. The country has been plagued by violence since the early 1990s, when former President Felipe Calderon launched his war on drugs by deploying troops across the country and killing many of its top traffickers. That strategy didn’t work out so well — and neither did Peña Nieto’s plan to fight corruption by detaining crooked cops who were working for cartels.
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