U.S. and Mexico Team Up to Battle against Drug Network
Border agents from the U.S. and Mexico are devising strategies to curb the drug trade through a new program in Arizona. A new report from the Director of National Intelligence examines the scope of the problem. About 90 percent of cocaine that comes into the U.S. from South America passes through Mexico first, the report said. The Mexican and Colombian drug peddlers are generating billions of dollars each year from selling their product in the U.S. In addition, the drug trade provides a source of money and power to gangs in Mexico, according to an article from the California Independent Voter Network.
The director’s report raised concerns about violence from the drug trade spilling over into California and across other border states if the problem is not controlled. However, Mexican President Felipe Calderon has made fighting the war on drugs a primary component of his administration’s policy concerns, stating that drug cartels need to be destroyed in order to destabilize their power. An acute political urgency exists on both sides of the border to get a handle on the drug trade.
U.S. Border Patrol officers and Mexican government agents are coming together to train agents and exchange information in patrolling the border between Arizona and Mexico. This enforcement model might be adopted by other states bordering Mexico, including California, if it proves to be successful. Top Mexican and American government officials came to an agreement recently stating that the Arizona program is likely to expand to other states. One consequence of this enforcement model is that immigration law offenders could be penalized more often.
However, corruption among Mexican border patrol agents could be a concern for the U.S. when sharing intelligence on the drug trade. This is just one hurdle that will need to be crossed for his historic program to be effective.
Michael Monheit is the managing lawyer at Monheit Law, outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has practiced law since 1989. Michael Monheit was the managing attorney of the law offices of Herbert Monheit — now Silverman and Fodera — a firm... Michael Monheit→