THE DRUG WARS IN MEXICO

1. THE DRUG WARS IN MEXICO CJ Dalpozzo Haley Baldwin Danielle Brennan Kevin List

2. THE SITUATION IN MEXICO http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7955031.stm • How and when did the conflict get so out of control? • What drug cartels are involved? • What area of the country is affected the most? • What effect is this having on society?

3. The Progression of Violence • Drug cartels have always existed in Mexico • In the 1990s, 2 Columbian drug cartels were shut down, so trafficking increased in Mexico • Florida cocaine route was shut down, resulting in more cocaine smuggling through Mexico • Since then, violence has increased dramatically as Mexican drug lords have gained total power over the international drug trade

4. The Main Cartels: VS.

6. Tijuana-Gulf Alliance • Tijuana Cartel • Leaders: Arellano Felix brothers • Present in 15 states • Most affected areas: Tijuana, Mexicali, Tecate, and Ensenada in Baja California • Gulf Cartel • Leader: various groups fighting for power • Present in 13 states • Main areas of control: Southern Texas and Gulf of Mexico • Main centers: Nuevo Laredo, Miguel Alemán, Reynosa, Matamoros, Monterrey and Morelia.

7. The Federation • Sinaloa • Leader: Joaquin Loera, Joaquin Guzman • Present in 17 states • Main areas of involvement: Sinaloa, Mexico City, Tepic, Toluca, Cuautitlan • Juarez • Leader: Vicente Carrillo Fuentes • Present in 21 states (largest cartel) • Important areas of control: Culiacán, Monterrey, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Cuernavaca, Cancún, and much of the state of Chihuahua.

8. The Battle for Juarez • Juarez is currently the most dangerous city in Mexico • Because of its strategic location on US-Mexican borders, the two alliances are fighting for control over the city • Fighting has gotten so bad that even allied cartels have begun to fight against one another for control of the city http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7959247.stm

10. STATISTICS • 90% of the cocaine entering the US passes through Mexico, and of that 90%, 70% passes through Juarez • In the past, there were only 20-30 active cops in Juarez for a population of 1.5 million • 11 cops were assassinated this past year • 200 others have been killed in crossfire battles • Now, 600,000 Mexican military and police are fighting against the major drug cartels • The cartels have a total of 2,200 grenades and power rifles, and 90% of these are purchased in the US • http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7959247.stm

12. How the War Has Begun to Affect Society • Very public acts of violence • Ten decapitated soldiers found with note • “For every one of mine you kill, we will kill ten.” • Decapitated man found hanging from a bridge, head found in Town Square • Last year, more than 6,300 people were killed, which is more than double the year before • Expanding into human smuggling, extortion, and kidnapping a kidnapping capital of the world • Juarez’s mayor moved his family to Texas • Police chief of Juarez forced to resign • Cartels said they would kill a cop every hour for 48 hours until her resigned, so he did so after 2 murders • http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4836946n

13. Mexican Media Coverage on the Drug Wars • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE1h2eKG1V8

14. The Sinaloa organization, based in Sinaloa State in northwest Mexico, is one of the oldest cartels and has been blamed for a large share of violence in the country. • The cartel’s leader, Joaquin Shorty Guzman, is one of Mexico’s most wanted. • Listed in Forbes magazine on the latest list of the world’s billionaires. • His estimated fortune is one billion dollars • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9yuX4UR2gA

15. Mexican Drug cartels in the US

16. Sinaloan RegionEl Debate • A Mexican newspaper circulated throughout the Sinaloan cartel region • Focuses on political and economic news • However, there was little to no mention of actual drug cartels and drug leaders that were directly connected to crimes covered • Articles related to drug crimes were very brief, ambiguous, and provided very limited information • Example: “The Army Secures 4 Tons of Marijuana” • Huge drug bust occurred in Juarez, but no names or cartels are mentioned and the reporter does not go in depth about the drug cartel issue • The article simply described the amount of drugs, the vehicle and vehicle driver and nothing more. • http://www.debate.com.mx/eldebate/Buscador/ResultadoBuscador.asp?TxtTexto=droga&CmdBuscar=BUSCAR&ChkHoy=on&IdCat=6100

17. Gulf RegionEl Diario de Yucatan • A newspaper published in the Yucutan that focuses on a variety of news stories. • Although there are few articles regarding drug cartels, the reporters for this paper actually acknowledge the connections between certain crimes and the drug lords. • However, the reporters simply mention that “drug cartels” are possibly involved, but fail to ever mention specific names. • Example: “Eleven Bodies Found in Acapulco: • About the 11 cadavers found in the river near Acapulco • Acknowledges the fact that “drug cartels normally throw away cadavers of rival operators in public zones” but never goes further to place blame on any specific cartel • http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=9$2701010000$4066749&f=20090504

18. Juarez RegionEl Diario • Widely circulated newspaper published in Juarez, a current hot spot for drug trade • Many stories about drug busts and local crime • Thorough presentation of facts and events, but very minimal disclosure of particular names and cartels involved • Example: “Sedena Detects 238 Air Strips in the State: • Drug traffickers have built private air strips throughout the nation in order to make transportation and trafficking easier and quicker • Does not exemplify any opinions, as it does not mention specific cartels involved or specific people • http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.php?notaid=8a30bb54b84e1f434096b1f1192b65e9

19. Tijuana RegionLa Prensa • Discusses many news issues regarding economy, culture, politics, and crime • Includes some news about US, due to its close proximity • VERY few articles pertaining to war and cartels • However, of the few articles about war, the reporters seemed to cover the issues with slightly more detail and to a slightly deeper extent, by using names and cartels • Still did not clearly imply biases or take sides • Example: “Captured the deputy of the Juarez Cartel from the Village Smoked” • Pedro Arras was seized by federal convoy • Called him a very powerful and dangerous man, but did not clearly indicate any biases towards one alliance over another • http://www.oem.com.mx/elsoldetijuana/notas/n1167628.htm

20. “Nowhere in the Americas is it more dangerous to practice journalism than in Mexico.” -Alejandro Junco de la Vega

21. How free is the Mexican press in regards to the drug war? • In April of last year, President Felipe Calderon signed and passed a law that decriminalized “insults” and defamation in the press, in an attempt to increase press freedom (Reporters without Borders) • Despite this new legal freedom, journalist self-censorship is still practiced nationwide

22. Violence against Journalists • Cartels have been using intimidation and violence in order to force journalists to keep quiet about the drug wars and the specific cartels and people involved • Violence ensues in the form of kidnapping, human smuggling, sexual assault, and murder

23. Violence against Journalists • Since the year 2000, over 40 journalists have been killed in Mexico • In the year 2008 alone, 4 journalists and 1 radio talk show host have been killed (Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission) • These crimes often go unpunished and are often accredited to “unknown” sources

24. In 2008: • Miguel Valle • Editor of La Noticia in Michoacan • Abducted and murdered • Murderers thus far have been “unidentified” • Jose Rodriguez Carreon • Covered crime for the El Diario in Juarez • Shot to death outside his home • “unidentified” gunman

25. In 2008: • Teresa Merino and Felicitas Martinez • Journalists and activists • Worked for radio station La Voz que Rompe el Silencio in Oaxaca • Killed on way back from covering the State Forum for the Defence of the Rights of the Peoples • “unidentified” killers

26. In 2008: • Alejandro Estrada • Host of talk show on EXA FM in Villahermosa • Shot and killed while hanging anti-organized crime posters on a major street • 8 other journalists are currently reported missing • Latest to go missing: Mauricio Zamora, in Michoacan

27. A pattern can be seen in the fact that these murders are occurring in the main centers for drug trade • The cartels are using violence as a way to maintain control over the media, so that they can control what is accessed by the public • Thus, despite increasing government lenience regarding press freedom, the cartels continue to impose their power upon the press in order to manipulate what is seen and heard by the public *information from the International Press Institute’s World Press Freedom Review

28. Drug war’s effect on foreign countries: Most heavily impacted US Central/South America Europe Africa Asia/Middle East

29. Overall Effects • The danger of crossing Mexican borders are now being compared to those of Pakistan. • Decrease in tourism • Correlation with swine flu • “Hotels on Mexico's Caribbean coast are offering "flu-free guarantees" and health officials are touting several vacation destinations as safe in an effort to revive the nation's ailing tourism industry.” • Xinhau News Agency • Suffering business relationships • Increase in Mexican immigration • Kidnapping • Murder

30. Effects on UShttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n4f8BhcnfM (:20-1:24) • Covered strongly by publications in close proximity such as the LA Times or The Dallas Morning News • Most heavily effected region • President Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton have both made visits to Mexico in the past couple months • Largest consumer of Mexico’s narcotics • 90% of guns used by drug cartels are supplied by the US • Experiencing large number of Mexican immigrants • “Surge of millions of refugees crossing the U.S. border to escape the domestic misery of violence, failed economic policy, poverty, hunger, joblessness, and the mindless cruelty and injustice of a criminal state.” - Five-Star Gen. Barry McCaffrey

31. Effect on Central/South Americahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZrlJYZ6kNk (1:18-end) • Most strongly covered region outside of the US • Columbia, Brazil, Guatemala, and other neighboring countries report a good amount on the matter despite small publications. • Drug cartels have moved their operations into neighboring Latin American countries, spreading the kidnapping/murder rates south.

32. Central/South America’s Viewpoint • Their view is that the US is only concerned now that it is directly effected. • “Now that the US has recognized that the spreading problem can affect national security at the US- Mexico border, they have started to pay attention. As usual, only if the US sees that its interests are directly affected, they start to care. Not to mention that little attention has been paid to the fact that the 30 year long, billion dollar drug fight of the US backed Colombia plan and the Mexico Plan is an utter failure that has been conveniently swept under the rug, until now that they have to face the facts.” -The Guatemala Times

33. Effects on Europe/Africahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CanA6lnz1U&feature=related • Since recent crackdown in Mexico, drug cartels have targeted Europe to create a new market • Africa is used as an unloading port to transport drugs to Europe • Africa’s economy makes them an unreachable market for the product • Major corporations have experienced massive layoffs of Mexican workers, including Volkswagen which temporarily shut down production for three weeks earlier this year

34. Effects on Asia/Middle East • Xinhau News Agency, • Least effected region • Few articles/correspondents assigned to the topic. Most stories on websites are from the AP or other publications. • Kim Jong Il has used drug trafficking profits to finance nuclear weapons • Osama Bin Laden used money from dealings with Mexican cartels to finance terrorism and the destruction of the west even through it is against Islamic beliefs