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MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 1 Mexican drug trafficking organizations Student’s name Institution Course title Date

MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 2 Mexican drug trafficking organizations Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) have for the longest period acted as a topic of great concern for law enforcement officers in America due to their involvement in the illicit drug trade. The risks of the Mexican drug trafficking organizations have become more dangerous, especially in the borders of the United State due to their involvement with drug trafficking activities, human trafficking, money laundering, and kidnapping ( Beittel, 2019) . Some of the drugs that the Mexican drug trafficking organizations smuggled include heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine and they have caused serious problems for the people and law enforcement officers of the United State. For instance, the demand for people abusing illegal drugs has increased causing their addiction while others suffer from the physical and psychological effects of the drugs. One of the main reasons contributing to Mexican drug trafficking organizations having the power to smuggle cocaine is because they are the main source of cocaine in the United States thus making it the most famous drug smuggled in America. The United State drug enforcement administration (DEA) has managed to prove that Mexico has an approximation of 80% of the drug entering America through the southwest border. methods used by the smugglers use to smuggle cocaine in America include hiding it in shipments of legal goods, using underground tunnels, and using other modes of transportation such as planes, boats, and vehicles. the forms used by the organization play a crucial role in helping them avoid detection at the borders by law enforcement officers (Beittel, 2019). The DEA also states that Mexico is the leading supplier of heroin which they also smuggle through the borders by concealing it in vehicles and they distribute it through the major cities in America. The final drug smuggled includes

MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 3 methamphetamine and it is produced in large quantities in clandestine a region in Mexico. However, the illicit drug trade has contributed significantly to the rise of crimes such as violence among people and communities in the country. For instance, Mexican drug trafficking organizations might have to use violence, intimidation, and corruption to protect their operations and also expand their market for them to generate more income. In addition, innocent people who mainly use drugs may also become victims of crime, especially those coming from marginalized communities because most of them are not employed, meaning that they are surrounded by poverty which influences them to take illicit drugs. Sometimes they may lack the money to buy the drugs because continued use can make them addicts, which means they may opt to engage in criminal activities such as robbery, burglary, and theft for them to access money that they will use to buy more drugs. Furthermore, the individuals may later on even become more aggressive with their criminal activities, which can result in them committing murder or assault on innocent people. Such illegal activists can affect the community significantly because the people may have an increased fear of crime and a breakdown of social order ( Nix et al, 2016) . The fear may also increase dramatically because the local law enforcement officers often fail to keep up with the volume of drug-related crimes, resulting in a decline of trust between the community members and the local law enforcement agencies in the community. The increased rate of drug trafficking in Mexican drug trafficking organizations means that more people are involved in taking illicit drugs, meaning they have the highest probability of becoming drug addicts. Drug addiction can cause various challenges for the victims, such as causing them drug-related health problems, which have become a major concern for healthcare

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MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 4 systems worldwide. For instance, the rise in drug addiction has caused a strain on the healthcare system through reduced productivity. They have increased the need for medical services challenging the fact that they also lack enough resources to cater to victims, and finally, they face the challenge of increased healthcare costs. Drug addiction's disadvantages include its ability to cause heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and HIV.AIDS to the addicts ( Nix et al, 2016) . Such health problems can become expensive to treat, and the victims of the diseases become a burden to their families and the healthcare system, thus contributing to strained relationships, emotional trauma, and financial problems. The victims may also suffer from mental health problems which make them experience depression, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies. Therefore, the government must address the problem of drug-related trafficking to help prevent the challenges of drug addiction, increased rates of crimes, and drug-related health problems. The Mexican and American governments should cooperate and ensure they increase border security and focus on preventing drug trafficking. Apart from engaging in drug trafficking, Mexican drug trafficking organizations also profits from engaging in other criminal activities, such as money laundering, making it one of the world's largest and most powerful organized crime groups. Money laundering refers to disguising the proceeds of illegal activities to appear to have originated from legitimate sources. Therefore, Mexican drug trafficking organizations transfer their profits from the sale of drugs to honest financial systems to avoid attracting law enforcement agencies because they can start investigating their source of income and cause their arrest. They transfer the profits from the drug sales to a network of bank accounts, shell companies, and other financial institutions, which makes it hard for law enforcement to track their money ( Nix et al, 2016) . After transferring the

MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 5 money, they can withdraw some of it and use it to invest in legitimate businesses, fund their operations, or even purchase some assets. Mexican drug trafficking organizations have a history of sophisticated money laundering operations because they use various methods to launder their money. One of the methods used includes trade-based money laundering, which involves exploiting international trade to ide the origins of illicit funds. The methods' main advantage is offering a relatively low-risk and high- reward opportunity to launder enormous sums of money across borders. The second method used when money laundering includes cash smuggling across the border. Cash smuggling involves physically transporting large amounts of cash across borders while hiding them in vehicles or other goods to avoid detection ( Magaloni et al, 2020) . They then use the smuggled money to finance other criminal activities or to buy assets such as luxury cars or real estate. Similar to trade-based money laundering, cash smuggling is also relatively low-cost. Finally, they use virtual currencies such as bitcoins to transfer money generated by their illegal activities across the border through complex networks of shell companies. The Mexican government has identified the serious threats posed by the Mexican drug trafficking organizations and has aimed at combating their money laundering activities as they understand it’s the key component in their operations. For instance, they have implemented laws and created regulatory bodies such as the financial intelligence unit. The main responsibility of the body includes collecting and analyzing financial intelligence related to money laundering and terrorism financing. However, despite all the strategies developed by the Mexican government to combat the money laundering activities by the Mexican drug trafficking organizations, they fail to keep up with the money laundering activities. The organizations have adequate financial resources and the expertise that enables them to develop new ways they can use to launder their

MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 6 money. The Mexican government also contains numerous political influences who are corrupted thus making it hard for law enforcement agencies to combat money laundering activities ( Magaloni et al, 2020) . Mexican drug trafficking organizations, also engage in human trafficking activities which is a form of modern-day slavery that involves the illegal trade of human beings for the purpose of exploitation as they are traded for sexual exploitation, forced labor, and forced marriages. The main vulnerable group to human trafficking include women and children. Human trafficking and drug trafficking are often connected because they use the same routes and networks to transport them. Human trafficking can cause various challenges to the victims as they can suffer from physical and psychological abuse and can experience long-term trauma. The organization mainly uses violence to force people into prostitution, servitude, or other forms of labor. Mexican drug trafficking organizations also have a long history of using extreme violence as a tool to help them maintain power and also to help them protect and expand their operations. Some forms of violence the Mexican DTO uses include torture, kidnapping, and murder. Their actions have become a significant concern for law enforcement agencies, governments, and citizens for several years. For instance, the organization is associated with multiple death cases in Mexico and other parts of the world due to the brutality and cruel tactics used in handling their businesses. One of the most horrific examples of the violence they use includes beheading ( Magaloni et al, 2020) . The organizations conduct beheadings mainly to intimidate their competitors and establish regional dominance. Mostly they carry out the act of beheading in public places for all people to see and spread fear among them. They also carry out beheading to demonstrate their power and ability to inflict violence on anyone who tries to challenge them. They can also use the media to communicate fear among the government and the

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MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 7 citizens. The Mexican DTO act completely disregards the rule of law and human life, making it hard for the Mexican government and law enforcement agencies to curb their activities. In addition, their power extends beyond drug trafficking as it has penetrated different aspects of Mexican society, such as their political and law enforcement systems. Apart from the Mexican drug trafficking organizations using beheadings, they also use other violent tactics such as explosives, drive-by shootings, and ambushes to conduct their businesses and send messages to their enemies to avoid their rivals overthrowing them. The organizations mainly use explosives to carry out bombing and targeted attacks by planting the explosives in public areas such as shopping malls, transportation areas, and government buildings. Their primary focus includes causing chaos and fear among the government and the people, and they conduct the attacks in calculated plans which prevent them from being caught by the law enforcement team. They also use the tactic of drive-by shooting which involves various shooters in a moving car firing at their target. Drive-by shooting mainly occurs in public areas such as restaurants or bars and can result in multiple casualties, and they use advanced weapons. They also conduct ambushes in secluded areas where they believe the target will pass, and then they surprise their target with a barrage of gunfire and eliminate them on the spot. Their use of violence has caused a lot of harm to the country's economy. For instance, the fear created by the Apart from the Mexican drug trafficking organizations has made people afraid to conduct business in certain areas ( Farfán-Méndez, 2019) . People fear doing business in the regions because they fear losing their lives, properties, and investments. After all, the organizations attack and destroy everything in the area without empathy, thus affecting economic growth and development. In addition, since the organizations control territories where they operate, they carry out the beheading or kidnapping of business owners to intimidate and extract money from

MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 8 them. Such experiences limit people from conducting business in the area, thus causing low economic development. The organizations also force companies to pay bribes and protection fees, increasing operating costs while reducing profitability. Such experiences by most companies in Mexico have been forced to shut down due to job losses and reduced economic activities, thus increasing the region's poverty level. In addition, Mexico is a country with the greatest tourist attraction sites due to the presence of beautiful beaches, rich cultural heritage, and world-famous cuisine. However, the violence associated with the Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) has significantly declined the number of tourists visiting the country ( Farfán-Méndez, 2019) . Tourists are known to avoid areas where violence occurs as it makes them wary of their lives. The fear demotivates them from wanting to visit the country because the main purpose is to experience peace and warmth while admiring its attraction sites. Therefore, the violence has caused a decline in the number of tourists visiting the country, adversely affecting the tourism industry. For instance, the reduction of tourists in Mexico has caused a decrease in the revenue generated by the tourism industry, thus affecting industries such as restaurants, hotels, retail, and transportation routes. The drop in tourists visiting Mexico also causes unemployment among the Mexican locals, especially in the hospitality industry. Therefore, the Mexican government must mitigate the impacts of the decline by taking proactive measures to address the root cause of drug-related violence. They should also ensure they work to create a safer environment for tourists. The violence and brutality used by the Mexican drug trafficking organizations have also caused significant impacts on other areas, such as the agricultural and manufacturing sector in Mexico. The agricultural industry has been severely affected by violence caused by drug cartels

MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 9 as they may be forced to leave their lands as the cartels take control of their lands. The cartels forcefully grab the grounds and use them to grow illicit crops such as marijuana and opium poppies, which they use to manufacture drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Chasing the farmers from their lands leads to a decrease in agricultural production, thus causing a food shortage in the country, which also contributes to increased living prices for the people of Mexico. Farmers also fear the drug cartels as they are at risk of being targeted by drug cartels for various reasons, such as their refusal to corporate with their illegal activities ( Farfán-Méndez, 2019) . As a result, many farmers have been murdered or received threats because they have refused to cooperate with their actions. Their deaths significantly impact their families as they live without a source of income. The death of the farmers also dramatically impacts the country's economic status because it destabilizes the agricultural sector in the region. Apart from affecting the agriculture sector, it has also affected people's motivation to invest in it due to the loss of production and income. The violence in the country makes investors reluctant to invest in areas affected by the violence as other farmers are forced to migrate, leaving their fertile lands in search of safety and stability elsewhere. The Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) as also caused great impacts on the manufacturing sector. The violence from the group has forced many manufacturers in Mexico to relocate their factories and industries to safer countries. The relocation of industries and factories has contributed significantly to the increased unemployment in the region and decreased economic activities. Manufacturing industries play a significant role in acting as the key drivers of economic growth in any country, meaning that if they get affected, they can have ripple effects on the economy of the country as customers reduce their spending, government tax revenues also lower, and they also cause a decline in economic activities of the county. It also becomes costly

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MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 10 when manufacturing facilities relocate due to Mexican drug trafficking organizations' violence and brutality because they have to inquire about the cost of moving their equipment, machinery, and other assets ( Farfán-Méndez, 2019) . The relocation of their industries appears as a significant financial burden because as they relocate, they may need more time to get suitable locations for their facilities in safer regions which can cause delays in their manufacturing and disruptions. The loss of jobs due to the relocation may also make the unemployed people move to other areas to find employment leading to decreased spending in the local economy. In addition, in Mexico, DTO often targets the transportation of goods to disrupt economic activities and generate profits. The attacks may affect the manufacturing companies as they may cause great losses for their industries, thus declining the nation's financial stability. Sometimes the manufacturing industries also have to spend more on security measures to protect their goods during transit which can become costly. The issue of corruption within the Mexico borders is also another significant concern as the corruption has enabled drug trafficking organizations to operate with relative ease through their act of bribing border officers to allow them to smuggle drugs, humans, and contraband across the border. Therefore, the corruption makes it hard for the border officers to identify and prosecute the criminals thus promoting their criminal activists and allowing them to continue the smuggling. The corruption occurring at the borders is not a new phenomenon and efforts to combat the issue have been ongoing for years ( Farfán-Méndez, 2019) . In addition, the increased corruption at the borders which contributes to the organizations smuggling the drugs successfully has caused an increase in the influx of the country as drug abuse, addiction, and related social problems have increased. The main factor also fueling the growing threats by the Mexican drug trafficking organizations at the American borders include the increased demand for illicit drugs

MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 11 in the United States as the nation remains the largest market for illicit drugs in the world. Therefore, the increased demand for drugs in the United State provides the Mexico DTO with a lucrative business opportunity. United State citizens have a history of an increased appetite for drugs as research indicates they consume drugs worth billions of dollars yearly and their appetite for drugs has created a huge market for drug cartels. The drug market in America creates a lot of profit for the drug cartels which has attracted more Mexican DTOs to increase their efforts in supplying the drugs in the country. The organizations have also presented new drugs in the market such as fentanyl as they are cheaper and easier to produce thus increasing their profits ( Farfán-Méndez, 2019) . In addition, the increasing demand for illegal drugs has made it hard for law enforcement agencies in the United State to combat the drug trade. Also, the lack of regulation for the production and distribution of synthetic drugs is not regulated and it makes it hard for the authorities to detect and intercept the organizations. In conclusion for the United States government to be able to address the threat of Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) at their borders, they need to develop a multi- faceted approach that promotes cooperation between the American and Mexican governments. The cooperation between the two countries should help them to develop appropriate measures that should help mitigate the threats to the organizations. They should also focus on investing in border security and law enforcement agencies by placing strong rules that prohibit corruption that occurs at the borders thus allowing the organization to carry out drug and human trafficking freely. They should also advocate for the use of advanced technologies such as drones and

MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 12 surveillance cameras to monitor the activities taking place at the border while also taking measures to reduce the demand for drug abuse, especially in America through providing public training and treatment.

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MEXICAN DRUG TRAFICKING ORGANIZATION 13 References Beittel, J. S. (2019). Mexico: organized crime and drug trafficking organizations. Current Politics and Economics of the United States, Canada and Mexico , 21 (2), 181-223. Chomczyński, P. A., & Guy, R. (2021). ‘Our biographies are the same’: Juvenile work in Mexican drug trafficking organizations from the perspective of a collective trajectory. The British Journal of Criminology , 61 (4), 946-964. Farfán-Méndez, C. (2019). The structure of drug trafficking organizations and money laundering practices: A risk appetite hypothesis. Journal of Illicit Economies and Development , 1 (3), 294-311. Magaloni, B., Robles, G., Matanock, A. M., Diaz-Cayeros, A., & Romero, V. (2020). Living in Fear: the Dynamics of extortion in Mexico’s Drug War. Comparative Political Studies , 53 (7), 1124-1174. Nix, J., Smith, M. R., Petrocelli, M., Rojek, J., & Manjarrez, V. M. (2016). The use of social media by alleged members of Mexican cartels and affiliated drug trafficking organizations. Journal of homeland security and emergency management , 13 (3), 395- 418.

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