Drug Crime in Mexico

Some information in this post is from an article in THE NEWS, the English-language newspaper in Mexico City. see http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/pri-proposes-public-security-system-reform-10125 for the full article.

Every 85 minutes, someone loses his or her life due to drug crime in Mexico; every day sees 17 drug-crime related violent deaths. In the U.S., on the other hand, about 2 people die every day from drug-related violent deaths. We are not afraid of drug crimes in Mexico, nor are we afraid of the lousy local police system. This is for 2 reasons: most of the drug crimes involve drug criminals (which we are not) and most of the drug violence happens in border states (which we are not). It is too expensive and dangerous for serious drug cartels to run their business in or through central Mexico.

Thankfully, though, the U.S. is finally helping to support Mexico's war on drugs. American demand for Mexican drugs is huge - 60-80% of the drugs run through Mexico are used by persons in the U.S. The average Mexican cannot afford to be an addict. The U.S. is training Mexican federal police & drug dogs and sending equipment that will help them to catch drug cartel leaders. Quite a few major leaders have already been arrested.

Hopefully, once the economy is stabilized and we're no longer focused on a far-away way, the U.S. can direct more attention to the drug problem and our relationship with our neighbors.