drug trafficking Archives - Dr. Rich Swier

As tensions continue to rise between the United States and Mexico over drug trafficking and cartel violence, Mexican officials have expressed deep concerns regarding the potential of a military strike ordered by former President Donald Trump against drug cartels operating within their borders.

This apprehension reflects both the ongoing security crisis in Mexico and the complex relationship between the two neighboring countries.

BACKGROUND

Mexico has long struggled with the influence and power of drug cartels, which have become deeply entrenched in various aspects of society. These criminal organizations are responsible for significant violence, including turf wars, kidnappings, and the trafficking of illegal drugs into the United States. The situation has deteriorated in recent years, with record levels of homicides attributed to cartel-related activities.

Trump has made combating drug trafficking a cornerstone for his future administration, often using strong rhetoric that included the possibility of using military force against cartels. His approach to border security and drug enforcement was characterized by a willingness to take aggressive measures, which has left Mexican officials wary of the implications such policies could have on their sovereignty and public safety.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Since Trump began to plan his run for the presidency in 2024, his statements regarding drug cartels have reignited fears in Mexico. The prospect of a military strike is particularly alarming for Mexican leaders, who worry that such actions could escalate violence and undermine efforts to stabilize the country. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has emphasized the need for cooperation and dialogue rather than unilateral military interventions.

DIPLOMATIC CONCERNS

The potential for military action raises significant diplomatic concerns. Mexico has long valued its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and any unilateral action by the U.S. would be viewed as an infringement on these principles. This could strain relations between the two nations, which have historically relied on cooperation to address shared challenges, including drug trafficking and immigration.

Moreover, the Mexican government has been working to strengthen its law enforcement capabilities and address corruption within its own ranks. A military strike from the U.S. could undermine these efforts and damage the trust that is necessary for effective collaboration in tackling organized crime.

PUBLIC SENTIMENT

Public sentiment in Mexico regarding U.S. intervention is mixed. While many citizens are frustrated with the ongoing violence and the perceived inability of the government to control the situation, there is also a strong desire for solutions that respect the country’s sovereignty. The idea of U.S. military action is often met with skepticism and fears of further violence and instability.

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Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York will introduce a bill to make fentanyl trafficking an offense of attempted murder under federal law, according to a copy of the bill obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Concern about the proliferation of fentanyl, a highly lethal synthetic opioid that is widely used across the United States, has prompted bipartisan calls in Congress to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, much of which occurs across the U.S. border with Mexico. Lawler’s bill, known as the Fentanyl Kills Act, would enable federal prosecutors to charge drug traffickers who “produce, manufacture, distribute, sell, or knowingly finance or transport” with attempted murder charges, according to the bill’s text.

“Any individual who has [been] found to [have] trafficked fentanyl shall be deemed to have attempted to perpetrate murder,” the bill reads.

Text of the Fentanyl Kills Act by Daily Caller News Foundation on Scribd

Lawler’s co-sponsors for the bill are Republican Reps. David Valadao of California and Jim Baird of Indiana.

The bill goes on to define “trafficked fentanyl” expansively — including any efforts to manufacture fentanyl outside the United States that is intended for transportation to the United States. It also expands the penalty of attempted murder charges to the manufacturing of precursor chemicals that are used to produce fentanyl.

“The fentanyl crisis that is gripping our country and local communities is a serious problem, and requires serious consequences for those who peddle this dangerous drug,” said Lawler in a statement to the DCNF. “The Fentanyl Kills Act takes drug traffickers head-on, imposing serious penalties for these criminals who know exactly what they are doing.”

Fentanyl is the most lethal drug in the United States and is responsible for approximately two-thirds of all 107,081 overdose deaths nationwide in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is “100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin,” according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

A fatal dose of fentanyl may be as little as 2 milligrams, per the DEA. Drug dealers who sell other drugs often mix fentanyl with their products to increase their potency and fuel drug addictions by customers.

Because of its lethality, several groups have mounted efforts to make fentanyl trafficking an offense of homicide, such as Drug-Induced Homicide, a California-based organization that campaigns for “Alexandra’s Law” to enable repeat fentanyl offenders to be charged with homicide.

Left-wing groups have often opposed strengthening criminal penalties on drug traffickers and argued that such measures will disproportionately hurt racial minorities.

“Seventy-five percent of those sentenced in fentanyl cases are people of color, which means Black and brown communities are going to lose the most,” an ACLU representative wrote after Congress passed a bill to make fentanyl a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.

Lawler’s bill would require Democratic votes to pass the Senate.

AUTHOR

ARJUN SINGH

Contributor.

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ARJUN SINGH