Blog Post

AEIdeas

As a new government moves into power in Mexico under the leadership of President Andrés Manual López Obrador, the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States Senate held a hearing last week on the shared challenge of Mexican cartels and transnational organized crime. In my testimony, I highlighted the direct ties of transnational organized crime to nearly every major crisis facing the Western Hemisphere — including the threat on the US doorstep.

Whether it is the destruction wrought by drug cartels in Mexico, the deadly opioid crisis menacing US communities, the catastrophic collapse of oil-rich Venezuela, the explosion of coca cultivation in Colombia, or debilitating gang violence throughout Central America, transnational organized crime resides at the heart of nearly every major threat confronting the Americas today. These crises can be traced to criminal networks that garner billions from illicit drugs, human trafficking, extortion, money laundering, and myriad other schemes.

My testimony also explains that these threats are as deadly as ever because they are supported by a global network of criminal groups and corrupt government officials. Confronting it effectively requires close cooperation with our allies and an adequately funded and intense US commitment.

Mexican smugglers are an integral part of a transnational network — from the coca and poppy fields of South America, through the transit zones of the Andes, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and the US border. That network is fueled by a narcostate in Venezuela, booming coca production in Colombia, street gangs in El Salvador, and money launderers and bankers in many countries — using our currency and financial system against us. This is a global phenomenon that generates as much as $2.2 trillion in annual revenue, of which only 40 percent is traced to illegal drugs.

For the United States, the impact of this threat is seen throughout the country, including in the record 70,000 drug overdose deaths in 2017. Mexico’s cooperation is more crucial than ever. However, that country must attack the widespread corruption of officials at all levels of the Mexican government, throughout its territory.

López Obrador was elected with a strong mandate to confront government corruption, and the United States should support this goal — particularly with regard to reforming the Mexican criminal justice system and professionalizing the civilian police. He has spoken of an “amnesty” and social programs to quell narco-violence — which suggest a carelessly passive strategy.

To push a more purposeful antidrug effort, President Trump should appoint an ambassador to Mexico whose judgement and loyalty he trusts to sustain a candid but discreet dialogue about confronting dire threats. At the same time, the United States must work to address domestic consumption of illicit drugs, and the flow of illicit money and illegal weapons to the south, all of which abet Mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations.