Edgar Millan Gomez was one of the latest victim and symbol of how the anti-drug forces of the Mexican Government can be attacked whenever and wherever drug traffickers wish to bring the fight. Gomez was one of the top officials in Mexico's anti-drug war. He was considered one of the top security officials in Mexico and was one of the top people in charge of Mexico's security forces. On Thursday he was gunned down, along with two of his bodyguards in a professional killing in front of his home. On Friday the tradegy continued as Esteban Robles, the head of Mexico's anti-kidnapping agency was gunned down as well. Their importance was paramount as shown by the presence of Mexican President Felipe Calderon who attended to the issues and to their funerals soon after the killings.
The number of deaths in the Mexican "War on Drugs" has reached record proportions. In 2007 nearly 2,500 have been killed in conflicts connected with narcotrafficking, and in the first five months of 2008 that number has already reached 1,100. As a medium between narcotics coming in from Colombia through Mexico and into the United States, Mexico is considered as an untapped source of wealth for anyone who controls the illicit trade routes. This ever-lingering issue has shadowed all concerns of the Mexican Presidency as it affects immigration, security, trade and corruption in Mexico. Even when one of those key issues becomes a focal point of the political concerns of Mexico and its neighbours, behind the scenes the drug trade has found a way to overcome restrictions to sell the products that no one wants to discuss. This recent war in the streets has removed the silence on the issue and is forcing Calderon to deal with it in an open manner. Unfortunately Calderon is not controlling the media and security surrounding the issue, losing one of his top cops to a hail of bullets to the will of Mexico's drug gangs.
The fear of many in Mexico and abroad is that Mexico might become the next Colombia in Latin America. While the two countries are quite different politically and culturally, the reality is that an inability for the government to control crimes in its territory can lead a country into a state of constant emergency and repel growth and progress for years, or even generations. While Mexico has not reached this point, this latest killing was a clear message to the Government and Mexico as a whole that they can control not only smaller cities in the north of the country, but can hit anyone, anywhere, even Mexico's best warrior. The only positive elements of this scenario is that in Colombia there has been great progress on their war against the FARC and that has produced methods and successful approaches in dealing with narcotraffickers. We will have to wait to see if Calderon has the ability to create an effective and coordinated response to a drug war that can only get worse in the long run.
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See the Miami Herald Article for more info here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/527570.html
Contrary to what most people in the US believes the war on drugs in Mexico is not a new thing. The Mexican Army has been in this fight for 3 decades with thousands of dead soldiers. It is truth however, that President Calderon has given more support and more freedom to the Army to operate against the Cartels, but this is a necessity rather than a strategy.
The 400,000 policemen in Mexico are completely useless. After decades of neglect, they are either corrupt or incapable- in terms of training and equipment- to stand up to the Cartels.
With a record 85 billion dollars in reserves, a 400 million dollars aid from the Merida Initiative is really useless; the problem is not money, the problem is the police and judicial systems are heavily infiltrated. The Army can only detain drug dealers in fraganti -red handed-, and are not allowed- by the constitution- to investigate or follow up, hence the ones detained are later freed by the corrupted system.
To say that the Cartels out gun the Mexican Army is an exaggeration; it is truth that they have an impressive arsenal for a civilian criminal organization, including grenades, diverse assault rifles, 50mm Barret guns and even maybe Rocket Propelled Grenades -which if they have they have not used yet-, but the Army can handle this, they have done it so far. Every fight or battle, either on the streets or the sierras or mountains of Mexico, invariably ends up with the drug dealers running or dead.
As for the allegations that the Cartels “frequently steal from the Mexican Army stockpiles”, it's completely false and lacks any support. The Mexican Army has a limited arsenal and is very closely guarded; the weapons used by the Cartels do not come from there. They don't come from the gun shops in the border either; the weapons used by the Cartels come from the US Army stockpiles and/or directly from the manufacturers like Armalite, Colt and Bushmaster to name a few.
Why is the US backing Mexican Cartels?
Here is why: there are 30 to 40 million consumers of drugs in the USA that demand their daily fix. Billions or drug dollars move freely and are laundered every year in the USA with the complacency of US Government and the public. The American public has been indoctrinated into believing that drug cartels come only from the south; but what about the American cartels that distribute and have the lion's share of the drug business? Why does the DEA only arrest low level street distributors? , Mexico with very limited resources and a corrupted judicial system arrests many more cartel heads than the US-, Where are all the big fish? Apparently drugs distribute themselves in the USA.
You can have all the international cooperation and support that you want, but the fundamental problem remains: as long as the American society keeps focused on money instead of family, more and more consumers will join the market, demand will increase and the drug business will thrive.
drugs will be forever until we legalize drugs and have better drug prevention. Why do people care if people are stupid enough to destroy themself with drugs I don’t. Take profit out be no money in it.
Look at what drugs do to city in america becuase of money in it.
We America need to wake see the coffee.
Our govermet is crooked to only going after low end dealers and not the big wigs in drugs and they steal money and property they confiscate in drug raids and also falsely accuse people when they go on drug raids and raid the wrong place.
It is a mess
I am wasting my time even writing this comment.
President Caldron is helping but he not winning and he as very long way to go to clean up Corrupted Mexico.
Mexico is one of the worse places I ever seen besides Africa.
almost could end up being a mexican genicide, Mexican police and Army is joke and is corrupted to. oops forgot the govermetoo a joke.
When your broke never had nothing in your life what expect a lot people to do stay in poverty.
Wake smell coffee in Mexico Sheesh!!
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