Another of growing series of articles saying the drug war by U.S. and Mexican governmens is unwinnable.

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300 arrested in Mexico but is that enough?

www.worldmarketmedia.com 10/26/09
BLOG: Author: Ryan Whitten

During the apex of a forty-four month investigation, the United States justice department has arrested over three hundred people during a raid of the Mexican “La Familia” cartel. Throughout the investigation over 12 tons of drugs, including a large amount of methamphetamyine, and 32.8 million dollars were confiscated.

La Familia is a notorious drug cartel which operates out of Mexico. Their scope of operation reaches deep into the United States drug market. They are well known to be insanely violent and are unafraid of local law enforcement. These facts were evident in July when officials found 11 Mexican officers murdered along the border. There are countless horror stories illustrating the violent behavior of the La Familia cartel one of which involved the throwing of severed heads into a Mexican club to intimidate local dealers.

They are heavily armed and highly organized. Vertical integration is one of the key features of the La Familia Cartel, they grow/make, transport and disperse all of their own products.

The Cartel operates under a religious/Robin Hood mission statement. Oftentimes they will accredit their assassinations to the work of God. They also employ the “steal from the rich, give to the poor mentality” in order to gain local support, and are known to have donated large sums of money to support local schools and churches.

This raid is part of the ongoing, and failing War on Drugs. “While the bust is a blow to La Familia, analysts said the cartel will recover. ‘They can arrest 300 guys, but 300 new guys will take their place because the market structure is intact,’said Alberto Islas, a Mexico City-based security consultant. “–WSJ

As much as I support the U.S.’s stand on the flow of drugs from our southern friends, the War on Drugs is a failing attempt to impede the sale of illicit substances into the United States.

Our appetite for narcotics is simply too voracious. We are capitalists, the only reason a product sells, is because there is demand in the market. The U.S. needs to increase funding to educate consumers on the harmful effects of drugs which will in turn, decrease demand for them stateside.

The largest problem is the high levels of organization in the South American Cartels. The U.S. government needs to focus on destroying organized crime.

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” - Albert Einstein

Until the Obama administration begins to start re thinking the way we are combating drug use, we will continue to lose the War on Dugs.

Credit for art above and below: www.worldmarketmedia.com
Below - Mexican naval police displaying confiscated drugs. Location and date not disclosed.