With wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and escalating violence in the Middle East, it can be easy to forget about a war that is fought without missiles and tanks (so far at least). Yet the ongoing Mexican drug war is neither less serious in nature nor less relevant to Americans' lives than other conflicts around the world.
As the war between rival Mexican drug cartels (the main suppliers of illegal drugs to the United States) and Mexican government forces intensifies, Americans are becoming increasingly aware of, and affected by, the volatile nature of this conflict.
In the past 15 months, escalating violence has claimed more than 7,000 lives in Mexico. That violence is now beginning to spill over into the United States and frequently visited tourist hotspots in Mexico.
The problem is serious enough that Congress has already approved $700 million in federal aid to help prevent the drug war from expanding its battlefront to areas of the United States.
The Mexican drug war originated when heightened security in the Caribbean and South Florida led Colombia (historically the main exporter of cocaine and other illegal drugs) to form partnerships with Mexican drug traffickers to transport drugs to the United States. In the 1980s Mexican traffickers and Colombian exporters set up a system of payment in product instead of money. This meant that the Mexican drug traffickers were no longer just the transporters of illegal drugs, but their distributors as well.
In recent years, competition between rival drug cartels, coupled with increased government intervention, has led to a significant spike in violence. While the Mexican government traditionally has paid little attention to violence between drug cartels, current Mexican President Felipe Calderon has shown a commitment to ending this ongoing conflict that threatens the stability of Mexican society. His new stance on the issue has led to the involvement of over 45,000 troops, as well as numerous state and federal police forces in his attempt to diminish the prevalence of drug trafficking in Mexico.
Three years into his ambitious anti-drug campaign and faced with the drug cartels' ever-improving military technology and weaponry, it is clear that President Calderon will not be able to end the drug war without the United States' help.
The new administration has recognized the threat and appears to be ready and willing to take on a greater role than the United States government has done in the past, expressing a commitment to stand "shoulder-to-shoulder with [President Calderon] in the fight [against drug cartels]."
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has already done more than the previous administration, which was often criticized for not acknowledging the extent to which U.S. weapons smuggling and demand for illegal drugs has contributed to the escalating violence. In a press conference with reporters, Clinton said: "I feel strongly that we have a co-responsibility, our insatiable demand for illegal drugs and inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers, and civilians." She added: "Clearly, what we have been doing has not worked and it is unfair for our incapacity...to be creating a situation where people are holding the Mexican government and people responsible. That's not right."
On March 24, the Obama administration released a plan that outlines a pledge to work with Mexico in law enforcement and judicial capacities and to monitor the border more closely. They have also pledged to renew the United States' commitment to reducing the demand for illegal drugs in America. This final goal is, in my opinion, the key contribution—more than any amount of money the U.S. government invests—that can help Mexico end the drug war.
Following through on these promises could be the single most important thing this administration does in protecting our borders. By ending the drug war we can give Mexicans the chance to experience, in their own country, the safety and security that many risk their lives to enjoy across the border in the United States.
Mexico can't win this war alone, but it can win it with more support from the United States. And there's a lot to be gained for both countries if they do.
Craig Hardt is a member of the Class of 2012.