Mexican Drug Cartels Operating in More than 1000 Cities

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Seven major Mexican drug cartels are operating in over 1,000 US cities and the production and dissemination of drugs continues to increase, according to a new report released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). This assessment shows a striking increase from the previous report in 2009, in which the DOJ mentioned only 230 cities.

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September 30th, 2011
Cartels Police

The “National Drug Threat Assessment” report, produced by the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) also asserts that transnational cartels based in Mexico are in control of the distribution of the majority of the heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine sold illicitly in the United States.  The report says that the“dynamic struggle for control of the lucrative smuggling corridors leading into the United States” between the cartels has caused “unprecedented violence” in Mexico.

NDIC says that demand for the drugs in the United States is rising, and production of these drugs in Mexico “appears to be increasing.”

The report cites the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas, Gulf Cartel, Juárez Cartel, BLO, LFM, and Tijuana Cartel as the largest traffickers within the United States.  The report also points to the role of organized crime groups from Colombia, West Africa, Dominican Republic, Cuban and ethnic Asian groups operating in the US.

Marijuana use has risen the most, from 5.8 percent of the population regularly using the drug in 2007 to 6.9 percent in 2010.  The next most prevalent drug group is prescription drugs.  According to the report, 7 million Americans over the age of 12 abuse prescription drugs, an increase from 6.2 million in 2007.

A classified government memo made public earlier in September by anonymous hacker group LulzSec revealed that the strategies employed by border agencies trying to stem the violence resulting from narcotrafficking such as killing cartel operatives or confiscating drugs has had no effect on smuggling operations.

“This research indicates that there is no perceptible pattern that correlates either a decrease or increase in drug seizures due to the removal of key DTO [Drug Trade Organization] personnel,” says the memo.

“DTO operations appear to have built in redundancy and personnel that perform specific duties to limit the damage incurred by the removal of any one person. By sheer volume alone, drug operations would require more than one individual to coordinate and control the process. While the continued arrest or death of key DTO leadership may have long-term implications as to the control and viability of a specific DTO, there is no indication it will impact overall drug flows into the United States.”

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