Excerpt
For the past few years, drug-related violence in Mexico has reached epidemic proportions. More than 6,500 people were killed in 2009 alone — up from 6,200 in 2008 and 2,700 in 2007.
Much of the increase in violent crime has been attributed to the Mexican Government’s crackdown on criminal cartels, which was initiated in December 2006 by the newly inaugurated president, Felipe Calderón. Law enforcement pressure increased the competition between crime organizations for key smuggling routes and distribution networks, resulting in intense battles and greater loss of life. Government officials, jour…
In This Issue
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Foreword: U.S.-Mexican Border Violence
Gun Trafficking and the Fight Against Cartels
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Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms (CIFTA)
Testimony of Former OAS Ambassador Harriet Babbitt
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U.S. Efforts to Prevent Mexico Drug Trafficking
U.S. Government Accountability Office Report
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The Merida Initiative
The U.S.-Latin America Security Agreement
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U.S. Counternarcotics Strategy
The Office of National Drug Control Policy Report
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Pro & Con
Are Less Restrictive U.S. Gun Laws Contributing to the Spread of Violent Crime in Mexico?
