posted on Apr, 10 2010 @ 04:00 PM
reply to post by jam321
Posted in another thread but just as relevant here, summary:
The current Mexican administration of Calderon campaigned on a platform of law and order and bringing peace to the countryside, a huge undertaking!
Have they even made a dent in the lawlessness is questionable.
The Mexican drug cartels are a big business, an ongoing business, they have always been a part of the business environment and probably always will.
The drugs bring in huge revenues and must be maintained. The difficulty is the violence. The Government prefers to favor (yes they apparently take
sides) one cartel over the other on the basis of probable kickbacks and lack of violence. They really want these cartels to behave themselves and stop
their inside fighting. Or put another way, the Mexican government can tolerate the cartels but not their violence.
In the last couple of years there has been some changes in cartel structure due to old leaders breaking out of jail (El Chapo), upsets in power
structures due to groups well trained, well equipped and violent (Los Zetas) and the Mexican government favoring one group over others (the New
Federation). New Federation vehicles can be seen clearly marked and operating without government interference in some cities.
The result of recent changes has often been violent bloody clashes between rival groups and cartels. Violence that has often spilled over the border
so it is no wonder that US forces have been called into play in the area.