DOCSLIB.ORG

Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 105 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 105 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 105 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 143 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, MARCH 10, 1997 No. 29 Senate The Senate met at 12 noon and was As I announced on Thursday, there The Senator from California is recog- called to order by the President pro will be no rollcall votes today during nized to speak for up to 2 hours. tempore [Mr. THURMOND]. our session, and any votes ordered f today will occur on Tuesday, either PRAYER early in the morning or, more than STATE DEPARTMENT EXPLA- The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John likely, after the party conference and NATION OF MEXICO'S CERTIFI- Ogilvie, offered the following prayer: caucus lunches. I will be continuing CATION Gracious God, You have promised discussions with the Democratic leader Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, that ``In quietness and confidence shall in the hope of reaching an agreement Senator COVERDELL may well come to be our strength.''ÐIsaiah 30:15. on the resolution which would allow us the floor during this period. I hope he Thank You for prayer in which we to complete action early this week. does. I will be happy to defer, and yield can commune with You, renew our con- In addition, it is possible the Senate parts of my time to him as well. victions, receive fresh courage, and re- will consider the PenÄ a nomination this Mr. President, 1 week ago I joined affirm our commitment to serve You. week. I will notify Senators as to when with Senator COVERDELL and Senator Here we can escape the noise of de- that nomination is scheduled and when HELMS to introduce resolutions of dis- manding voices and pressured con- a vote will occur. But I presume that approval, to overturn the President's versation. With You there are no vote would probably not occur before decision to certify Mexico for antidrug speeches to give, positions to defend, late Wednesday, or Thursday more cooperation. party loyalties to push, or acceptance than likely. Last week I went home and I read the to earn. In Your presence we can sim- Also, there is a likelihood this week State Department's Statement of Ex- ply be and know that we are loved. You that the Senate will consider the Hol- planation, which is just 11¤2 pages. love us in spite of our mistakes and lings resolution relating to a constitu- I must say, I read this document with give us new beginnings each day. tional amendment regarding campaign disbelief. At best, this documentÐ Thank You that we can depend upon reform. which purports to make the case for Your guidance in all that is ahead of I thank all Senators for their atten- Mexico's certificationÐis a fairy tale. us. Suddenly we realize that this quiet tion. I suggest the absence of a At worst, it is a complete whitewash. moment has refreshed us. We are re- quorum, Mr. President. Today, I would like to take some time plenished with new hope. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Now we can return to our outer world and go over parts of it, and indicate my clerk will call the roll. thoughts on some of the subjects men- of challenges and opportunities with The legislative clerk proceeded to greater determination to keep our pri- tioned and refute some of the claims. call the roll. Let me begin by saying that section orities straight. We want to serve You Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I 490 of the Foreign Assistance Act re- by giving You our very best to the ask unanimous consent that the order quires the President to certify that leadership of our Nation to which You for the quorum call be rescinded. Mexico has ``cooperated fully with the have called us. In the name of our Lord The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. SES- United States, or taken adequate steps and Savior. Amen. SIONS). Without objection, it is so or- on its own'' to combat drug trafficking. f dered. Despite the best intentions of Presi- f RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY dent Zedillo and the best efforts of the LEADER RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME State Department to put a pretty face The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under on the situation, the Department's able majority leader is recognized. the previous order, the leadership time Statement of Explanation, I believe, Mr. LOTT. I thank the Chair. is reserved. defies credibility. SCHEDULE f The State Department claims that Mr. LOTT. Today, under a previous ``The Government of Mexico's 1996 order, a number of Senators are sched- MORNING BUSINESS counterdrug effort produced encourag- uled to speak in morning business. At 3 The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under ing results and notable progress in bi- p.m., following the allotted morning the previous order, there will now be a lateral cooperation.'' The facts tell a business, the Senate will begin consid- period for the transaction of morning different story. eration of Senate Resolution 39, the business not to extend beyond the hour Let me begin with drug seizures: Governmental Affairs Committee fund- of 3 p.m., with Senators permitted to The State Department's Statement ing resolution, which was reported out speak therein for not to exceed 5 min- of Explanation indicates that ``Drug of the Rules Committee last Thursday. utes each. seizures and arrests increased in 1996.'' · This ``bullet'' symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S2035 S2036 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE March 10, 1997 While this is technically trueÐyes, ing the increased drug shipments falls impunity. He also described how the there was a slight increase in 1996 in disproportionately on United States Mexican drug cartels are expanding both drug seizures and arrests of drug border agents because Mexico does lit- their criminal reach into the United traffickersÐthat is only because the tle to enforce the border. States. 1995 levels were so dismal. A larger United States Customs and Border As we debate whether or not to dis- look of Mexico's record of drug sei- Patrol officials have said publicly that approve of Mexico's certification, I zures, going back just a few years to Mexican traffickers are today going to hope all of my colleagues will take the 1992, gives a very different perspective. extraordinary lengths to move their time to read Mr. Constantine's testi- The 23.6 metric tons of cocaine seized products. They are constructing secret mony. It makes the case better than by Mexico, while slightly higher than compartments in 18-wheelers. They are anything I have seen that Mexico's ef- in 1995, is just about half of what was saturating areas with hundreds of forts have, in fact, not met the stand- seized in 1993. So, you see, in 1993 they mules carrying backpacks with 40 kilos ard for certification. seized 46.2 metric tons of cocaine. Look of marijuana each, and even sacrificing Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- how it has dropped off and leveled off large loads of marijuana at the border sent that Mr. Constantine's testimony since then. to allow more valuable shipments of be printed in the RECORD after my re- Second, drug arrests did increase cocaine and heroin to slip through be- marks. modestly in 1996 over 1995. But look hind them. And they have begun to use The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without back a few years and it tells a more sea lanes in much greater proportion. objection, it is so ordered. compelling picture. In 1992 you had For the State Department to state (See exhibit 1.) 27,369 drug arrests. In 1996 you had that there has been improved perform- Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I 11,038. That is not a stepped-up effort, ance by Mexico in intercepting drugs understand the Government Printing it is a stepped-down effort. So, after a at the border is incomprehensible to Office estimates that it will cost $1,152 precipitous drop, by more than 50 per- me. Low seizure figures, low arrest fig- to print this testimony in the RECORD. cent, a barely discernible 5- or 10-per- ures, falling street prices in our I also ask unanimous consent that the cent increase, in my view, is not im- citiesÐthese are hardly indications of Government Printing Office estimate provement. They are not encouraging full cooperation by Mexican authori- be printed in the RECORD at the conclu- results and there is not notable ties in combating drug trafficking. sion of my remarks. progress. Let me speak about the cartels in The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Today, Mexico is the transit station Mexico. The State Department's State- objection, it is so ordered. for 70 percent of the cocaine, a quarter ment of Explanation touts the arrests (See exhibit 2.) of the heroin, 80 percent of the mari- of ``several major drug traffickers,'' in- Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I do this, Mr. juana, and 90 percent of the ephedrine cluding Juan Garcia Abrego, leader of President, because I think this is testi- used to make methamphetamine, en- the Gulf cartel, Jose Luis Pereira mony that is crucial to a decision that tering the United States. Salas, linked to the Juarez and Colom- will shortly be before the Senate. This These statistics reflect, I believe, bian Cali cartel, and Manuel Rodriguez is our No. 1 drug enforcement agency more drugs flowing into our cities and Lopez, linked to a minor operation in the United States, and I think it is our communities.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Organized Crime and Terrorist Activity in Mexico, 1999-2002
    ORGANIZED CRIME AND TERRORIST ACTIVITY IN MEXICO, 1999-2002 A Report Prepared by the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress under an Interagency Agreement with the United States Government February 2003 Researcher: Ramón J. Miró Project Manager: Glenn E. Curtis Federal Research Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 20540−4840 Tel: 202−707−3900 Fax: 202−707−3920 E-Mail: [email protected] Homepage: http://loc.gov/rr/frd/ Library of Congress – Federal Research Division Criminal and Terrorist Activity in Mexico PREFACE This study is based on open source research into the scope of organized crime and terrorist activity in the Republic of Mexico during the period 1999 to 2002, and the extent of cooperation and possible overlap between criminal and terrorist activity in that country. The analyst examined those organized crime syndicates that direct their criminal activities at the United States, namely Mexican narcotics trafficking and human smuggling networks, as well as a range of smaller organizations that specialize in trans-border crime. The presence in Mexico of transnational criminal organizations, such as Russian and Asian organized crime, was also examined. In order to assess the extent of terrorist activity in Mexico, several of the country’s domestic guerrilla groups, as well as foreign terrorist organizations believed to have a presence in Mexico, are described. The report extensively cites from Spanish-language print media sources that contain coverage of criminal and terrorist organizations and their activities in Mexico.
    [Show full text]
  • Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations
    Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations June S. Beittel Analyst in Latin American Affairs Updated December 20, 2019 Congressional Research Service 7-.... www.crs.gov R41576 Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations Summary Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) pose the greatest crime threat to the United States and have “the greatest drug trafficking influence,” according to the annual U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) National Drug Threat Assessment. These organizations work across the Western Hemisphere and globally. They are involved in extensive money laundering, bribery, gun trafficking, and corruption, and they cause Mexico’s homicide rates to spike. They produce and traffic illicit drugs into the United States, including heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and powerful synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and they traffic South American cocaine. Over the past decade, Congress has held numerous hearings addressing violence in Mexico, U.S. counternarcotics assistance, and border security issues. Mexican DTO activities significantly affect the security of both the United States and Mexico. As Mexico’s DTOs expanded their control of the opioids market, U.S. overdoses rose sharply to a record level in 2017, with more than half of the 72,000 overdose deaths (47,000) involving opioids. Although preliminary 2018 data indicate a slight decline in overdose deaths, many analysts believe trafficking continues to evolve toward opioids. The major Mexican DTOs, also referred to as transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), have continued to diversify into such crimes as human smuggling and oil theft while increasing their lucrative business in opioid supply. According to the Mexican government’s latest estimates, illegally siphoned oil from Mexico’s state-owned oil company costs the government about $3 billion annually.
    [Show full text]
  • Justice-Reform
    Mexico Institute SHARED RESPONSIBILITY: U.S.-MEXICO POLICY OPTIONS FOR CONFRONTING ORGANIZED CRIME Edited by Eric L. Olson, David A. Shirk, and Andrew Selee Mexico Institute Available from: Mexico Institute Trans-Border Institute Woodrow Wilson International University of San Diego Center for Scholars 5998 Alcalá Park, IPJ 255 One Woodrow Wilson Plaza San Diego, CA 92110-2492 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20004-3027 www.sandiego.edu/tbi www.wilsoncenter.org/mexico ISBN : 1-933549-61-0 October 2010 The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, established by Congress in 1968 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a living national memorial to President Wilson. The Center’s mission is to commemorate the ideals and concerns of Woodrow Wilson by providing a link between the worlds of ideas and policy, while fostering research, study, discussion, and collaboration among a broad spectrum of individuals concerned with policy and scholarship in national and international affairs. Supported by public and private funds, the Center is a nonpartisan institution engaged in the study of national and world affairs. It establishes and maintains a neutral forum for free, open, and informed dialogue. Conclusions or opinions expressed in Center publications and programs are those of the authors and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center staff, fellows, trustees, advisory groups, or any individuals or organizations that provide financial support to the Center. The Center is the publisher of The Wilson Quarterly and home of Woodrow Wilson Center Press, dialogue radio and television, and the monthly news-letter “Centerpoint.” For more information about the Center’s activities and publications, please visit us on the web at www.wilsoncenter.org.
    [Show full text]
  • Two Dozen Federal Employees Arrested, Charged with Aiding Drug Traffickers LADB Staff
    University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository SourceMex Latin America Digital Beat (LADB) 10-30-2002 Two Dozen Federal Employees Arrested, Charged with Aiding Drug Traffickers LADB Staff Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/sourcemex Recommended Citation LADB Staff. "Two Dozen Federal Employees Arrested, Charged with Aiding Drug Traffickers." (2002). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/sourcemex/4573 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Latin America Digital Beat (LADB) at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in SourceMex by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LADB Article Id: 52918 ISSN: 1054-8890 Two Dozen Federal Employees Arrested, Charged with Aiding Drug Traffickers by LADB Staff Category/Department: Mexico Published: 2002-10-30 Mexican authorities have arrested more than two dozen government employees who are alleged to have been working on behalf of Mexico's prominent drug-trafficking organizations. The arrests were the result of an undercover operation that began in October 2001 and is continuing, said Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha. The suspects, which included retired military personnel, law-enforcement officers and mid- level bureaucrats, are accused of providing inside information to drug traffickers in exchange for payments amounting to thousands of dollars each month. The accused workers, employees of the Procuraduria General de la Republica (PGR), the Secretaria de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA), and the Secretaria de Seguridad Publica (SSP), relayed strategic information primarily to the cartels headed by Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, Osiel Cardenas Guillen, and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
    [Show full text]
  • Pancho Villa and the Lord of the Skies: Narcocorridos in the Mexican Corrido Tradition
    PANCHO VILLA AND THE LORD OF THE SKIES: NARCOCORRIDOS IN THE MEXICAN CORRIDO TRADITION Sarah Goldsworthy Berry History499: Senior Thesis June 13, 2011 ©Sarah Berry, 2011 1 The corrido is a traditional narrative ballad of Mexico. Though it had roots in older, probably Spanish song-forms, the corrido did not come into its own until the late 19th century.1 The popularity of corridos was gradually eclipsed but surged again in the 1970‟s with the successful commercial release of Contrabando y Traición (Smuggling and Betrayal.) Salieron de San Isidro They left for San Isidro, coming Procedentes de Tijuana, from Tijuana, Traían las llantas del carro They had their car tires full of Repletas de yerba mala. "bad grass," (marijuana) Eran Emilio Varela They were Emilio Varela and Y Camelia La Tejana. Camelia the Texan -translation Elijah Wald The song was a huge hit for the band Los Tigres del Norte, and its popularity is widely credited for ushering in the new era of corridos. Termed narcocorridos, these ballads recount the treachery, excitement, and violence surrounding the drug trade. These songs are nearly as controversial as the drug trade itself. Widely perceived as glorifying and even contributing to drug-related violence, the narcocorrido is popular throughout Mexico and the United States, despite condemnation and efforts to ban them from radio airplay. However, the themes they contain are far from new. Tracing the corrido treatment of the themes of smuggling and banditry from the revolutionary era to today, we see that the narcocorrido is deeply rooted in Mexican culture, and like the traditional corrido is a narrative attempt to 1 The origins of the corrido, to what degree they are rooted in Spanish songs, and whether they are exclusively Mexican or in fact can be found in other Latin American countries has been a lively debate, and is far from a settled issue.
    [Show full text]
  • Ese Cáncer Que Llamamos Crimen Organizado
    ESE CÁNCER QUE LLAMAMOS CRIMEN ORGANIZADO Antología de textos que lo retratan Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Ricardo Ravelo, Héctor de Mauleón, Alejandro Almazán, Sanjuana Martínez, Javier Valdez Cárdenas, José Reveles, Daniela Rea, Thelma Gómez Durán y Patricia Dávila. Enero 2014 © Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Ricardo Ravelo, Héctor de Mauleón, Alejandro Almazán, Sanjuana Martínez, Javier Valdez Cárdenas, José Reveles, Daniela Rea, Thelma Gómez Durán y Patricia Dávila. Esta es una publicación de la Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung y Para Leer en Libertad A.C. www.rosalux.org.mx [email protected] www.brigadaparaleerenlibertad.com Antologadores: Beatriz Sánchez, Salvador Vázquez, Paco Ignacio Taibo II , Daniela Campero y Jorge Belarmino Fernández. Cuidado de la edición: Alicia Rodríguez. y Salvador Vazquéz Diseño de interiores y portada: Daniela Campero ÍNDICE Prólogo..............................................................................................................7 Paco Ignacio Taibo II Narcoviolencia. Ocho tesis y muchas preguntas.......................11 Ricardo Ravelo El ejército doblegado....................................................................................21 Héctor de Mauleón Atentamente, El Chapo.................................................................................43 Alejandro Almazán Un narco sin suerte.......................................................................................69 Sanjuana Martínez Crónica de una fuga anunciada................................................................89
    [Show full text]
  • Capos, Reinas Y Santos - La Narcocultura En México
    iMex. México Interdisciplinario. Interdisciplinary Mexico, año 2, n° 3, invierno/winter 2012 Capos, reinas y santos - la narcocultura en México Günther Maihold / Rosa María Sauter de Maihold (UNAM / El Colegio de México; Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Berlín) En las instalaciones de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional, en la capital mexicana, existe desde 1985 el museo probablemente más completo sobre el mundo del narcotráfico. Este narcomuseo, que no está abierto al público, exhibe los procedimientos de producción y distribución de la droga y dispone también de una sala denominada 'Narcocultura' en la que se muestran las joyas, las armas, la vestimenta y los relicarios que les han sido decomisados a los narcotraficantes. La colección ofrece desde una Colt 38 de oro con incrustaciones de esmeraldas, una AK-47 con una palmera de oro en la cacha, una pistola con placas conmemorativas del día de la Independencia en oro, chamarras antibalas y pijamas blindados hasta la vestimenta 'típica', los celulares con marco de oro e incrustaciones de diamantes, relojes de marca con los más inverosímiles y caros adornos, San Judas Tadeo en platino y joyas de incalculable valor. En aras del derroche de riqueza en estos objetos, se podría considerar la narcocultura como una cultura de la ostentación y una cultura del "todo vale para salir de pobre, una afirmación pública de que para qué se es rico si no es para lucirlo y exhibirlo" (Rincón 2012: 2). No obstante, esta cultura de 'nuevos ricos' que inspiran su modus vivendi en el imaginario que tienen de la vida del rico1 posee sus particularidades: es una estética del poder basado en los recursos materiales y simbólicos que manejan, y el mensaje es el de la impunidad, el de encontrarse por encima de la ley y su capacidad de imponer su propio orden y su propia justicia.
    [Show full text]
  • Find Ebook # Mexican Drug Traffickers
    P9YPVUBKHGJ0 / Kindle // Mexican drug traffickers Mexican drug traffickers Filesize: 4.54 MB Reviews This publication is really gripping and exciting. It really is basic but unexpected situations in the 50 % in the book. It is extremely difficult to leave it before concluding, once you begin to read the book. (Prof. Salvador Lynch) DISCLAIMER | DMCA MKGOXQF4ALEA ~ PDF // Mexican drug traffickers MEXICAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS Reference Series Books LLC Sep 2012, 2012. Taschenbuch. Book Condition: Neu. 245x189x10 mm. Neuware - Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 38. Chapters: Beltrán-Leyva Cartel traickers, Colima Cartel traickers, Guadalajara Cartel traickers, Gulf Cartel traickers, Juárez Cartel traickers, La Familia Cartel traickers, Los Zetas, Sinaloa Cartel traickers, Sonora Cartel traickers, Tijuana Cartel traickers, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, List of Mexico's 37 most-wanted drug lords, Juan García Abrego, Edgar Valdez Villarreal, Arturo Beltrán Leyva, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, Zhenli Ye Gon, Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Miguel Treviño Morales, Sandra Ávila Beltrán, Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, Ismael Zambada García, Teodoro García Simental, Héctor Beltrán Leyva, Juan José Esparragoza Moreno, Los Negros, Nazario Moreno González, Jorge Lopez-Orozco, Carlos Beltrán Leyva, Antonio Cárdenas Guillén, Héctor Luis Palma Salazar, Rafael Caro Quintero, Carlos Rosales Mendoza, Miguel Caro Quintero, Sergio Villarreal Barragán, Alfredo Beltrán Leyva, Servando Gómez Martínez, Eduardo Ravelo, Ramón Arellano Félix, Benjamín Arellano Félix, Osiel
    [Show full text]
  • The Drog Trafficking Phenomenom
    Contents Introduction…………………………………………………………………………1 Chapter I 1. Drug Trafficking Organizations and their historical context……………3 1.1 Pioneering DTOs and their operational standards. 1.2 Transitional period and the advent of a brand new generation of DTOs. 1.3 The Narco Juniors. 1.4 Nowadays. Chapter II 2. Drug Trafficking Organizations revenues in black and white.................15 2.1 The underlying econom y of the DTOs a) A series of estimates. b) Drug Trafficking as a family enterprise, and regional span. c) Money Laundering. Chapter III 3. Comparative analysis..................................................................................21 3.3 Bolivia. Chapter IV 4. Organized Crime and its economic cycle…………………………………28 a) An analysis from an economic perspective b) Is legalization an option? 5. Conclusions………………………………………………………………..….39 6. Bibliography………………………………………………………..…………42 Introduction The essay you are about to read, tries to explain the rising development and growth of the organized crime in Mexico, how it came to be, grow, collision and mutate. Being as is a criminal phenomenon, wherein different players reap benefits, an economic perspective is necessary, pinpointing the estimated profits and revenues of organized crime. Likewise, we refer to the evolution of one of the countries that amazingly enough is one of tradition when it comes to production and consumption of narcotics: Bolivia, which had an apparently successful eradication experience for some years, by implementing public policies that managed to change coca leaf producer activities, though today a former coca leaf producer union leader rules the country. On the last chapter of this essay, a reflection is made in order to reinforce, redirect the anti drug trafficking policy implemented by the federal government, pondering on a new economic approach that might be given to criminal law, analyzing the drivers that lie behind organized crime.
    [Show full text]
  • Forum on Crime and Society, Vol. 1, No. 2, December 2001 Concern
    UNITED NATIONS CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION FORUM ON CRIME AND SOCIETY VOLUME 1 NUMBER 2 DECEMBER 2001 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: PINO ARLACCHI EDITORS: JAN VAN DIJK VINCENZO RUGGIERO MANAGING EDITOR: ANTOINETTE AL-MULLA INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD: KUMARALEVU CHOCKALINGAM (INDIA) GLORIA EBUGI (NIGERIA) MARK FINDLAY (AUSTRALIA) JAMES FINKENAUER (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA) PETER GASTROW (SOUTH AFRICA) SVETLANA GLINKINA (RUSSIAN FEDERATION) ENAMUL HUQ (BANGLADESH) CELIA LEONES (PHILIPPINES) MAURICIO RUBIO (COLOMBIA) SEBASTIAN SCHEERER (GERMANY) FRANCES HEIDELSOHN (UNITED KINGDOM) YURI VORONIN (RUSSIAN FEDERATION) ROBERT WEISS (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA) XIAOWEI ZHANG (CHINA) UNITED NATIONS New York, 2001 UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. E.02.IV.1 ISBN 92-1-130216-1 ISSN 1020-9212 Views expressed in signed articles published in the Forum are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations Secretariat. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of any frontiers or boundaries. Note from the Editorial Board Forum is a new United Nations sales publication, issued by the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention in Vienna. It is published twice each year in all six official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish). The Editorial Board hopes that Forum will help to forge partnerships among scholars, experts and decision makers so as to advance knowledge and policy, upgrade practice and achieve reform in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice in line with universal standards, norms and precepts.
    [Show full text]
  • A Profile of Mexico's Major Organized Crime Groups
    A Profile of Mexico’s Major Organized Crime Groups Miguel R. Salazar and Eric L. Olson1 The Context: The daily drumbeat of bad news about crime and violence in Mexico is both terrifying and overwhelming. The numbers are themselves stunning – nearly 35,000 killed in drug- related violence since 2007, more than 15,000 in 2010 alone.2 While the vast majority of these deaths (maybe as many as 85%) are believed to involve persons connected in some fashion to criminal organizations, the increasing gruesomeness and senseless nature of the violence is particularly disturbing. And there is little comfort in the fact that the most extreme violence is concentrated in seven of Mexico’s thirty-two states. Regardless of the geographic concentration of the violence, all Mexicans have felt the economic, social, political and even cultural impact resulting from the violence. Furthermore, the violence has created new tensions and fissures in vital U.S. - Mexico relations. The question that emerges most often is who is behind the violence and what is driving it? The answers are many and complex. To better understand the underlying causes, both in Mexico and the U.S., we invite you to read the numerous research papers and analysis compiled in Shared Responsibility: U.S.-Mexico Policy Options for Confronting Organized Crime. This volume is the product of work conducted by the Mexico Institute and the Trans-Border Institute that can be found on our Security Cooperation portal here. The purpose of this fact sheet is to shed light on the structure of the criminal organizations operating in Mexico and the United States, as well as to provide background information and analysis on the rapidly evolving nature of organized crime.
    [Show full text]
  • Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations
    Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations Updated July 28, 2020 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R41576 SUMMARY R41576 Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking July 28, 2020 Organizations June S. Beittel Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) pose the greatest crime threat to the United States Analyst in Latin American and have “the greatest drug trafficking influence,” according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Affairs Administration’s (DEA’s) annual National Drug Threat Assessment. These organizations, often referred to as transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), continue to diversify into crimes of extortion, human smuggling, and oil theft, among others. Their supply chains traverse the Western Hemisphere and the globe. Their extensive violence since 2006 has caused Mexico’s homicide rate to spike. They produce and traffic illicit drugs into the United States, including heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and they traffic South American cocaine. Mexican DTO activities significantly affect the security of both the United States and Mexico. As Mexico’s DTOs expanded their control of the opioids market, U.S. overdoses rose sharply according to the Centers for Disease Control, setting a record in 2019 with more than 70% of overdose deaths involving opioids, including fentanyl. Many analysts believe that Mexican DTOs’ role in the trafficking and producing of opioids is continuing to expand. Evolution of Mexico’s Criminal Environment Mexico’s DTOs have been in constant flux, and yet they continue to wield extensive political and criminal power. In 2006, four DTOs were dominant: the Tijuana/Arellano Félix Organization (AFO), the Sinaloa Cartel, the Juárez/Vicente Carillo Fuentes Organization (CFO), and the Gulf Cartel.
    [Show full text]