No. 2163 July 23, 2008 Mexico, Drug Cartels, and the Merida Initiative: A Fight We Cannot Afford to Lose Ray Walser, Ph.D. Since Mexican President Felipe Calderón took tiative could become an important legacy of the office in 2006, a virulent war has raged with the Bush presidency in the Western Hemisphere and Mexican drug cartels, and this drug-related violence should create a solid platform for U.S.–Mexican has spilled across the U.S. border, threatening U.S. cooperation for the next Administration. lives and public safety. Geostrategic pessimists fear The initiative, however, is just a start. The U.S. that the U.S. has been taking Mexico’s stability for needs to do more to secure the border, reduce the granted and warn that Mexico is teetering on the flows of illegal arms and illicit cash south into brink of a drug-induced disaster. Mexico, and alter immigration laws to permit tem- However, the seriousness of the drug threat to porary workers to cross the border legally to help Mexico also presents a strategic opportunity. At the fill the U.S. demand for labor. Policymakers need to invitation of the Mexican government, the Bush develop a comprehensive strategy that covers all Administration is working to establish a partnership transit and source countries. to make Mexico safer and more secure without sac- Mexico needs to continue exercising the political rificing the sovereignty of either nation. The Bush will to combat the deadly drug cartels and continue Administration’s Merida Initiative—a three-year, reforming its judicial system, overhauling police $1.5 billion anti-drug assistance package for Mexico and law enforcement, and modernizing and devel- and Central America—is a quantitative and qualita- oping its economy. Finally, the Mexican government tive jump in support for the drug fight in the region. needs to take an active role in preventing illegal Unlike Plan Colombia, which helped to rescue third-country nationals from transiting Mexican Colombia from the throes of a narco-war, the Mer- territory, as well as in closing down smuggling orga- ida Initiative will provide assistance in equipment, nizations that operate on Mexican soil and discour- technology, and training without a significant U.S. aging Mexican citizens from entering the U.S. military footprint in Mexico. President George W. Bush signed the Merida Initiative into law as part of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 on This paper, in its entirety, can be found at: June 30, 2008. www.heritage.org/Research/LatinAmerica/bg2163.cfm Produced by the Douglas and Sarah Allison A Test of U.S.–Mexican Relations. In Mexico Center for Foreign Policy Studies and in the press, the Merida Initiative is being of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis viewed as a critical test of U.S.–Mexican relations. Institute for International Studies Its implementation will be closely scrutinized on Published by The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE both sides of the aisle in Congress. The Merida Ini- Washington, DC 20002–4999 (202) 546-4400 • heritage.org Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before Congress. No. 2163 July 23, 2008 illegally. Both nations would benefit substantially migration, illicit trade, and infiltration by for- from a return to law and order on both sides of eign terrorists. the border. • Make immigration reforms part of the solu- Building on the Merida Initiative. The Merida tion. Creating a new, streamlined, effective Initiative opens a door to multiple challenges and approach that allows temporary workers to enter opportunities. It recognizes that fighting and pre- the U.S. legally should be a high priority. vailing in the war on drugs, first declared in the • Set appropriate benchmarks for the Merida 1980s, remains central to U.S. strategy and security Initiative that will encourage the Mexican gov- in the region. However, much more needs to be ernment to reform and modernize state institu- done. In the months and years ahead, the Adminis- tions and exercise the political will to break the tration and Congress need to: Mexican drug cartels. Mexico needs to continue • Implement a robust Merida Initiative. The increasing investments in law enforcement and next Congress should consider restoring the judicial reform and undertake the deeper eco- $100 million cut by this Congress and resist the nomic and structural reforms that will underpin temptation to raid the Merida Initiative’s funding its future viability and prosperity. in the coming years. If results meet expectations, • Develop a comprehensive strategic frame- Congress should be prepared to provide funding work that incorporates the Caribbean, the Mex- above the originally proposed $1.5 billion. ican–Central American corridor, the Andean • Use the Merida Initiative to leverage addi- source areas, and the U.S. market into a single tional cooperation agreements with Mexico. integrated, bipartisan counterdrug strategy. The Administration should use the Merida Initia- Conclusion. Mexico is teetering on the brink of tive to leverage other changes in bilateral coun- another crisis, which involves bullets rather than terdrug cooperation, such as negotiating a banking policies and exchange rates. The victims of comprehensive maritime agreement that allows this crisis range from honest cops and Mexican chil- the U.S. to intercept and board Mexican-flagged dren to American youth who become hooked on vessels on the high seas and resolving the acci- cocaine or methamphetamines. dent liability issues that forced termination of Operation Halcon, a successful helicopter-based Mexico and the U.S. face the same enemy: elu- border surveillance operation in 2006. sive, sophisticated, resourceful, and violent transna- tional criminal networks that exploit U.S. and • Use public diplomacy and offer quick, tangi- Mexican weaknesses and vulnerabilities, defy his- ble assistance. The Administration should look torical concepts of sovereignty and nationhood, specifically for short-term measures to bolster supply the most dangerous and darkest human the morale of the Mexican law enforcement com- desires, and undermine the foundations of demo- munity and to provide immediate help with non- cratic governance and the basic concepts of free lethal items, such as body armor, training, and societies. Making common cause against such an real-time intelligence. enemy makes eminently good sense. • Strengthen border security. The border remains —Ray Walser, Ph.D., is Senior Policy Analyst for a sore point in U.S.–Mexican relations. The Latin America in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center U.S. needs to exercise better control over the for Foreign Policy Studies, a division of the Kathryn and north–south flows of guns and cash into Mexico Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, without reducing resources for other programs at The Heritage Foundation. designed to secure the border against illegal No. 2163 July 23, 2008 Mexico, Drug Cartels, and the Merida Initiative: A Fight We Cannot Afford to Lose Ray Walser, Ph.D. Since Mexican President Felipe Calderón took office in 2006, a virulent war has raged with the Mex- ican drug cartels, and this drug-related violence has Talking Points spilled across the U.S. border, threatening U.S. lives • Mexico is under siege by violent, well-armed, and public safety. Geostrategic pessimists fear that the well-financed drug cartels, and Mexican Pres- U.S. has been taking Mexico’s stability for granted and ident Felipe Calderón has responded force- warn that Mexico is teetering on the brink of a drug- fully to the challenge with the full might of induced disaster. the Mexican Army and government. However, the seriousness of the drug threat to • The Merida Initiative is a joint U.S.–Mexican Mexico also presents a strategic opportunity. At the undertaking to bolster Mexico’s capacity to invitation of the Mexican government, the Bush fight the cartels and win. It will provide air- Administration is working to establish a partnership craft, equipment, and training to stem the to make Mexico safer and more secure without sacri- flow of drugs crossing the U.S. border. ficing the sovereignty of either nation. • As a drug-consuming nation and a major source of arms, cash, and precursor chemi- The Bush Administration’s Merida Initiative—a cals, the U.S. shares responsibility with Mex- three-year, $1.5 billion anti-drug assistance package ico for combating the drug trade. for Mexico and Central America—is a quantitative and • The Merida Initiative will enable both nations qualitative jump in support for the drug fight in the to fight the drug trade without infringing on region. Unlike Plan Colombia, which helped to rescue each other’s sovereignty. Colombia from the throes of a narco-war, the Merida • The Merida Initiative will also help to make Initiative will provide assistance in equipment, tech- the border more secure by targeting traffick- nology, and training without a significant U.S. military ers who ruthlessly exploit security vulnerabil- footprint in Mexico. President George W. Bush signed ities on the U.S.–Mexican border. the Merida Initiative into law as part of the Supplemen- 1 tal Appropriations Act of 2008 on June 30, 2008. This paper, in its entirety, can be found at: In Mexico and in the press, the Merida Initiative is www.heritage.org/Research/LatinAmerica/bg2163.cfm Produced by the Douglas and Sarah Allison being viewed as a critical test of U.S.–Mexican rela- Center for Foreign Policy Studies of the tions. Its implementation will be closely scrutinized Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis on both sides of the aisle in Congress. The Merida Ini- Institute for International Studies tiative could become an important legacy of the Bush Published by The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE presidency in the Western Hemisphere and should Washington, DC 20002–4999 (202) 546-4400 • heritage.org Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily reflect- ing the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before Congress.