We have at our disposal credible information from our intelligence personnel based in Tucson, AZ, Mexico and U.S. that a new drug cartel is setting up business in Tucson, AZ. The leader of the largest drug cartel in Mexico was arrested last week following concerted efforts of the Criminal Investigation Agency, the Homeland Security Investigations (HIS), office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, DEA’s Aviation Unit and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We have also used our undercover agents to buy some drugs from the business based in Tucson. Our agents confirm to us that the cartel is indeed dealing in cocaine, marijuana, heroin, methamphetamine and ecstasy. We also have credible evidence from our Special Agents in Tucson that Mexican drug syndicates have been offering cash to members of the US Military to act as contract killers as well as recruiting young American soldiers to act as clandestine hit men by paying them thousands of dollars to assassinate federal informants at organized crime levels (Epstein, 1997). Therefore, the information I have from our unusually credible informant is backed by our intelligence reports.
Upon having such credible information, we have at our disposal many options to employ as strategies. First of all, we have a name and details of the head of the cartel. Mr. Ronald is the leader of a large drug-running empire that spans continents, not just Mexico, US and Tucson AZ alone. He has been leading the cartel in drug trafficking, racketeering, money laundering, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit murder. Since we have his contact details, we can try to track his cell phone and see how possible it is to get him (Dean, Derouin, Fogel, Kania, & Keefe, 2012).
Most importantly, our operations need to be adequately funded by the federal government for us to succeed. Our experience so far about cartels is that they operate as corporations. They have the money to go out and hire the members they need to traffic their drugs, combat military personnel and even engage in money laundering. In a nut shell, they have the resources they require to go out and hire the talent they need to get their work done efficiently. We, therefore, need the federal government to create a fund solely for our engagements with the cartels. The fund could be slightly more than $3.7 billion (DFA, 2012).
Secondly, for us to succeed in our against these cartels, we need to form an Information Collection Authority, which will hand in hand with the National Security and Investigation Center (CISEN). We need to be getting reports based mainly on intelligence and not rumors. It is important for us to work closely with law enforcement partners here in the US and Overseas so that we can identify and dismantle highly dangerous schemes like the one building up in Tucson, AZ. That is not possible without a credible source of information. The cartels are known to make use of the anonymity of the internet to distribute highly dangerous controlled substances and, therefore, the dire need for us to use modern and sophisticated information technology to track them. The intelligence that we have is that the cartels are taking advantage of the phenomenon of globalization in an attempt to expand their activities. They do this through the opening of financial markets and take advantage of technological development (Dean, Derouin, Fogel, Kania, & Keefe, 2012).
We also need to deploy and train a troop of over 150,000 soldiers to deal specifically with the cartel that is building up base in Tucson, AZ. The troops must be highly trained, armed and equipped to directly confront syndicates and their leaders. In the past, our troops in this department have been ineffective, and more often than not they have been defeated by cartels, something that should be history now. Federal Law Enforcement officials must be vigilant in protecting this country from overseas predators who do all they can to benefit from the people to whom they sell the drugs. They make these people addicted to the extent that, in the future, they can’t do anything without the drug. We need to combat them before they build up their empire in Tucson, AZ. In this regard, we also have to make use of the concerted efforts of all our departments: the State, Local and Federal law enforcement mechanisms including, but not limited to our Drug Enforcement Administration Aviation and our agents based all over the world (DFA, 2012).
Since most of the cartels are domiciled in Mexico, as the one that is building up its empire in Tucson, AZ, we need to develop an integrated drug strategy with Mexico. Mexico cannot win this cartel war alone and, therefore, our pooling together will in effect result, in a formidable force than can easily dismantle the cartels. In the strategy, we need to come up with a comprehensive, well-articulated and focused anti-narcotics strategy that ensures that the consumers in the same breath as the war lords get the punishment they deserve. We also need to come up with a combined force that will combating the cartels whenever we need to. It is high time we invited Mexico to join the North-America Aerospace Defense Command so that we win the war ob drugs (Epstein, 1997).
The cartels cannot conduct their cross-border businesses if we strengthen our cross-border anti-drug campaigns. We need to take guard of all our borders so that we minimize the immigration of suspected persons into the country. This will not only keep the cartel leaders at bay, but it will also reduce the chances of the drug dealers from spreading all over. The cartel that is slowly building up in Tucson would not have done so had we strengthened our borders in advance.
Public relations campaigns have always done a good job whenever they have been employed. We can launch a more aggressive public relations campaign which will specifically target the major leaders of the cartels. This will in effect and a big way reduce the fear and helplessness created by the cartels. The intelligence that we have is that the cartel generals are leading their members not only in shipment of drugs but also in trafficking weapons and migrants, smuggling items of precious value, money laundering, vehicle theft, kidnappings-for-ransom and extortion (Anslinger & Oursler, 1961). The earlier we deal with them, the better.
Outside our powers as Drug Enforcement Administrators, we can plead with the legislators to draft relevant legislation to compel financial institutions to freeze the personal assets of persons who have in the past been associated with narcotic activities. This will in effect reinforce the US counter-financing of narcotics. Another option would be strengthening intelligence collection and analyzing our capabilities (Dean, Derouin, Fogel, Kania, & Keefe, 2012).
Finally, and also outside our powers as administrators, we can plead with the executive to find ways of preventing US-made weapons from falling into cartels by making it mandatory to identify firearms and ammunition and also forming a taskforce to ensure that abandoned weapons are stored securely. Those, among other measures, will make a comprehensive and a well-informed responsive strategy to the cartel that is building up in Tucson, AZ and also to other such cartels which may build up in the future (DFA, 2012).
References
Anslinger, H. J., & Oursler, W. (1961). The Murderers: The story of the Narcotics gangs, New York: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy. New York: Palgrave-Macmillan.
The book covers the events attending the activities of narcotic gangs who killed persons that stood in the way of execution of their duties. The narcotic gang which was majorly based in New York but with networks across other major cities such as Los Angeles and the nation of Mexico, were considered a dangerous movement that eliminated persons that proved difficult or as stumbling blocks to the execution of their duties. The book traces the activities with the benefit of insider information in a captivating and compelling style.
Dean, W., Derouin, L., Fogel, M., Kania, E., & Keefe, T. (2012). The War on Mexican Cartels: Options for U.S. and Mexican Policy Makers. Cambridge: Institute of Politics, Harvard University.
The report by the Institute of Politics offers the high level of involvement in drug businesses the various international cartels have perpetrated the system. The book further argues that the cartels, mostly of Mexican origin pose a threat to international peace and stability and ate a big headache for p0liocy makers not only in the United States but also Mexico. The book then offers compelling alternative options for both American and Mexican policymakers in the fight against the drug cartels.
DFA. (2012, September 12). DEA Fact Sheet. Retrieved February 23, 2014, from Drug Enforcement Administration www.dea.gov: http://www.justice.gov/dea/docs/1207_fact-sheet.pdf
Enforcement Administration www.dea.gov: http://www.justice.gov/dea/docs/1207_fact-sheet.pdf
The document that is available in the website of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DFA) documents the statistical data on the various cases of drug trafficking and crimes for the year 2012 and offers ways in which the same can be avoided or eliminated altogether. It simply states the facts as they occurred within that period so as to act as a guide for policy making.
Epstein, E. J. (1997). Agency of Fear:Opiates and Political Power in America. New York: Putnam.
The book examines the extent to which the drug cartels have pervaded into the nation of America. It explores the level to which the political elites and political powers have been bought by the drug cartels to ensure its continued existence. The book in particular lays emphasis on the rot in the public service system and how the drug business is branded as one of fear, hence the agency of fear.
