Most people assume the drug war in Mexico should not be called a war at all, but through the first 11 months of 2008 the Mexican war has “about 1,000 more [deaths] than the number of U.S. military personnel [killed] in Iraq” (“Is Mexico’s” 3) in that same time period. You have to wonder why more isn’t done for this reoccurring violence and illegal activity. The Mexican drug war masked by powerful gang leaders called cartels and hidden by intimidated citizens will continue for many years unless both the United States and Mexico join together further more to stop this ongoing problem that has cost thousands of lives. The cartels using various forms of illegal money making techniques to attain their powerful state has received minimal defiance until recently by U.S. and Mexican governments.
The cartels use highly illegal techniques to obtain power. These techniques originated because of the chance at 8-23 billion dollars estimated for anyone to obtain (“Is Mexico’s” 4). Topping the list to acquire money are illegal drugs which are the most “widely recognized source of criminal power in Mexico” stealing cars, kidnapping, smuggling Mexicans into United States, and protection rackets also increase their profit (Walters 2). This profit is made from drugs shipped to the U.S., and sold there because of the high demand. At the peak of these drugs is marijuana which it is the “single largest source of drug profits for cartels”. They can easily ship their marijuana to marijuana legal states by calling it “medical” (Walters 2). Although the popular belief to think that this war is at fault to Mexico we also play a significant role in powering these cartels with “90 percent of gangs weapons coming from north of the [Mexican] border” estimated by William Hoover the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives field operations director (“Is Mexico” 6). With all this