The war on drugs Research Essay

The fight against drugs has gone a long way and faced many difficulties. The arrest of Joaquin Guzman has temporarily put an end to one of the most arduous manhunts the Mexican government has ever engaged in. Information for this account was gathered through conversations with Mexican government representatives, witnesses, the police, the military, and reports by local news organizations. This project drew together 2500 people from all over Mexico. The fact that a significant amount of effort went into the pursuit and capture of a person – whose apprehension, notwithstanding his influence and wealth, will have an insignificant impact on the diminuendos of drug trafficking and the war waged end it – echoes the symbolism bestowed upon Guzman within and outside Mexico. His capture is expected to mark a turning point in the relations between Mexico and its neighbors, particularly America and its standing on the global stage as well as the relations between Mexico’s leadership and the people.

The year 2009 brought the commencement of a formal cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico. The current president of Mexico has made attempts towards strengthening relations between America and Mexico. President Obama saw the need for cooperation as the best approach towards dealing with the problem of drugs and trafficking. Before his escape from prison in 2001, he had established plans to runs a vanity initiative (Usborne, 2017). The authorities got wind of this schemes, and with the aid of Kate Del Castillo, an actress who had played the part of a Baron in La Reina Del Sur, they were able to piggyback on all communication that Guzman made and eventually he was found. Plans were made to have him captured. His subsequent meetings with the actress and her company provided the Mexicans with sufficient intelligence that helped to pinpoint his location accurately.

A week later, the Mexicans with the support of the Americans, deployed a detachment made up of Marines whose mission was based on information provided by Authorities in America. During the mission, the drug baron got wind of the approaching Marines and attempted to flee. With him were his two cooks and a child, all of whom he used as a shield to prevent snipers from shooting him. He escaped and headed out to Los Mochis, an area over which he had no influence (Usborne, 2017). As January approached authorities had located his new hideout and subsequent monitoring confirmed that he was in Los Mochis. Marines from the Special Forces were sent in to attempt another capture. Most of the employees who worked for Guzman were arrested while escaped out through a hidden tunnel. Fortunately, the police had been notified, and a series of roadblocks led to the capture of Guzman.

With two dangerous criminals in the history of Mexico, strict enforcement strategies were necessary to ensure he would not escape custody. While the Marines were on their way to secure him, Guzman and his associate were quickly hidden away to prevent any members of the cartels from enacting a liberation operation. According to the Mexican police, some assassins had been called in to try and rescue Guzman from custody (Usborne, 2017). The Marines whisked him away to prison, the same one he had escaped from, a few months prior. This capture would not have been successful had the marines not chosen a secret code of conduct. The Marines operated discretely and did not inform the Mexican authorities what and where their mission was leading them. The Mexican army was unsuccessful due to their slow nature and the fact that they had to inform the authorities each time they planned to stage a raid (Usborne, 2017). Also, the Special Forces Marines had prior knowledge of the nature of engagement that arises in the context of antidrug enforcement operations.

In order to ensure he would not attempt another escape, his enforcement detailed undertook an ingenious plan. They made sure that he was never in one room for longer than it was necessary. This would prevent him from mastering enough time to dig his way out from the prison cells (Usborne, 2017). In addition, vigilance was enhanced with more officers assigned to his cell as well as 24 hours of a close eye with the help of cameras.

Agreements between Mexico and the America saw a waiver of the death penalty, which enabled faster transfer of Guzman to America to face prosecution. 24 hours after his arrival in America, he was taken to court in the city of Brooklyn where he was charged with 17 counts of trafficking, violation of firearm laws and intent to commit murder (Rashbaum, 2017). This drug lord also faced charges in other states in America such as Florida, California, New Hampshire, Illinois as well as Texas. Within these states, he ran massive money laundering schemes that brought in billions regarding profits accrued from the trade of drugs such as cocaine.The American government also pursued a penalization of more than $14 billion as well as life imprisonment. His appeals against the charges brought against him, including petitions presented before America’s Supreme Court ran out and this meant that his country would have no other choice but to oblige to the decision (Rashbaum, 2017). His legal team made claims to the effect that his extradition to America was not legal. However, they were reduced to filling a symbolic claim with human rights bodies at the international level.

With Guzman in prison, it is expected that his cartel will fall short of a craft leader. His incarceration does not afford him a chance to communicate with the outside world. Also, most of his trusted lieutenants cracked during interrogation leading to his capture. It is not possible that they will take over from Guzman and proceed with the trade (McDonnell, 2017). During his hearing proceedings, his vast empire was uncovered, and since then, the DEA is well aware of all his trafficking routes.

The DEA has fought hard over the years to end drugs trafficking into the U.S, and this might provide the best opportunity to stop a nightmare that has seen a lot of narcotics entering America across the border. With the destruction of the tunnels used to bring in drugs across the border, the future of drug trafficking looks unwelcoming. The tunnel was the main route into America, which offered a huge market for the drugs other than Australia. With time, the cartels will lose power as well as their invulnerability. States such as Florida will no longer experience drug trafficking of the scale that Guzman propagated.

References

McDonnell, B. (2017). Mexican drug lord Joaquin ’El Chapo’ Guzman has a new home: The Guantanamo of New York. latimes.com. Retrieved 7 April 2017, from http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-el-chapo-prosecution-20170119-story.html

Rashbaum, A. (2017). U.S. Prosecutors Outline Case Against Mexican Drug Lord El Chapo. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 7 April 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/nyregion/el-chapo-guzman-mexican-us.html

Usborne, D. (2017). ’World’s most powerful drugs lord’ ’El Chapo’ Guzman captured. The Independent. Retrieved 7 April 2017, from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-fight-for-el-chapo-9147385.html