Grim, to put it mildly.
It’s obvious that the drug cartels in Mexico are becoming de facto governments: they’re taking over, especially in Northern Mexico. Or, look at the Sinaloa Cartel; it’s been reported that this cartel, along with other gangs, have brought in $3.8 billion into Sinaloa state alone. The current boss, Joaquin Guzman, has a net worth over $1 billion, and was listed in Forbes Magazine as #937 of the richest men in the world. Now, this isn’t to say that Senor Guzman might not come to a bad end, a la Pablo Escobar, but this is without doubt a man with considerable power and wealth at his disposal.
This particular massacre was perpetrated by the Gente Neuva, as they took pains to advertise, which is the army of the Sinaloa Cartel, most of them ex-military or police forces. Ironically, the GN is fighting their former comarades-in-arms in the Zetas, which was founded by ex-Mexican Special Forces members. The Zetas most recent display of terror was the Monterrey Casino Massacre.
All this bodes ill not only for the US, naturally, but for Mexico, especially. The kind of money these groups are capable of amassing is a profoundly corrupting influence for many strata of Mexican society, and as they accumulate more wealth, power, and worst of all, the weaponry with which to impose their will, I believe it’s only a matter of time before the cartels take over the Mexican government properly, perhaps through armed force, but also perhaps at the ballot box, legitimately or through massive bribery.
I honestly have no idea what any US Government, be it Republican or Democratic led, would do when confronted with the situation of a well-armed and well-financed narcostate sharing it’s border to the south. It’s perhaps an unthinkable scenario, which is why no one (at the governmental level) seems to have any concrete solutions to this sad state of affairs.
Just my thoughts on a lovely sunny day, 74 degrees, in the eastern Czech Republic.
Its obvious that the drug cartels in Mexico are becoming de facto governments
Absolutely!