Overview
What is a Drug War?
This project is entitled "Drug Wars" for several reasons. In 1971 the Nixon Administration declared its "War on Drugs" in an effort to reduce drug consumption in the United States. Since that time U.S. authorities have attempted to wage war on drug trafficking organizations, and at times, on the consumers themselves (approximately 23% of inmates in the U.S. prison system are currently serving sentences for drug possession). While one may debate whether a country can actually wage a "war" on an inanimate object, the term helps emphasize the sense of urgency relating to this issue. Appropriate term or not, authorities are indeed fighting a war to reduce the availability of these illicit products and to stem the tide of violence that is associated with the trade.
The expression "drug wars" is also commonly used to describe the violent struggle between the various trafficking organizations now operating along the U.S.-Mexico border. Recent reports indicate that thousands of people have been killed (more than 2000 were killed in Mexico in 2006) since Colombian cocaine began moving across the U.S.-Mexico border in large quantities; forcing any informed observer to call the situation nothing less than a "war."
The vast majority of drugs (especially marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and synthetic drugs) are smuggled into the United States from Mexico. This activity has been of major concern to the U.S. government for at least twenty years. Indeed, drugs have been smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico (albeit in much smaller quantities) since the 1920s. However, significant changes in drug shipment routes during the late 1980s have placed northern Mexico at the focus of these operations today.
Description of this Web Site
It has become increasingly apparent that some of the processes of globalization have facilitated drug trafficking from Mexico into the United States. Most significant have been the dramatic increases in cross-border commerce as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This project is designed to serve as an interdisciplinary learning tool that is focused on the character of illicit drug trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border. The project is also designed to augment public interest in the long-term impacts of drug trafficking, undocumented migration, regional instability, and the processes of globalization. It may also provide an opportunity for individuals to see the potential relationships between free trade and illicit activities in other world regions.
This web site also contains an interactive map browser of drug trafficking activities across the border and related producing regions within Latin America. The map browser utilizes ArcIMS technology from ESRI, Inc. New users are encouraged to view the tutorial before using the map.