Jalisco cartel activity warrants beefed up US-Mexico border security


The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is one of Mexico’s most prominent criminal threats to the United States. The cartel is known for its aggressive use of violence and despite the capture of some of its top leaders, its influence is widening. According to a report by the United States Congressional Research Service, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel now operates in 27 U.S. states.

Despite these threats, Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan believes it would be a mistake for the U.S. to execute military strikes south of the border. He argues that increasing security both at the border and select U.S. cities would be a more effective strategy.

Excerpted from Peter’s Mar. 10 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:

Flashback to the 80s with me for a moment…we can leave out the big hair and leg warmers…but let’s talk drugs. Most of the cartel activity came from one place, Colombia. If you’ve ever seen Miami Vice, you get the idea. But once the US caught onto the cartels’ “distribution strategy,” new ways of getting “product” into the US had to be created.

Money started flowing through Mexico, and the drug trafficking business was the place to be; it wasn’t long before the cartels we know today began to form. It’s important to note that not all of these cartels operated the same.

To most cartels, violence was a necessary aspect of the drug trade. The Sinaloa Cartel worked a bit differently; they treated this like a business, and El Chapo was the “CEO.” They partnered with the community, bribed law enforcement, and crime stayed relatively low while they were around.

Once El Chapo was captured and the Sinaloa Cartel started to fall off, groups like Jalisco New Generation surged back onto the scene. Unfortunately, this new wave of cartels brought back the violence and crime levels we see today.

For the U.S., carrying out military strikes on these cartels across the border just doesn’t make sense…it would be like shooting a fly with a handgun. However, beefing up border security to prevent these cartels from crossing into the states is probably a good idea.