Taking Down the Cartels

Americans understand that the threat posed by drug traffickers is particularly intense along our Southwest Border. These organizations compete against each other for smuggling routes into the United States, creating a war zone that engulfs innocent people living in the region. The spillover violence in the United States stems from a variety of criminal activities which bring people and illicit goods into this country. Drug trafficking organizations are highly agile. With billions of dollars in capital, these cartels are capable of corrupting officials and responding violently when targeted by law enforcement. Because of the threats to both the United States and Mexico stemming from organized crime, both of our nations share security objectives for our borders: Keep threats out but ensure the expeditious flow of commerce. Our respective law enforcement agencies have been working closely together to come to a common understanding of how to synchronize enforcement operations on each side of the border. However, we cannot just focus on our shared border. Mexico must stop criminals long before they reach us.