NCJ Number
198426
Journal
Jane's Intelligence Review Volume: 14 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2002 Pages: 24-27
Date Published
December 2002
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Following the death and arrest of two members of the Arellano Felix family, which has been instrumental in the Mexican Tijuana drug trafficking cartel, a battle for control of the Tijuana cartel's drug trafficking operations in Mexico erupted earlier this year; this article examines the nature of the cartel and its chances for survival.
Abstract
The death of Ramon Arellano and the arrest of his brother have struck a significant blow to the Tijuana cartel; however, it is unlikely to mark the end of its illegal activities or its use of violence. The cartel's structure remains virtually intact, and it is possible that as the Mexican Government steps up its fight against corruption in the State, the Tijuana and other Mexican cartels may decide to use more aggressive tactics to maintain their areas of control. This article describes the structure of the Tijuana cartel and reviews the history of Mexico's cartels, which currently have significant power to corrupt authorities and use violence to enforce their will. The closing of the Caribbean drug smuggling route has made the Mexican cartels even stronger and more sophisticated. The cartels have exploited loop holes in Mexican law and infiltrated law enforcement agencies and public ministries, in addition to bribing judges with large sums of money. History shows that investing more human, technical, and financial resources to fight drug trafficking is not sufficient in Mexico. Without further reforms to the political system, the war against drugs will be a prolonged affair. The outcome of the struggle for control of the Tijuana cartel's drug trafficking operations will depend on who takes the leadership role in the near future; more information is needed on who this is likely to be.