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Colombia's Changing Approach to Drug Policy [Updated November 30, 2017]
"Colombia is one of the largest producers of cocaine globally, and it also produces heroin bound for the United States. Counternarcotics policy has long been a key component of the U.S.- Colombian relationship, which some analysts have described as 'driven by drugs.' In recent years, Colombia revised its approach to counternarcotics policy, which may have implications for the U.S.-Colombian relationship going forward. On September 13, 2017, President Trump cited the recent spike in Colombia's cocaine production as the reason he was reserving the option to decertify Colombia as a cooperating partner in fighting illegal drugs, an unexpected development given the close counternarcotics partnership between the United States and Colombia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Rosen, Liana W.
2017-11-30
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues in the 115th Congress [Updated January 22, 2019]
"Geographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean, based on diverse U.S. interests, including economic, political, and security concerns. The United States is a major trading partner and the largest source of foreign investment for many countries in the region, with free-trade agreements enhancing economic linkages with 11 countries. The region is a large source of U.S. immigration, both legal and illegal; proximity and economic and security conditions are major factors driving migration. Curbing the flow of illicit drugs has been a key component of U.S. relations with the region for more than three decades and currently involves close security cooperation with Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. U.S. support for democracy and human rights in the region has been long-standing, with particular current focus on Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; DeBruyne, Nese F. . . .
2019-01-22
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Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations [Updated November 29, 2019]
From the Document: "Colombia, a key Latin American ally, endured half a century of internal armed conflict. Drug trafficking fueled the violence, funding left- and right-wing armed groups. Some analysts feared in the 1990s that Colombia would become a failed state, but the Colombian government devised a novel security strategy, known as Plan Colombia, to counter the insurgencies. Plan Colombia and follow-on programs ultimately became a 17-year U.S.-Colombian bilateral effort. [...] Congress appropriated more than $10 billion for Plan Colombia and its follow-on programs between FY2000 and FY2016, about 20% of which was funded through the U.S. Department of Defense. Since 2017, Congress has provided nearly $1.2 billion in additional assistance for Colombia. For FY2019, Congress appropriated $418.1 million in foreign aid for Colombia, which encompassed efforts to promote peace and reconciliation, assist rural communities, and continue counternarcotics support through the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Congress has signed two continuing resolutions for FY2020 appropriations, with FY2020 aid levels set to match FY2019 levels through late December 2019."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2019-11-29
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Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Issues in the 116th Congress [Updated March 10, 2020]
From the Document: "The United States maintains strong linkages with neighboring Latin America and the Caribbean based on geographic proximity and diverse U.S. interests, including economic, political, and security concerns. The United States is a major trading partner and source of foreign investment for many countries in the region, with free-trade agreements enhancing economic linkages with 11 countries. The region is a large source of U.S. immigration, both legal and illegal; proximity and economic and security conditions are major factors driving migration. Curbing the flow of illicit drugs has been a key component of U.S. relations with the region for more than four decades and currently involves close security cooperation with Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. U.S. support for democracy and human rights in the region has been long-standing, with particular current focus on Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; DeBruyne, Nese F. . . .
2020-03-10
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Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations [Updated December 20, 2019]
From the Summary: "Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) pose the greatest crime threat to the United States and have 'the greatest drug trafficking influence,' according to the annual U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA's) 'National Drug Threat Assessment'. These organizations work across the Western Hemisphere and globally. They are involved in extensive money laundering, bribery, gun trafficking, and corruption, and they cause Mexico's homicide rates to spike. They produce and traffic illicit drugs into the United States, including heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and powerful synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and they traffic South American cocaine. Over the past decade, Congress has held numerous hearings addressing violence in Mexico, U.S. counternarcotics assistance, and border security issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2019-12-20
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Impact of COVID-19 [Updated April 15, 2021]
From the Document: "The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having widespread economic, social, and political effects on Latin America and the Caribbean. As of April 14, 2021, the region had almost 26.7million confirmed cases(19.3% of cases worldwide) and over 846,000 deaths(28.4% of deaths worldwide). Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Peru had the highest numbers of deaths in the region, and Brazil and Mexico had highest death tolls worldwide after the United States. The regional rankings change when examining deaths per 100,000 population--using this measurement, Peru had the highest rate in the region, followed by Brazil, Mexico, Panama, and Colombia. A University of Washington COVID-19 projection model (updated April 8, 2021) forecast deaths in the region could reach 1.2 million by August 1, 2021."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; Meyer, Peter J. . . .
2021-04-15
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Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations [Updated February 8, 2019]
"A key U.S. ally in the Latin American region, Colombia endured an internal armed conflict for half a century. Drug trafficking fueled the violence by funding both left-wing and right-wing armed groups. Some analysts feared Colombia would become a failed state in the late 1990s, but the Colombian government devised a new security strategy, known as Plan Colombia, to counter the insurgencies. Originally designed as a 6-year program, Plan Colombia ultimately became a 17-year U.S.-Colombian bilateral effort. The partnership focused initially on counternarcotics and later on counterterrorism; it then broadened to include sustainable development, human rights, trade, regional security, and many other areas of cooperation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2019-02-08
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U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation After 'El Chapo' Guzmán's January 2016 Recapture [January 13, 2016]
"The escape of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán from a maximum security federal prison near Mexico City in July 2015
underscored the extent to which corruption is entrenched in Mexico's criminal justice system. Mexican marines
reportedly came close to recapturing Guzmán in the northwestern Sierra Madre mountains in October 2015, and,
following a vigorous intelligence-guided effort, Mexican marines recaptured Guzmán in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, on
January 8, 2016. One key concern for U.S. policymakers is whether the Mexican government will be able to hold
Guzmán securely in the same prison from which he escaped and then extradite him swiftly to the United States-a
source of tension in U.S.-Mexican relations. Another is whether Guzmán's recapture, which was supported by U.S.
intelligence, will lead to closer security cooperation moving forward."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Seelke, Clare Ribando; Rigby, William A.
2016-01-13
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U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation Following 'El Chapo' Guzmán's Escape [July 21, 2015]
"The escape of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán on July 11, 2015, from a maximum security federal prison near Mexico City stunned Mexico. The mechanics of the escape--through a mile-long tunnel accessed by a shower stall in his cell--has added to the lore of the notorious drug trafficker who heads Mexico's dominant Sinaloa drug trafficking organization (DTO). Guzman's escape for a second time--he escaped from another Mexican prison in 2001--has underscored the weak justice, law enforcement, and penal systems in Mexico and the entrenched corruption in the country. This incident has raised serious concerns about the security strategy of President Enrique Peña Nieto, and some observers note that it could set back U.S.-Mexican security cooperation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Seelke, Clare Ribando; Rigby, William A.
2015-07-21
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U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation Following 'El Chapo' Guzmán's Escape [October 20, 2015]
"The escape of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán on July 11, 2015, from a maximum security federal prison near Mexico City stunned Mexico. The mechanics of the escape--through a mile-long tunnel accessed by a shower stall in his cell--has added to the lore of the notorious drug trafficker who heads Mexico's dominant Sinaloa drug trafficking organization (DTO). Guzmán's escape for a second time--he escaped from another Mexican prison in 2001--has underscored the weakness of Mexico's criminal justice system and the entrenched corruption in the country. Despite this incident, and human rights concerns that have resulted in a loss of some $5.5 million in U.S. assistance, U.S.-Mexican security cooperation continues. Mexico extradited 13 high-profile criminals to the United States in September 2015. Then, acting on U.S. intelligence, Mexican marines reportedly came close to recapturing Guzmán in mid-October in the northwestern Sierra Madre mountains."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Seelke, Clare Ribando; Rigby, William A.
2015-10-20
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues in the 115th Congress [October 4, 2018]
"Geographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean, based on diverse U.S. interests, including economic, political, and security concerns. The United States is a major trading partner and the largest source of foreign investment for many countries in the region, with free-trade agreements enhancing economic linkages with 11 countries. The region is a large source of U.S. immigration, both legal and illegal; proximity and economic and security conditions are major factors driving migration. Curbing the flow of illicit drugs has been a key component of U.S. relations with the region for more than three decades and currently involves close security cooperation with Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. U.S. support for democracy and human rights in the region has been long-standing, with particular current focus on Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; DeBruyne, Nese F. . . .
2018-10-04
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Colombia's 2018 Elections [July 12, 2018]
"Colombians elected a new congress in March 2018 and a new president in June 2018. Because no presidential candidate won more than 50% of the vote on May 27, 2018, as required for a victory in the first round, a second-round runoff was held June 17. That contest resulted in a victory for a popular far-right candidate, Iván Duque, who will assume office on August 7, 2018."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Gracia, Edward Y.
2018-07-12
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Why is Violence Rebounding in Mexico? [November 8, 2017]
"Mexico's transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) have for years been identified as the greatest organized crime threat to the United States given their strong links to drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes. These organizations also generate extreme violence within Mexico, where they exercise territorial influence in large swaths of the country near illicit drug production hubs and trafficking routes and particularly where the TCOs clash to assert or maintain dominance. Between 2008 and 2016, Mexico's homicide rate increased from 8 per 100,000 residents to 16.2 per 100,000. [...] In 2017, homicides have continued to spiral upward. Preliminary statistics for January through September show an increase of 20% to 30% over 2016. If this trend continues, Mexico will end the year with a homicide rate above 18 per 100,000, which would make 2017 its most violent year on record. A number of factors may be driving this spike in violence, including continuing fragmentation of the Sinaloa Cartel, competition to meet the burgeoning U.S. heroin demand, and ineffective law enforcement efforts against TCOs, such as the removal of key crime kingpins. [...] As drug-related crime began to climb in 2007, and drug gangs battled Mexican security forces and one another with increasing brutality, some strategies adopted by the Mexican government have not proven effective at least on a sustainable basis. [...] Some analysts are concerned that successful bilateral security cooperation, including extradition of criminals wanted on charges in the United States, may diminish due to tensions rising in other aspects of U.S.-Mexican relations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2017-11-08
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Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations [November 14, 2017]
"Colombia and the United States have had one of the closest partnerships in the Western Hemisphere. Between FY2000 and FY2016, the U.S. Congress appropriated more than $10 billion to fund Plan Colombia and its follow-on programs. The FY2016 omnibus appropriations measure provided close to $300 million foreign aid from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. In FY2017, U.S. assistance expanded to focus on implementation of the new peace accord with the FARC, an effort called Peace Colombia. In May 2017, Congress passed an omnibus appropriations measure, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31), which essentially funded Peace Colombia at $391.3 million. The Trump Administration's proposed foreign aid for Colombia in FY2018 would reduce assistance to $251 million. The House passed an omnibus appropriations bill for FY2018 (H.R. 3354) that would fund bilateral programs for Colombia at $335.9 million. The Senate's Appropriations Committee's foreign aid bill for FY2018 would provide $391.3 million for Colombia, the same amount appropriated in FY2017."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2017-11-14
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Ecuador: In Brief [February 13, 2018]
"Ecuador is a small, oil-producing country of 16 million inhabitants located on the west coast of South America between Colombia and Peru. In 2017, Ecuador was considered to have the thirdlargest proven reserves of crude oil in South America, with 8.3 billion barrels. It is the smallest member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Petroleum is Ecuador's largest export to the United States, the country's top trade partner. With the reduction in crude oil price since 2014, Ecuador's earnings have fallen after years of strong growth."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2018-02-13
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Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations [Updated December 14, 2018]
"A key U.S. ally in the Latin American region, Colombia endured an internal armed conflict for half a century. Drug trafficking fueled the violence by funding both left-wing and right-wing armed groups. Some analysts feared Colombia would become a failed state in the late 1990s, but the Colombian government devised a new security strategy, known as Plan Colombia, to counter the insurgencies. Originally designed as a 6-year program, Plan Colombia ultimately became a 17-year U.S.-Colombian bilateral effort. The partnership focused initially on counternarcotics and later on counterterrorism; it then broadened to include sustainable development, human rights, trade, regional security, and many other areas of cooperation. Between FY2000 and FY2016, the U.S. Congress appropriated more than $10 billion to help fund Plan Colombia and its follow-on programs. For FY2018, Congress appropriated $391.3 million in foreign aid for Colombia, including assistance to promote peace and end the conflict."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2018-12-14
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Combating Corruption in Latin America: Congressional Considerations [May 21, 2019]
From the Overview: "This report examines how anti-corruption strategies in U.S. policy and legislation initially evolved from a desire to level the playing field for corporations working in the developing world. At first, U.S. corporations were regulated so they could not bribe or extort to win contracts, and then the focus expanded to helping build more effective institutions and the rule of law in developing countries to ensure more fair, predictable,and transparent systems. The report examines how corruption contributes to wasting public monies, distorting electoral outcomes, and reinforcing criminal structures. Although the fight against corruption is a global effort, this report focuses more closely on U.S. interests in fighting corruption in the region,and how U.S. policy and assistance programs have developed to address that goal. Contemporary anti-corruption efforts in Brazil, Mexico, and Central America are examined as case studies. The report closes with considerations for Congress in conducting its oversight role over U.S. funded anti-corruption efforts in the region and pursuing the policy objective of broadening the rule of law and encouraging good government."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Meyer, Peter J.; Seelke, Clare Ribando . . .
2019-05-21
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Ecuador: An Overview [May 20, 2019]
From the Document: "Ecuador is a small, ethnically diverse country of 16.5 million inhabitants located in South America between Colombia and Peru. In April 2017, Lenín Moreno was elected president from the leftist 'Alianza Pais' (AP) party, succeeding President Rafael Correa (2007-2017), a populist leader of the same party. Correa, Ecuador's longest-serving president, was reelected three times, bringing some stability to Ecuador's tumultuous politics. Many thought Correa's 'Citizens' Revolution' would continue under President Moreno, who served as Correa's vice president for six years.President Moreno, however,quickly distanced himself from Correa in style and substance. In recent months, Moreno has adopted market-friendly policies, shown interest in closer relations with the United States,and rejected Venezuela's government under President Nícolas Maduro, which Correa had promoted as an ally."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Gracia, Edward Y.
2019-05-20
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Colombia's Peace Process Through 2016 [Updated December 31, 2016]
From the Summary: "In August 2012, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced that the government was engaged in exploratory peace talks with the violent leftist insurgent group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in a bid to resolve a nearly 50-year internal armed conflict. The secret, initial dialogue between the Santos government and the FARC's leadership led to the opening of formal peace talks with the FARC--the oldest, largest, and best-financed guerrilla organization in Latin America. Formal talks began in Oslo, Norway, in October 2012 and then, as planned, moved to Havana, Cuba, where they continued for more than 50 rounds."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2016-12-31
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Status of Latin America's Anti-Corruption Fight Amid Health and Political Challenges [April 21, 2020]
From the Background: "After sweeping across the region, anti-corruption activism in Latin America appears to have stalled. Populist leaders in Brazil and Mexico campaigned on fighting public corruption during their 2018 elections. However, after more than a year in office, both presidents have demonstrated little progress on significant corruption prosecutions or substantial governmental reform. Elsewhere, in 2019 and early 2020, governments in Central America shut down notable anti-corruption institutions that were approved by wide majorities of their citizens and supported by U.S. policy and assistance. As the region grapples with the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, U.S. policymakers, including Congress, may recall and potentially consider supporting anew the civil society activism that spurred government action in Latin America and the Caribbean."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2020-04-21
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Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations [Updated October 26, 2020]
From the Document: "Colombia, a key U.S. ally in Latin America, endured from the mid-1960s more than a half of century of internal armed conflict. To address the country's prominence in illegal drug production, the United States and Colombia have forged a close relationship over the past two decades. Plan Colombia, a program focused initially on counternarcotics and later on counterterrorism, laid the foundation for an enduring security partnership. [...] The U.S.-Colombia partnership, originally forged on security interests, now encompasses sustainable development, human rights, trade, and wider cooperation. Support from Congress and across U.S. Administrations has been largely bipartisan. [...] For FY2020, Congress provided $448 million for State Department- and USAID-funded programs for Colombia. The House-passed FY2021 foreign aid appropriations bill, H.R. 7608, would provide $457.3 million to Colombia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2020-10-26
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Impact of COVID-19 [Updated December 17, 2020]
From the Document: "The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having widespread economic, social, and political effects on Latin America and the Caribbean, a region with strong congressional interest because of deep U.S. linkages. As of December 15, 2020, the region had over 14.1million confirmed cases(19.4% of cases worldwide) and almost 473,000 deaths(29.2% of deaths worldwide). Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru have the highest numbers of deaths in the region, and Brazil has the highest death toll worldwide after the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; Meyer, Peter J. . . .
2020-12-17
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Mexican Drug Trafficking and Cartel Operations Amid COVID-19 [Updated December 15, 2020]
From the Document: "Mexico is a primary foreign producer and transit country for illicit drugs destined for the United States. Policymakers, including many in Congress, have been closely watching how the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected drug flow patterns out of Mexico, including the flow of potent opioids and other illicit drugs. Any changes could affect the extent to which Mexico-based transnational criminal organizations, popularly described as 'cartels', pose a threat to U.S. national security. To date, U.S.-bound illicit drug supplies have persisted, despite early supply chain disruptions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Rosen, Liana W.
2020-12-15
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Mexican Drug Trafficking and Cartel Operations Amid COVID-19 [November 19, 2020]
From the Document: "Mexico is a primary foreign producer and transit country for illicit drugs destined for the United States. Policymakers, including many in Congress, have been closely watching how the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected drug flow patterns out of Mexico, including the flow of potent opioids and other illicit drugs. Any changes could affect the extent to which Mexico-based transnational criminal organizations, popularly described as 'cartels', pose a threat to U.S. national security. To date, U.S.-bound illicit drug supplies have persisted, despite early supply chain disruptions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Rosen, Liana W.
2020-11-19
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Mexico's Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Violence [April 15, 2013]
"Violence is an inherent feature of the trade in illicit drugs, but the violence generated by Mexico's drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in recent years has been unprecedented and remarkably brutal. The tactics--including mass killings, the use of torture and dismemberment, and the phenomena of car bombs--have led some analysts to speculate whether the violence has been transformed into something new, perhaps requiring a different set of policy responses. Most analysts estimate there have been at least 60,000 homicides related to organized crime since 2006. Some analysts see evidence that the number of organized crime-style homicides in Mexico may have reached a plateau in 2012, while other observers maintain there was a decline in the number of killings. It is widely believed that the steep increase in organized crime-related homicides during the six-year administration of Mexican President Felipe Calderón (2006-2012) is likely to trend down far more slowly than it rose. […] Similar to the last Congress, the 113th Congress remains concerned about the security crisis in Mexico. The new government of President Enrique Peña Nieto which took office in December 2012 has proposed a new security strategy that builds on the programs that the Calderón government initiated. These include close U.S.-Mexico security coordination under the Mérida Initiative with police training and judicial reform, and use of the Mexican military to prosecute the campaign against the DTOs in the near term. In his first three months in office, President Peña Nieto has proposed some new approaches--such as establishing a 10,000 strong militarized police force or 'gendarmarie' within a year, revising and expanding crime prevention programs, and refocusing the strategy on lowering violent crime such as homicide and kidnapping. But President Peña Nieto has also tried to shift the national conversation to a more positive message about economic growth rather than remaining focused on organized crime groups and the violence and mayhem that they cause."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2013-04-15
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Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [Updated May 1, 2009]
"The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since 1994, trade between the countries has more than quadrupled. Bilateral relations are close, and characterized by extensive commercial and cultural ties and cooperation on a range of bilateral and international issues. A current trade dispute with the United States involves the implementation of NAFTA trucking provisions. In March 2009, Congress terminated a pilot-project for Mexican-registered trucks to operate beyond the 25-mile border commercial zone with the United States, and Mexico responded by imposing import tariffs on over 90 U.S. agricultural and industrial products. Drug trafficking issues are prominent in relations since Mexico is the leading transit country for cocaine, a leading supplier of methamphetamine and heroin, and the leading foreign supplier of marijuana. Shortly after taking office in December 2006, President Felipe Calderón launched operations against Mexican drug trafficking organizations. […]. U.S.-Mexican cooperation on drug trafficking has intensified over the past several years, and both countries announced the Mérida Initiative in October 2007 to combat drug trafficking, gangs, and organized crime in Mexico and Central America. […]. The 111th Congress is maintaining an active interest in Mexico with myriad counternarcotics, border, and trade issues dominating the agenda. To date, there have already been a dozen hearings dealing with the increased violence in Mexico as well as U.S. foreign assistance and border security efforts. Comprehensive immigration reform efforts once again could be considered in the 111th Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.
2009-05-01
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Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [April 14, 2009]
"The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since 1994, trade between the countries has more than quadrupled. Bilateral relations are close, and characterized by extensive commercial and cultural ties and cooperation on a range of bilateral and international issues. A current trade dispute with the United States involves the implementation of NAFTA trucking provisions. In March 2009, Congress terminated a pilot-project for Mexican-registered trucks to operate beyond the 25-mile border commercial zone with the United States, and Mexico responded by imposing import tariffs on over 90 U.S. agricultural and industrial products. Drug trafficking issues are prominent in relations since Mexico is the leading transit country for cocaine, a leading supplier of methamphetamine and heroin, and the leading foreign supplier of marijuana. Shortly after taking office in December 2006, President Felipe Calderón launched operations against Mexican drug trafficking organizations. […]. U.S.-Mexican cooperation on drug trafficking has intensified over the past several years, and both countries announced the Mérida Initiative in October 2007 to combat drug trafficking, gangs, and organized crime in Mexico and Central America. […]. The 111th Congress is maintaining an active interest in Mexico with myriad counternarcotics, border, and trade issues dominating the agenda. To date, there have already been a dozen hearings dealing with the increased violence in Mexico as well as U.S. foreign assistance and border security efforts. Comprehensive immigration reform efforts once again could be considered in the 111th Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.
2009-04-14
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Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [February 3, 2010]
"The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Bilateral relations are characterized by strong commercial and cultural ties and cooperation on a range of bilateral and international issues. In recent years, security issues have dominated the bilateral agenda, as the United States has supported Mexican President Felipe Calderón's campaign against drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and organized crime. […] During its second session, the 111th Congress is likely to maintain an active interest in Mexico with counternarcotics, border, and trade issues dominating the agenda. To date, Congress has appropriated some $1.3 billion in assistance for Mexico under the Mérida Initiative, an anti-crime and counterdrug package first funded in FY2008, including $210.3 million in the FY2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-117). Congress is likely to maintain a keen interest in how implementation of the Mérida Initiative and related domestic initiatives to improve border security are proceeding, particularly as it considers the President's FY2011 budget request, which includes at least $341 million in assistance to Mexico, including $310 million in assistance accounts that have funded the Mérida Initiative. Congress may also be interested in how the Obama Administration moves to resolve the current trucking dispute with Mexico now that P.L. 111-117 would permit the resumption of a U.S.-funded pilot program for Mexican trucks. Congress may also consider proposals for comprehensive immigration reform."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Seelke, Clare Ribando; Beittel, June S.
2010-02-03
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Mexico's Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence [September 7, 2011]
"The violence generated by Mexico's drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in recent years has been unprecedented. In 2006, Mexico's newly elected President Felipe Calderón launched an aggressive campaign against the DTOsâ€"an initiative that has defined his administrationâ€"that has been met with a violent response from the DTOs. Government enforcement efforts have successfully removed some of the key leaders in all of the seven major DTOs, either through arrests or deaths in operations to detain them. However, these efforts have led to succession struggles within the DTOs themselves that generated more violence. According to the Mexican government's estimate, organized crime-related violence claimed more than 34,500 lives between January 2007 and December 2010. By conservative estimates, there have been an additional 8,000 homicides in 2011, increasing the number of deaths related to organized crime to over 40,000 since President Calderón came to office in late 2006. [...] This report provides background on drug trafficking in Mexico; identifies the major drug trafficking organizations; and analyzes the context, scope, and scale of the violence. It examines current trends of the violence, analyzes prospects for curbing violence in the future, and compares it with violence in Colombia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2011-09-07
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Mexico's Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence [January 7, 2011]
"In Mexico, the violence generated by drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in recent years has been, according to some, unprecedented. In 2006, Mexico's newly elected President Felipe Calderón launched an aggressive campaign--an initiative that has defined his administration-- against the DTOs that has been met with a violent response from the DTOs. Government enforcement efforts have had successes in removing some of the key leaders in all of the seven major DTOs. However, these efforts have led to violent succession struggles within the DTOs themselves. In July 2010, the Mexican government announced that more than 28,000 people had been killed in drug trafficking-related violence since December 2006, when President Calderón came to office. […] The growing security crisis in Mexico, including the March 13, 2010, killing of three individuals connected to the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico (two of the victims were U.S. citizens), has drawn the attention of the U.S. Congress and has raised concerns about the stability of a strategic partner and neighbor. Congress is also concerned about the possibility of 'spillover' violence along the U.S. border and further inland. The 111th Congress held more than 20 hearings dealing with the violence in Mexico, U.S. foreign assistance, and border security issues. The 112th Congress is likely to be interested in progress made by the Calderón government in quelling the violence and asserting its authority in DTO strongholds, and in the implications for the United States. Members are also likely to continue to conduct close oversight of U.S.-Mexico security cooperation and other related bilateral issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2011-01-07
