Citation

Beith M. Small Wars Insurg. 2011; 22(5): 787-806.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/09592318.2011.620813

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The Mexican drug war, in full swing since December 2006, has now claimed more than 40,000 lives. Dozens of high-level cartel operatives have been captured or killed, yet the leadership of one cartel, from Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico, has remained apparently untouched. The apparent lack of a crackdown on the Sinaloa Cartel has spurred criticisms of the Calderón administration, as well as US authorities aiding in the drug fight - some critics contend that the Sinaloa Cartel has enjoyed protection from the authorities. The Sinaloa Cartel's history of protection and collusion by authorities goes back a long way - during the reign of the PRI from 1929 to 2000, Sinaloa's drug traffickers were allowed to operate with near-total impunity. But mounting evidence - captures and deaths of high-level operatives from Sinaloa as well as arrests of relatives of the leadership - suggests that the claims of collusion against the current Mexican administration are false.

Language: en

Keywords

‘El Chapo’ Guzmán; Calderón; corruption; criminalization; Mexico; PAN; PRI; Sinaloa Cartel