Why History Prevents The US From Being Tougher On Mexican Cartels
A sensitive subject rooted in a turbulent past
Mexico continues to struggle with powerful criminal cartels. The ongoing drug war has caused violence to soar throughout the country. Political assassinations are commonplace. Murders are rampant. Bribery and intimidation are natural parts of life in certain states. The vast struggle has raised the question as to why the United States has not provided more help and support to its neighbor to the south.
If Ukraine can garner billion of dollars in military aid, why not Mexico? Couldn’t Mexico use some help with intelligence, equipment, and manpower when fighting the cartels? Twenty-nine people alone were killed in a raid to capture El Chapo’s son in Sinaloa, including ten members of the Mexican military.
Unfortunately, US-Mexico relations have always been fraught. Long-simmering tensions sit just beneath the surface. A touchy past has created a hesitant present. The United States is loathed to overstep and do anything that would reignite old wounds between neighbors. The result is that while the actions of drug cartels in Mexico have a substantial adverse effect on Americans throughout the United States, the government will not do anything too heavy-handed to help Mexican authorities reel in the problem.
