"The surprising thing here is that he or his wife are so comfortable in the United States, which leads me to ask, well, how many families or how many Mexican drug lords could be living more calmly on the north side of the border than on the south side? What leads Chapo Guzman to keep his family in the United States?'"
Here's the complete interview in Spanish, published by the NY Times.
The U.S. does not seem to think Guzman is in the U.S. As for Calderone's efforts in Mexico, his war on drug traffickers, which have resulted in thousands of deaths, hasn't done much to put a dent in the drug trade. Here's the 2011 National Threat Assessment. Production of heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine in Mexico are increasing.
The availability of heroin in the United States—and the number of markets in which it is available—is increasing as a result of increased production in Mexico, even as
Colombian production declines. The level of illicit poppy cultivation in Mexico was second only to that in Afghanistan in 2009,potentially producing an estimated 50 metric tons of heroin. The overwhelming bulk of the heroin produced in Mexico is destined for the United States.
The report says Mexico is the primary foreign
source of marijuana. There has been "a 113 percent increase in potential marijuana production
[in Mexico] since 2005 and a 36 percent increase
since 2007. Why?
During 2008 and 2009, the Government of Mexico (GOM) de-emphasized eradication in favor of focusing counternarcotic resources on interdiction and the targeting of TCO leadership. This change in focus has resulted in less cannabis eradication and potentially more marijuana production.
On meth:
Mexico remains the primary source of the U.S. methamphetamine supply. Manufacturers
are maintaining high levels of production while adapting to strong GOM precursor chemical control laws.
The money's coming in from Mexico as well:
Studies conducted by the anti-money laundering community indicate that Mexico is the single largest placement area for U.S. drug dollars.
Just another indication the war on drugs is a failure, on both sides of the border. Time for a different approach.
