03/30/11— It was recently discovered from WikiLeaks that the most “fearsome” weapons used by Mexico’s drug cartels enter the country from Central American countries, not the United States. The cables were written during a series of bi-lateral conferences which took place in Cuernacava, Phoenix, and Tapachula in 2009. These heavy weapons include grenades, light anti-tank weapons, heavy caliber rifles, and rocket launchers. One of the cables stated that 90% of heavy weapons that Mexican authorities seize are traced back to Central America. It was also noted that there are nearly 30,000 Customs and Border Protections agents at the U.S.-Mexican border, but only about 125 Mexican Immigration officials that protect the Mexican-Guatemalan border, which is 577 miles long.
Admiral James Winnefeld of the North Command stressed the need for the Mexican armed forces to strategically focus on their southern border with Guatemala, saying that the border region between Mexico and Central America is sophisticated, “even by American standards.” Air Force General Douglas M. Fraser also stated that the damage from organized crime groups is more transparent in Central America where groups are able to engage in crime without almost any punishment.
The cables also acknowledge that most assault weapons, which differ from ‘heavy weaponry,’ used by the Mexican cartels enter the country from the United States. Under president Felipe Calderón, 80% of the 75,000 assault weapons seized by the Mexican military were traced back to the United States.
Sources:
“Mexican Cartels Get Heavy Weapons from CentAm, U.S. Cables Say.” Fox News Latino. March 30, 2011.
This is an extremely volatile area and having lived in Central America for many years, it can be difficult to grasp how the drug violence can really be curbed when there is so much funding for it from the profits made. Fortunately, I am now living down in Panama which feels like a million miles away from all the trouble.