The Cartels: The Story of Mexico’s Most Dangerous Criminal Organizations and Their Impact on U.S. Security

An up-to-date examination of Mexico’s version of the ＂War on Drugs＂ that exposes the evolution of major cartels and their corruption of politicians, law-enforcement agencies, and the Army.

What can President Enrique Peña Nieto do to curb the narcotics-induced mayhem in Mexico, and what would be the consequences to the United States if he fails? This book analyzes Mexico’s transition from a relatively peaceful kleptocracy controlled by the Tammany-Hall style Institutional Revolutionary Party/PRI (1929-2000) to a country plagued by rural and urban enclaves of grotesque violence. The author examines the major drug cartels and their success in infiltrating American and Mexican businesses; details the response from the Obama administration; assesses the threat that the continuing bloodshed represents for the United States; and emphasizes the constraints on America’s ability to solve Mexico’s crisis, despite U.S. contributions of intelligence, military equipment, training, and diplomatic support.

George W. Grayson, PhD, is professor emeritus at the College of William & Mary; associate scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA; and senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC.