qu ake . ▁ ▁D rug ▁tra ff ick ing ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁U . S . ▁consumption ▁of ▁illegal ▁subst ances ▁grew ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁strength ening ▁enfor cement ▁of ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ing ▁in ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁U . S . ▁Pres idents ▁Ron ald ▁Re agan ▁and ▁George ▁H . W . ▁Bush ▁expanded ▁the ▁so - called ▁" war ▁on ▁dru gs " ▁to ▁stop ▁dru gs ▁at ▁ports ▁of ▁entry ▁from ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁More ▁important ly , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁began ▁as ser ting ▁extr ater rit orial ▁juris diction ▁over ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ing ▁in ▁Mexican ▁national ▁territory . ▁ ▁The ▁crack down ▁on ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ing ▁resulted ▁in ▁higher ▁prices ▁for ▁dru gs , ▁since ▁there ▁was ▁more ▁risk ▁involved , ▁but ▁tra ff ick ing ▁in ▁this ▁era ▁bo omed . ▁ ▁D rug ▁tra ff ick ing ▁organizations ▁in ▁Mexico ▁grew ▁in ▁size ▁and ▁strength . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁U . S . ▁assert ed ▁juris diction ▁over ▁tra ff ick ing ▁in ▁Mexico , ▁Mexico ▁could ▁no ▁longer ▁purs ue ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁drug ▁policy . ▁Ag ents ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁D rug ▁En for cement ▁Agency ▁( DE A ) ▁began ▁operating ▁in ▁Mexico ▁without ▁the ▁consent ▁of ▁Mexican ▁authorities . ▁ ▁"