Title: Mexico and the Drug Cartels: A History of Fascination | Peace Palace Library
Headings: Mexico and the Drug Cartels: A History of Fascination
Mexico and the Drug Cartels: A History of Fascination
This blog was written in honor of the farewell of Mr. Van Hoogstraten, General-Director of the Carnegie Foundation and Treasurer of The Hague Academy of International Law.
Mexico in Hollywood
Mexico, Migration and Marijuana (1870-1970)
Cross-border Cooperation and Cocaine (1970 – 1980)
A New Millennium, A New Government (2000 – 2015)
The Life in Cartel Land

Content: The prohibitive legislation did not end the export of drugs into American territory - instead, the drug industry of Mexico boomed and in the 1920s and 1930s, the country held a 15% share in the total opium supply to the USA. Around that time, the first smaller drug cartels and drug lords emerged, who already played central roles in the production and export of drugs and who ensured the loyalty of local authorities. Both the Mexican and USA authorities were unable to put a stop to the growing industry, and in the 1950s and 1960s Mexico was the main exporter of marijuana to the USA and was responsible for 75% and 15% of the USA marijuana and heroin supply respectively. This fortification of Mexico’s position was caused by both a rise in USA demand and a decrease in supply from other countries, such as Turkey. Cross-border Cooperation and Cocaine (1970 – 1980)
Nevertheless, cross-border cooperation between the USA and Mexico to combat drug trafficking increased in the 1970s. Through the use of military power and the aerial distribution of herbicides to destroy plantations, Mexico’s share in the USA drug markets decreased dramatically. However, even though crime rates dropped, these combined operations had multiple side-effects, including multilevel human rights violations, extensive internal migration and health consequences related to the use of dangerous chemicals. Most of all, the operations caused uproar in the drug trafficking world: small drug businesses and traffickers were forced to end their operations, while the big organizations became more powerful and resorted increasingly to intimidation, corruption and violence - strongly affecting the Mexican law enforcement. The organizations restructured themselves and discovered a new market: