Introduction
With a total population of over 130 million people and being one of the major economies across the world, Mexico seems to be a nation that is all set to develop into a global superpower (Statista, 2018). Nonetheless, the country is unable to control proliferating corruption and violence emanating from drug trafficking. According to Kim (2014), Mexico is ranked 97th out of 178 in regard to the Failed State Index owing to its properly broadcasted problems with drug cartels. In addition, based on the corruption perceptions index, Mexico is ranked position 138 out of 180 with only a score of 28 percent (Transparency International, 2019). On an everyday basis, Mexican cartels partake in money laundering of millions of dollars. Mexican cartels have significantly and adversely impacted Mexico as a whole.

Mexican Cartel Operations

Mexican cartels are the biggest suppliers of various illicit drugs including cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines to the United States. Imperatively, these Mexican cartels are directly culpable for the production of heroin and methamphetamines, whereas the production of cocaine is mostly undertaken in the South American nations of Colombia, Bolivia and Peru but then funneled through Mexico to America. In the past number of years, the Mexican cartels have also been renowned for the production and distribution of fentanyl, which is an artificial opioid that is stronger than heroin. In addition, the cartels are responsible for the production as well as smuggling of substantial amounts of marijuana into America. Nonetheless, bearing in mind that there has been a wave of legislation of Marijuana in North America, there has been an increasing endemic of opioids and this has propelled Mexican cartels to concentrate on the production of hard drugs such as heroin (Lee, Renwick, and Cara Labrador, 2019).

Major Mexican cartels and their Growth

Mexico’s drug cartels are in an incessant state of change. In the past number of decades, these cartels have grown, disintegrated, formed affiliations, and combated each other for territory. There are six major cartels in Mexico that pose a major threat to the nation and also neighboring states such as the United States. First, there is the Sinaloa Cartel that was formerly spearheaded by Joaquin Guzman, which is one of the oldest and most powerful cartels. Having grips and footholds along the Pacific coast of the nation, the cartel has a bigger international imprint compared to any of its Mexican competitors. In 2017, Mexican authorities deported El Chapo to the United States who has currently been found guilty of several drug-associated charges (Lee, Renwick, and Cara Labrador, 2019). Secondly, there is the Jalisco New Generated, which disintegrated from the Sinaloa Cartel at the start of the decade. It is deemed that the fast-paced growth and proliferation of its trafficking activities is categorized by the group’s inclination to participate in violent hostilities with government establishments and other cartels. There is also the Juarez Cartel and the Gulf Cartel who control the north-central and north-eastern parts of the nation. Fifth, Los Zetas is a cartel that disintegrated from the Gulf Cartel at the start of the decade. In spite of losing some sway in recent years, it is deemed as one of the most technically progressive, sophisticated, and violent cartels. Lastly, there is the Beltran-Leyva Organization, a cartel that was formed after the Beltran-Leyva brothers left the Sinaloa Cartel. In recent times, all of these brothers have been indicated or killed. However, their partisans continue to conduct operations all over Mexico (Bender, 2014).

In accordance to Lee, Renwick, and Cara Labrador (2019), there are both local and international forces that have propelled the growth of these cartels. In the Mexican nation, cartels bribe and away magistrates, police personnel, politicians and other key officials in using their massive drug revenues and profits, which is approximated to be worth tens of billions of dollars annually. The cartels prospered during the time when Mexico was administrated by a single...…to the greatest level in the contemporary Mexican history. For the most part, this is associated with the incessant fallout of President Calderon’s approach of killing kingpins and regional hostilities between cartels (Lee, Renwick, and Cara Labrador, 2019).

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s Administration

In 2018, Mexico conducted election and voted in President Lopez Obrador. In the contemporary setting, the president is vouching for amnesty for low-level criminals and the institution of more liberal drug legislations. Nonetheless, there are criticism that President Lopez Obrador’s plans to set out a new national guard will assimilate both military and police forces, against the cartels portray some of the blunders made by his predecessors (Lee, Renwick, and Cara Labrador, 2019).

Conclusion

Mexico’s drug cartels have experienced significant growth and power over the decades. Mexican authorities have been engaging in a war against cartels that traffic drugs for over a decade now, but with hardly any sort of success. Tens of thousands of Mexicans, comprising of students, journalists, as well as key officials and political figures, continue to be die in the skirmishes every single year. In the past year, the rate of homicides in the nation hit a new high with over 28,000 killings being associated with the cartels. These cartels have been able to flourish and expand their operations by bribing judges, police officers, politicians and other office bearers using the significant profits they generate. Recent Mexican administrators have retorted to these cartels by fundamentally deploying security forces. However, their approaches have not been exceedingly efficacious. Mexico ought to work in tandem with the United States to bolster this fight not only in strengthening the security forces but also in the reformation of the judicial system and guaranteeing indictments. The recent efforts in reinforcing the American border to limit the flow of illegal drugs together with the extradition of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and his sentencing shows that Mexico can win the battle against the cartels.

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