Surprise, surprise! One of Mexico's key anti-drug units has been infiltrated by a drug cartel. This suggests not only that Mexico's best anti-drug units are still at risk of losing even more credibility (government agencies can always lose more credibility), but also that the Mexican government should start to hire more historians. Indeed, this is not the first time that drug cartels gain access to specialized anti-drug units in Mexico. In February 1997, General Jesus Gutierrez Rebollo, a regional commander and one of the most prestigious generals at the time, was arrested for protecting a powerful drug cartel. At the time of the arrest, General Gutierrez Rebollo was head of Mexico's anti-drug agency.
Eleven years after Mexico's drug czar was arrested, the government has disclosed that high-ranking officials at the Unit of Specialized Investigations on Organized Crime (SIEDO) , a pillar of the Attorney General's Office, had been providing strategic information to a violent and powerful drug cartel since 1997. The reports argue that the culprits have been receiving up to $450,000 dollars a month.
These events only contribute to the declining credibility of Mexican law enforcement agencies. These agencies also include the Civil Service Department and its Secretary, who is in fact part of the cabinet. Not even the highest-ranking public officials make $450,000 dollars a month. The Civil Service Department was precisely created to track the wealth of public officials in order to identify cases of corruption. So it is not only the Attorney General's Office that failed to identify informers within its ranks.
Today, Mexico's government seems like a robbing bandit: taxing the citizens and terrifying them at the same time. A few months ago, a teenager was kidnapped and murdered. One of the organizers of the kidnapping was a member of Mexico City's police forces. The failure of the Mexican government to fight drugs and crime in general, and even harbor informers is just another one of these cases.
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What a blow for sure in the general war on drugs worldwide but the attention and who knows how many resources are being directed in my opinion in the wrong direction or the wrong target.
The right target is and has always has been education and not just education in schools or the youth but the entire population. We have been stuffed with lies on the subject of drugs and when the truth about drugs is known and promoted and understood then drug use goes down every time.
There are of course many aspects to the problem but the source is education time after time. When youth start becoming interested or start experimenting with drugs due to celebrity or media glamourisation, the education there, what is being communicated, the message essentially is that if famous and creative people take drugs then maybe it is a good thing and maybe it is something that i can benefit from and maybe the dangers dont apply to me.
This of course is a complete lie. Aside from the fact that drugs dont enhance creativity and given that drugs actually damage creativity and dull awareness and perception, if we were all educated on the facts and truths then none of us would go near the stuff and that goes for celebrities too.
If they knew that drugs destroyed creativity regardless of the time factor perhaps they would think twice too.
Drug Free International has launched a campaign called Unite Against Drugs and their message is clear and their purpose is also straight to the point too and that to end a world of drug use. All their efforts and attention is directed to the education of the public.
Although the limit of supply might help (statistics show otherwise) crushing cartels and drug barons isnt really the way to go, constriction of supply only makes it more expensive. The solution is to target the demand. Without a demand there would be no money in supply and the business of street drugs would bankrupt itself.
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