Afghanistan and Latin America are mostly affected with drug trafficking, which is why worldwide the main goal has been to reduce supply and demand through drug policies according to World Drug Report, although drug cartels are looking for alternative businesses.

After legalizing marijuana in some states, the U.S. has created repercussions inside Mexican cartels. According to The Washington Post, these cartels are losing the business since the drug was decriminalized and are now moving into heroin and methamphetamine

“Every time that marijuana is being legalized in more places the cartels will traffic cocaine and methamphetamines and these drugs affect society more. The situation of drug trafficking in my country is bad, but it has diminished since 2009,” freshman Luis Jasso from Mexico said.

The objectives of the U.S. Foreign Policy Options are reducing drug production with the help of military drug crime attorneys, combating drugs in transit, dismantling international illicit drug networks, reducing and preventing drug demand abroad and creating incentives for international cooperation on drug control. One can ask for help when it comes to dealing with drug abuse or addiction.

“In my point of view, taking the cartels’ main point of commerce would actually make them search other ways of gain in the illegal traffic business. If its not drugs, then human trafficking would be a path of business for them. We are talking about a group of people that grew up with this mindset and are not educated or driven to do anything else,” junior Andrea Arellano from Venezuela said.

According to the World Drug report, some of the drugs that want to be more controlled are cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and synthetic drugs. Coca bush, the plant for cocaine, is produced in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia according to the World Drug Report. Colombia has been the primary source of coca bush, but according to whitehouse.gov it has declined the last few years.

“I think what they are doing is fine because with drugs in the category of cocaine, heroin, etc. that level of crime is where the money being made is very noticeable, and also a big catch for law enforcement. The attention is higher on these drugs vs marijuana since officers are trying to move up in rank for better pay grades and get rewarded for stopping these,” senior Jon Lopez from Puerto Rico said.

The U.S. Foreign Policy Option is divided in four sections according to World Drug Report. The first one is combat the production of drugs at the source. This means to reduce the amount of illegal drug crops and the way of doing is attacking the root of the supply chain. To meet this goal it can be done by aerial fumigation, manual removal, mechanical removal and “carrot and stick” strategy.

“This type of business won’t stop with the suppression of illegal drugs in the cartels. It goes far beyond that and is something that escapes from our hands. Once you make easy money like that, and your whole family is involved, you’re not likely to turn away from that type of living,” Arellano said.

Second is combating the flow of drugs in transit where the U.S. coast guard federal agency is in charge of controlling the seas to avoid the trafficking although outside the transit zone the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) comes in.

“I feel that there should be more control in the border  and more support from  the U.S.,” Jasso said.

The third is dismantling transnational drug network, which includes extradition agreements, freezing and blocking foreign criminal assets, etc. The last one is building foreign law enforcement and prosecution capacity which is giving the countries the tools, training, equipment, etc. to help other countries fight the illegal drug trade.

 

Photo by ShoreShot Photography