By Hannia Velasquez, ’23

(An excerpt of this essay was published in the May 2023 issue of Dragon Tales.)

If you have been tuning into the news lately, you might have heard about the kidnapping of four U.S. Americans in Mexico. Unfortunately, two of the individuals were murdered as a result of the continuing cartel violence. It seems like these days all you hear about Mexico is violent crime and cartel organizations. It is true, even for a lot of Mexican citizens safety is not promised. However, to understand why the violence in Mexico is the way it is today, it is crucial to learn how it is a cycle that stems from poverty.

Around 8% of the global population, 648 million people, live in extreme poverty which can be defined as living and supporting oneself off of USD 2.15 per day. Poverty could be argued as the number one threat to humans, millions of people struggle with having sufficient funds to meet their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. With such a threat to our well-being, one might wonder how poverty is created. As Anthony Holzman-Escareno puts it, “Poverty can also produce violent crimes because force is an easy way to get a large quantity of goods. Many impoverished criminals feel the hope of treasures is worth the possibility of being caught. Thus, poverty causes desire, and in turn, increases the crime rate.” Cartel organizations also offer a sense of community to their members because these organizations tend to use propaganda to get on the good side of the locals. As a result, the members tend to admire these organizations and continue their loyalty. Locals in the city of Culiacan Mexico, which is well known for being a capital for these drug organizations, have dedicated shrines that honor drug kingpins. Mexicans are very religious and spiritual people, and residents of Sinaloa dedicate shrines to Jesús Malverde, the “narco-saint”. Malverde is seen as a hero to some locals as a folk saint because he is credited with stealing from the rich to give to the poor. It is heavily ironic how something as sacred as faith can be shaped into honoring narcoterrorism. On the other side, some Mexican citizens are not necessarily given the choice of joining, rather they are forced into it. These individuals’ real choice is to either cooperate with these criminal organizations or die. Many politicians and law enforcement are forced to cooperate for fear of their families being tortured or even murdered. Anthony Holzman-Escareno also puts, “Growing up in poverty is like being exiled from society, it is being alienated in your own country (Krugman 1). One of the reasons that poverty has been associated with crime is because it is an opportunity for the poor to acquire materials that they could otherwise not afford.” Poverty creates a sense of desperation in one’s mindset because one knows they have to raise enough funds to survive. These impoverished people will do anything to survive, as anyone would, even to the lengths of engaging in illegal activities. Due to 42% of Mexico’s total population living under the national poverty line, a lot of individuals in Mexico choose to get involved in illicit drug trafficking. Cartels offer individuals the opportunity of quick riches, which is why many youths are attracted to the idea of joining to provide for their families.

Justice is a concept that is often ridiculed in Mexico because when one tries to do the right thing they are killed … many are [forced to choose] to obey, flee, or die.

Cartels play a significant role in Mexico’s lifestyle and crime. The Sinaloa Cartel is one of these cartel groups that is known for its illegal drug trafficking and money laundering. As of 2023, the cartel continues to be Mexico’s most dominant drug cartel. The cartel’s former leader was the notorious Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, but when captured by law enforcement his son Ovidio Guzman Lopez was put in charge of the cartel. In October 2019, the Mexican National Guard attempted to capture Ovidio, however, it ended in the humiliation of the Mexican government. The security forces fought back and found Mr. Guzmán, but were then surrounded by gunmen and forced to retreat. Amidst the gunfire where civilians, “Footage on social media showed a pick-up truck with a machine gun mounted on the back, in scenes reminiscent of a war zone. Other footage showed families scrambling to take cover under cars and in shops as bullets flew. In one video, a girl asked her father: “Why are they shooting bullets?” The Mexican government is always at war with Mexican cartels like the Sinaloa Cartel. It is truly sad to hear about the decapitations, public hangings, and gruesome tortures that these criminal organizations carry out on civilians if they fail to comply with them. These criminal organizations try to implement a sense of fear in order to gain respect from others, this is one of the main reasons why cartels are able to gain such power and connections. It is also discouraging to know that due to the associations these cartels have, justice is often something that is never attained for victims. Just this past December a Mexican judge was shot and killed in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. Even when individuals like Judge Roberto Elias try to do what’s right according to law and order, criminal organizations do everything they can to try to stop acts that don’t benefit them. “The state security secretariat told Reuters that police attended to reports of gunfire Saturday morning and found Elias injured in his vehicle. He was later brought to the hospital in serious condition.” Justice is a concept that is often ridiculed in Mexico because when one tries to do the right thing they are killed, leading many to accept payments from these organizations to work for their agenda rather than to have integrity. Due to the fear that locals have of defying these cartel organizations, many are often placed in a vulnerable position choosing between being forced to obey, flee, or die. Cartels are infamously known for their involvement in the illicit drug trade, but they have also branched out to gain profits from other industries.

Mexico is known for its vegetation having the ability to grow and export great numbers of goods. Americans have gone crazy over avocados from Mexico in the past few years because of their health benefits and Mexican farmers have seen a higher demand for goods like avocados. Mexico’s main export partner is the United States, with around 80.3% of its exports going to the United States. The avocado has brought much prosperity to many Mexican farmers, “The value of Mexico’s avocado industry has quadrupled over the last decade due to the fruit’s growing popularity in the United States and Europe ”. However, with all these economic benefits, numerous cartel groups have grown an increasing interest in goods like avocados to gain a new avenue for profits. Cat Rainsford describes how these cartel groups take control of these industries by having the ability to “charge a monthly protection payment from avocado producers, calculated per hectare cultivated or kilogram exported. Those who fail to make the payments may be kidnapped or killed. One distributor’s daughter was assassinated at the door of his business, El País reported.” Many local farmers cannot keep up with the pressure of these criminal organizations and abandon their fields. Jobs and revenue are often lost because of narcoterrorism leading to a cycle of increased poverty that results in more members joining these criminal organizations.

Although Mexico is a country rich in natural resources and beauty, it often makes international attention due to its organized and violent crime. Americans typically associate Cancun, Tulum, and Playa Del Carmen with Mexico. These are the most traveled destinations in Mexico, these places are geared towards tourists and are a staple part of the tourism industry in Mexico. The article by the Independent states, “In Quintana Roo, the tourism industry is the main source of revenue in their economies. In fact, tourism accounts for 87% of their GDP…Drugs are also sold openly in club bathrooms, and cartels often place dealers inside restaurants. The club and restaurant owners don’t go to the authorities because they are scared of the gang’s response” (Drugs, Violence, and Crime in Mexico: Their Drastic Impact on the Tourism Industry and the Economy)”. Organized crime has become one of the main reasons why the Mexican economy seems to have reached a block. These cartel groups pose a massive threat to the standard of living for Mexican citizens in these areas because locals rely on tourism for their economy. With the continued news coverage of the violence, foreigners are more likely to be discouraged and not visit these destinations. Local establishment owners fail to report organized crime activities for fear of possible backlash from organized crime groups. A lack of reporting of these criminal acts adds fuel to the fire, resulting in narco-terrorist groups demanding more control. 

My interest in the topic of crime in Mexico first stemmed from watching several documentaries about infamous cartel organizations. These documentaries often depicted very gruesome scenes of people hanging from bridges, people with just their torsos out in public streets, and deceased people without fingers. These scenes truly stuck with me on a personal level because I know that anyone from my family or myself can be a victim of violence as well. My family is from a state in Mexico called Colima which is notorious for having organized crime activities. The topic of violence in Mexico is personal to me because I have members in my family that are part of law enforcement and have been targeted for trying to do their job of restoring order. I often worry for their safety because I often hear about the way the cartels torture and murder their victims to make statements to others. While Colima is known for its volcanoes, limestone caves, beaches, and sierra mountains, its natural beauties are often overshadowed by violence. Colima has also been labeled as a region of “Do Not Travel” by the U.S. Department of State due to the widespread criminal violence, gang activities, and kidnappings. It is sad to know that my parent’s native homeland is being overrun by violence and that it is seemingly getting worse as time passes.

Mexico is truly in a war with itself, a war that Mexico itself can only resolve. Mexico as a country has a long way to go if it wants to be seen as a global superpower. Many criticize the country’s security and law enforcement and for good reason too. The violence in Mexico is what’s holding it back from progressing into a global superpower. Action needs to be taken in order to address the issue of violence in Mexico because it will eventually lead to the destruction of their government. When civilian lives are at constant risk and the justice system is corrupt, there is no hope for a government to prosper. Mexico has the land, people, and resources to economically prosper. To combat this social issue I believe that the Mexican government should not just place its attention on criminal organizations, but on the well-being of Mexican citizens as well. The Mexican government should provide more funding for education. Education helps promote a hardworking mentality and innovation. Thus, resulting in a society seeking higher paying jobs and prospering in a civil way. A second proposal would be to implement an act of mass incarceration of criminals and their leaders. Studies time and time again have demonstrated that when criminal leaders are captured, organized crime significantly drops. The country of El Salvador is a perfect example of this change in society. “As of 16 March 2023, over 66,000 people accused of having gang affiliations have been arrested, which has overcrowded El Salvador’s prisons. Domestically, the crackdown has been popular among Salvadorans wary of gang violence.” El Salvador has seen an increase in its GDP and safety as a result of this action. High-position leaders in power in Mexico are often paid by these criminal organizations to work in their favor making it highly difficult for necessary action. In all honesty, Mexico is far away from seeing a major change because of how long the issue of violence has been left to grow. But I refuse to lose hope.

Works Cited

The Cause of Crime – University of Hawai?i at Hilo. https://hilo.hawaii.edu/campuscenter/hohonu/volumes/documents/Vol07x03TheCauseofCrime.pdf. 7

“Economy of Mexico.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Mar. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Mexico.

“El Chapo: Mexican Police Free Drug Lord’s Son as Culiacán Battle Erupts.” BBC News, BBC, 18 Oct. 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50092641.

Person. “Mexican Judge Killed in State of Zacatecas.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 6 Dec. 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexican-judge-shot-state-zacatecas-2022-12-04/.

Dalby, Chris. “Mexico’s Cartels Fighting It out for Control of Avocado Business.” InSight Crime, 30 Sept. 2019, https://insightcrime.org/news/brief/mexico-cartels-fighting-avocado-business/. 

“Cartel Violence Is Raging in Mexico – Should You Cancel Your Trip?” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 19 Aug. 2022, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mexico-travel-advisory-cartel-violnce-tourists-b2148272.html.