BEHIND MEXICO'S DRUG TRAFFICKING

Professor George W. Grayson's new book, "Mexico's Struggle With Drugs
and Thugs," could not be more timely. It is a must read to understand
what is going on in Mexico today.

We are bombarded with news stories of the unprecedented violence in
Mexico, particularly in the northern border areas along the United
States. The situation is commonly referred to as a war, and
commentators speculate daily whether Mexico will deteriorate into a
failed state, with unthinkable consequences for the United States.

In the past few days, news headlines have added additional layers of
concern. The Drug Enforcement Administration reported arrests of 750
Mexican cell members in the United States, which shows how entrenched
they are here. Another report has the terrorist group Hezbollah using
the Mexican drug routes into the U.S. to conduct business. In still
another report, the Mexican government is placing Mexican military
generals in charge of local police forces.

Our government is deploying additional resources to the border as well
as into Mexico while planning for worst-case scenarios that include
military deployment on the U.S. side.

To understand the situation, one must understand the history of drug
trafficking throughout Mexico and the inherent violence associated
with it.

Grayson reviews this history and provides a great basis to consider a
solution, a perplexing question indeed. He covers the development of
drug abuse, from the discovery of morphine in 1805 through World War
II. He touches on past U.S.-Mexican initiatives to address the drug
production and trafficking problem. These include Operator Intercept,
Operator Cooperation and Operator Condor.

He describes the slow and steady decline of the Mexican government and
its institutions. Systemic corruption at all levels is now so
entrenched that no quick fix will be possible, in my opinion. Grayson
highlights the failures of one Mexican presidential administration
after another to address systemic problems as well as the drug problem.

Drugs have financed the corruption that led to the struggle with drugs
and thugs. The current violence has deep roots in Mexican history,
roots that will not be easy to pull out.

His chapter of "Calderon's Top Priority" brings us up-to-date on the
attempts of Felipe Calderon, the current Mexican president, to
respond. The use of the military to get around police corruption is
described. Extradition of key traffickers for trial in the United
States has begun. Other challenges are the dramatically increased drug
use in Mexico, the killing of journalists and government officials at
all levels, and the desertion of trained and armed military and police
to the cartel side.

Ironically, the U.S. is contributing to Calderon's challenges with a
flow of weapons from the U.S. to Mexico and, of course, the continual
demand for drugs in our country.

Grayson poses two questions about the prospects for U.S.-Mexican
relations. (1) Continue the war on drugs? (2) Think about the
unthinkable: decriminalization? He provides discussion questions for
students and groups in a "talking it over" section that's followed by
an annotated reading list.

An appendix describes in detail eight Mexican cartels with an accurate
assessment of their strength and the challenge both governments face.
The reader can quickly grasp the seriousness of the situation.

Professor Grayson has produced a book that is a must read for all of
us concerned with this issue.

David L. Westrate served 35 years as a special agent with the Drug
Enforcement Administration, including five years as chief of worldwide
operations. Besides his field assignments, he has been in charge of
DEA's Intelligence Division, Training Division and the Office of
Professional Responsibility. He has testified before Congress and
co-authored the book "Drugs and Foreign Policy: A Critical Review." He
lives in Northern Virginia.