Narco-Terror the United States, the Drug War, and the...

Narco-Terror: the United States, the Drug War, and the War on Terror Introduction The United States has had a long-standing policy of intervening in the affairs of other nations when the country has thought it within its best interests to do so. Since the 1970’s the United States has tried to impose its will on other nations to combat the most pressing political enemy of the day often linking the war on drugs to the matter to stoke support both domestically and abroad. In the times of the Cold War, this enemy was communism and the government tried to make the connection of the â€Å"Red Dope Menace† insinuating drug links with China, Castro’s Cuba, and the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. However, as the world has evolved and communism’s†¦show more content†¦These kingpins consolidated their operations into cartels that would control the entire supply chain of the drug trade to maximize logistical efficiency along with revenues and profits. In the early 1980’s there were two major cartels in Colombia named for the cities th at they were headquartered in. The older cartel was the Cali cartel, an immense enterprise with subsidiaries in banking, real estate, and even an airline (Scott 94). Competing with the Cali cartel for market share was the Medellin cartel led by a man who would become synonymous with Colombian narco-terrorism, Pablo Escobar. The two cartels had vastly different styles with the Cali cartel preferring to view itself as more of a legitimate business with an executive structure that mirrors the organizational designs of many Fortune 500 companies complete with vice-presidents and divisions. Indeed, Colombian police began referring to the Cali cartel as â€Å"Los Caballeros† or â€Å"the gentlemen,† giving rise to the great respect enjoyed by the cartel throughout Colombia. Contrastingly, the Colombia police called employees of the Medellin â€Å"Los Hampones† or â€Å"the hoodlums† (Chepesiuk 23). Indeed, the brash style of the Medellin cartel saw terror and violence as a means for controlling its stake in the cocaine trade. The principal proponent of this methodology was Escobar himself, who even used terrorism to wage personalShow MoreRelatedThe Mexican President Porfirio Diaz1348 Words   |  6 Pagesmuch potential: rich in minerals, full of culture and traditions, with be autiful sceneries and landscapes perfect for tourism. However, it has not seen peace or stability in the last century. Currently there is a war in Mexico between several parties including the government and several drug cartels. Everyone involved is hungry for money and power. Similarly in 1910 the Mexican revolution which began because the country was filled with violence and suffering causing many people to flee the country inRead MoreRealism Theory and Narcoterrorism Essays7379 Words   |  30 PagesFernando Belaà ºnde Terry of Peru first defined the term â€Å"narco-terrorism† in 1983. 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