Exploring the Relationship Between Militarization in the United States and Crime Syndicates in Mexico: A Look at the Legislative Impact on the Pace of Cartel Militarization

Abstract

Recent events in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and across the United States have resulted in scrutiny of the use of militarization by state and local law enforcement. Militarization in and of its self is not a new concept, particularly to formal agents of social control. Supporters of militarization argue that militarization was necessary. Opponents argue that it discriminates and places disadvantaged communities at risk. What is known is that over the course of its implementation, militarization has become institutionalized in social, political, and economic agencies. This institutionalization has resulted in militarization not remaining confined solely to the United States. Legislation, immigration policy, and law enforcement militarization propelled the militarization of the southern border in the early 2000's. Prior to this, Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO's) in Mexico begin showing signs of militarization in 1980. The adoption of "narco" tanks, grenades, body armor, and use of tactics such as ambushes and tunnels, assisted in the increasing violence and influence of the cartels within Mexico and the United States. This issue provides a unique opportunity for researchers to provide qualitative and quantitative data that showcase the large-scale impact of legislation. Understanding the impact of militarization legislation and its influence on both law enforcement and crime syndicates will assist policymakers in balancing national security with reformation of law enforcement, ultimately affecting border operations. Current literature examines the indicators of cartel militarization, the impact of militarization within the United States and Mexico but does not address the direct pacing of the process. Utilizing qualitative and quantitative data, gathered from open-source news publications in San Diego, California/Tijuana, Mexico, Nogales, Arizona/Nogales Mexico, and El Paso, Texas/Ciudad Juarez Mexico, the author researched the pace of the militarization of the crime syndicates along the U.S -Mexico border, compared it to the pace of the local United States law enforcement militarization, and identified any relationship between the two. The findings of the author's research suggest a positive correlation between the major Mexican cartel's militarization and United States law enforcement militarization. Specifically, that the cartels militarization mirrored the militarization of law enforcement both within the United States and Mexico based on legislation, federal operations, and direct news sources. Furthermore, the research suggests that the militarization of the US-Mexico border by law enforcement through legislation correlates to the crime syndicates, facing more militaristic methods, response by adapting their methods, equipment, and tactics. This has sociopolitical and economic policy implications that the militarization of the US-Mexico border is a vicious cycle (academic and policy impacts in that this protective increase in militarization was a self-perpetuating cycle) that has negatively affected the quality of life along the border and possibly increased the exploitation of border communities by both crime syndicates and law enforcement. Future research will be able to expound on the quantitative points at the doctoral level to quantify the magnitude of the correlation.