Strategic Analysis on Mexico’s war against the Drug Cartels

In 2006, shortly after taking office, President Felipe Calderón launched the infamous Guerra contra el narcotrafico (War Against the Drug trade). Mexico’s Federal government implemented heavy military tactics by putting the Mexican Army and Navy in charge of working with local law enforcement with the intent of stopping the drug Cartels. The conjunction of these agencies working together led to a lack of communication, unclear strategies, and ultimately, few operations actually getting off the ground. It also led to violent encounters between the military and the Cartels, claiming the life of many innocent civilians. This project analyzes the miliary strategy implemented by Mexico’s Armed forces to better understand the events that took place, specifically from 2006 to 2012, with the intent to point out failures and successes from Mexico’s Military and the Federal Government.