The Methamphetamine Market in France

Mexican Methamphetamine

Mexican methamphetamine has a clearer, glassier appearance than more crudely produced formulas and often resembles ice fragments, usually with a clear or bluish-white color. It often has a smell people compare to ammonia, cat urine or even burning plastic. There was a time when the Mexican cartels had to import meth into Europe, but that is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

La Familia Michoacan/Los Caballeros Templarios cook in Africa (in five locations) and ship to France, Spain, The Netherlands and Great Britain. The Sinaloa Federation (El Mencho Faction) has done that one better by setting up clandestine laboratories in Europe to service the European market. France is home to some of the larger and more sophisticated cooking operations. I do understand that the French may be insulted by this revelation, but that doesn't change the fact that it's the case.

Having been to Interpol Headquarters (Lyon, France) as a guest on more than one occasion, I understand that France together with The Netherlands (Europol) hosts the international crime fighting efforts against such things. The Mexicans, with a substantial bankroll to back up their expansion, sought out the most corrupt and likely unemployed segment of French society to help them with both security and distribution. Yes, the French Muslim Community was and remains committed to the cause. The vast sea of unemployed inner city youths are both willing and able to help the Mexican drug cartels.

France has a well established, well trained, well paid, and highly professional police force. And if you ask them how all of the methamphetamine (90%+ purity) arrived in their nation, many would tell you that it's smuggled in. That may have been true once. Not so much these days.

The marketing format follows a well-established pattern. By simultaneously increasing the purity and cutting the price, the cartels get people hooked and create a new customer base. By including the locals in the profit making, they expand by forming alliances, taking advantage of existing distribution networks.

Murder Rate - Mexico

On August 20, 2012, Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) recently reported that 27,199 murders were committed in 2011. This represents a 5.6% increase when compared to 2010, and marks 2011 as the most violent year during the Calderon administration. This reporting represents a situation where a body was found and identified positively as to have been killed in a particular year it also includes both accidental and intentional homicides. (Mass graves are not included because no year of death can be fixed. Neither are kidnapped and presumed murdered or are people (narcos) who simply vanished and were never found included in these numbers) 

Additional statistics regarding homicide rates per year in Mexico were reported as follows:

• 2011: 27,199 – 24 per 100,000 inhabitants
• 2010: 25,757 – 23 per 100,000 inhabitants
• 2009: 19,803 – 18 per 100,000 inhabitants
• 2008: 14,006 – 13 per 100,000 inhabitants
• 2007: 8,867 – 8 per 100,000 inhabitants
• 2006: 10,452 – 10 per 100,000 inhabitants
• 2005: 9,921 – 9 per 100,000 inhabitants

States with the highest number of murders reported during 2011 were listed as follows:

• Chihuahua: 4,502. 2011 rates represented a 30% reduction when compared to 2010 murder rates.
• Mexico State: 2,613
• Guerrero: 2,425
• Nuevo Leon: 2,177
• Sinaloa: 1,988

· States with murder reductions during 2011 when compared to figures reported during 2010 were San Luis Potosi, Durango, Campeche, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Morelos, Sinaloa, Baja California, and Sonora.

· The murder rate in 21 states increased during 2011 when compared to figures reported during 2010. Details regarding some of these states with increases are listed below:

Murders per year

• 2005: 9,921
• 2006: 10,452
• 2007: 8,867
• 2008: 14,006
• 2009:19,803
• 2010: 25,760
• 2011: 27,199

States with the highest number of murders:

Chihuahua

• 2005: 569
• 2006: 648
• 2007: 518
• 2008: 2,601
• 2009: 3,671
• 2010: 6,407

Mexico State

• 2005: 2,016
• 2006: 1,747
• 2007: 1,238
• 2008: 1,579
• 2009: 1,860
• 2010: 2,111

Guerrero

• 2005: 591
• 2006: 789
• 2007: 766
• 2008: 1,005
• 2009: 1,855
• 2010: 1,555

Nuevo Leon

• 2005: 150
• 2006: 168
• 2007: 279
• 2008: 241
• 2009: 343
• 2010: 951

Veracruz

• 2005: 344
• 2006: 360
• 2007: 380
• 2008: 340
• 2009: 693
• 2010: 461

Sourcing:

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/865260.html; http://www.milenio.com/cdb/doc/noticias2011/c0239f2e49c89f05b5f7ed557d155902

Legalized Marijuana in US States and the Cartels

Fox News posited this question: Will change in state pot lawschange how drug cartels do business?

Pot-supporting crowds cheered on election night as Colorado and Washington State voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Many expected Mexican drug cartels, who earn billions of dollars a year by smuggling marijuana into the United States, to be in a state of panic – but one expert said they will carry on just fine if pot is legalized.

“The cartel is going to likely adapt to that situation and move other types of drugs into those two particular states,” said Alex del Carmen, a professor of criminology at the University of Texas-Arlington.

Del Carmen said if marijuana laws in the United States change, the cartels will adjust and likely concentrate on harder drugs, including cocaine and methamphetamine.

“You look at what we’ve done on the border by adding more agents, by being able to improve our technological devices," he said. "And the cartel has always managed to get drugs to the U.S. in spite of our efforts.” (Fox News)

Though I am not the voice of Mexican Drug Cartels, I can answer the question better by reporting that President-elect Pena Nieto is pushing both houses of the Mexican Legislature to ratify a bill that makes it legal to use Marijuana 'recreationally'. So Mexico may beat the US to the punch. Let me also say that if the drug cartels were not fine with this, it would not pass into law. But I predict that it will do just that.

The domestic producers in California and the chronic growers in Canada will feel the economic pinch from legalized pot. There are regions of California that depend on the cash crop that Marijuana brings them (most are on welfare while they grow) who will have to survive ONLY on their welfare money from the State of California -- and it will devastate Mendocino County, Humboldt County, etc.

Consider this: Who owns most of the resorts in Mexico? And what do they grow? And what would be a the biggest incentive to get (drug fogged) Gringos to come to Mexico on vacation? Why WOULDN'T the drug cartels be in favor of legalization. It's good for business.

What are the Russians and Chinese up to in Mexico?

This question came over the transom to me (through g-mail) and I'll answer it as well as I can. As you might divine from reading this blog on Guns, Drugs and Politics in Mexico, I do what I can to keep my finger on the pulse in that nation.

Context and Precedence

Much of the infrastructure that both the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China have in Mexico dates to the Cold War. Of recent, other nations have captured their interest. More on Brazil later.

Soviet Era Spy Trawler

Looking closer you see the torpedo tube door ajar and the
formidable and very capable advanced sonar not available
to or needed by the average fisherman.

(Trivial Example) During the Cold War, the Russians/Soviet Union were particularly active in Mexico. For example, they trained select members of their Special Forces people by dropping them in Cabo San Lucas/La Paz with a civilian backpack and very little money. From there, the Russians (most often GRU/SPETZNAZ) would make their way as best they could up along Baja California, cross the US Border and enter the United States. They'd travel across the US, usually using the cover of "Swedish backpackers", ultimately ending up in Washington DC, where they'd travel back to the Worker's Paradise. In order to qualify for this sort of training, you needed to have a lot of family who you felt an attachment to back home. They didn't want you swallowed up/shacked up in America, or walking into a police station on the way and surrendering.

In the event of war with the US, the
'innocent' trawler would sally forth
from Ensenada and sink US Naval
vessels departing San Diego.

The Russians kept at least one surveillance trawler in the Port of Ensenada to listen into the US Navy's facilities in San Diego, the Chinese still have a really large consulate in Tijuana that accomplished the same thing.

The spy vs spy routine was hotter at some times than others but the Cold War ended.

There is still Russian hardware being used in Mexico by drug cartels, the most notable being at least one Russian submarine that transits from the Sea of Cortez to the California Coast, carrying as much as ten tons of narcotics per load. It's owned by the family of the late Ignacio (Nacho) Coronel Villarreal (February 1, 1954 – July 29, 2010) and they make a profit on the transit trade (a term made popular in Afghanistan and used here for shits and giggles). There are Soviet era, and later AK rifles and rocket propelled grenades floating around but both those weapons and the submarine are not an extension of Russian Federation policy.  And I believe that's what the question was directed toward.

Today

There are former Ukrainian GRU people working for El Mencho's faction of the Sinaloa Federation. They're very well paid, but they are not, near as I can tell, an extension of either Russian or Ukrainian foreign policy. Sure, they have friends back home, but they're working in the drug trade and you'll find them partying in Puerta Vallarta or hanging out in Guadalajara (usually).

There are the usual Chinese and Russian spies based in their respective embassies and consulates under diplomatic cover. They're careful not to upset the applecart and for the most part, want to be left alone to enjoy living outside of their respective countries with cash in their pockets.

In truth, the drug cartels have things in Mexico so tightly controlled and they put so much money on the street that it's difficult for either the Chinese or the Russians to do much more than report on crop yields and try to engage in the odd espionage target to justify their existence. The US is an open society and spying in the US is simply not all that hard, so using Mexico as a jumping off point is simply not done because it doesn't have to be.

Both the Chinese and the Russians have a much more lucrative nation in mind for exploitation. They are putting a LOT OF EFFORT into Brazil. If the US isn't more attentive than they've been on this matter to date, they will find themselves out of the running for Brazil's favor. I'm not saying that USGOV isn't aware - but it would be helpful to put more resources on target in my opinion.

But, this blog is not about Brazil. Maybe I should start one on Brazil? What do you think?