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Mexico and the war against drug cartels
Worth reading for the insights into security issues.
Mexico's war against drug cartels continued in 2008. The mission President Felipe Calderon launched shortly after his inauguration two years ago to target the cartels has since escalated in nearly every way imaginable. Significant changes in Mexicos security situation and the nature of the drug trade in the Western Hemisphere also have occurred over the last 12 months.

Mexicos Drug-Trafficking Organizations
Gulf cartel: As recently as a year ago, the Gulf cartel was considered the most powerful drug-trafficking organization in Mexico. After nearly two years of bearing the brunt of Mexican law enforcement and military efforts, however, it is an open question at this point whether the cartel is still intact. The groups paramilitary enforcement arm, Los Zetas, was the primary reason for Gulfs power, but reports of Zeta activity from this past year suggest that the much-feared group now operates independently. Without the Zetas, the Gulf leadership has struggled to remain relevant.

Posted by: lotp 2008-12-11
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=257005