I’m Nathan, I’m Alvin, I’m Ivan, and our presentation is on the effect of the Mexican drug cartels

on corruption in Mexico.

Slide 2: Nathan- This is a chart from Statista on the number of cartel homicides from 2009 to
2020. We can see that cartels have killed over 130 thousand people in total in this time period,
which is nearly three times the population of McLean Virginia put into perspective.
Alvin-Not only can we see exactly how many homicides these cartels have committed, but also
how there are more each year with a 250% increase in homicides from 2009 to 2020, making it
apparent that corruption in Mexico has not seen decline in the slightest and instead has seen an
increase.
Ivan- After the government waged the war against the cartel the homicides included politicians,
students, and journalists with the most recent election being the most bloody with over 30
candidates being killed.

Slide 2.5
Ivan- Talking more about the history of mexican government has only recently transitioned to a
democracy with the election of Vincente Fox marking the moment that Mexico finally abandoned
the Revolutionary Institutional Party which facilitated a lot of power being shared amongst a
small group of elites, which made Mexico more prone to corruption further on its governmental
reestablishment.

Alvin- In the 1950s corruption did however lead to economic growth which had an average rate
of 6%.

Slide 3: Nathan- Mexican Drug Cartels are one of the most substantial causes of corruption in
Mexico. These cartels include different criminal groups that control the circulation of drugs and
weapons in Mexico. According to experts of security and intelligence at Concentric, the cartels'
activities harm economic development and political stability, disrupting the normal functioning of
local communities as well as the country as a whole.

Alvin The Cartels use various exploitations such as bribery, corruption, human trafficking and
violence to undermine the law for personal gain.

Slide 4:
Ivan -According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, Mexico is ranked
126 of 180 countries, Meaning it is the 54th most corrupt country in the world, with least corrupt
countries like Denmark and Finland at 1 and 2 and most corrupt countries like Somalia at 180.
Put into perspective, the U.S is at 24 of 180.

Slide 5:
Alvin- With the illicit activities carried out by Mexican cartels causing the lingering corruption in
Mexico, and the low levels of corruption in the US, how can we, as the United States, reduce
the influence of corruption in Mexico?
Slide 6:
Nathan-Tens of thousands of violence-related deaths occur annually in Mexico, a consequence
of the ongoing war between powerful drug cartels, organized crime groups, and Mexico as a
state.
Alvin- The violence has escalated dramatically in recent years, fueled by the increasing
fragmentation of cartels, the rise of new criminal organizations, and the tactics employed in the
competition for control of territories and drug trafficking routes.

Slide 6:
Ivan- According to official reports from the Mexican government and organizations like México
Evalúa, the annual homicide rate in Mexico has remained shockingly high, with over 30,000
murders in some years, most of them related to organized crime and cartel activities.

Nathan- In some regions, such as Guerrero, Michoacán, and Sinaloa, cartel violence has
become a daily occurrence, leaving citizens trapped in areas where law enforcement is either
too weak or too corrupt to maintain control.

Slide 6:
Alvin- Additionally, Mexico has become one of the most dangerous countries in the world for
journalists, with media workers often targeted for their investigative reporting on cartel activities,
government corruption, and violence. From 2017 to 2020, an alarming average of one journalist
was killed per week, as stated by Reporters Without Borders.

Slide 6:
Nathan - These murders often go unpunished, as criminal organizations and corrupt officials
target journalists in an effort to silence and prevent exposure of their illicit operations. The brutal
murders of journalists, cause others to leave the country to avoid becoming the next victim. This
violent climate has had a bad effect on freedom of the press, as journalists fear for their lives
while trying to expose the truth in a country where organized crime has had an influence over
the public.

Slide 7:
Nathan- This graph from the Mexico Peace Index shows the number of deaths attributed to
conflicts involving Mexico's five most dangerous cartels: Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Sinaloa
Cartel, Juárez Cartel, Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, and Los Zetas. The deaths are charted over
the years 2004 to 2021.
Nathan-A sharp rise is apparent for certain cartels, particularly the CJNG, starting around 2016–
2017, with a recent steep increase by 2020. Some cartels, like Los Zetas, appear to peak earlier
and decline by later years, but most deaths are more recent.

Slide 8:
Alvin Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of a person for labor or services. It is
essentially a modern-day form of slavery and it’s no stranger to Mexico. According to the US
department of state, 531 cases of human trafficking were reported in Mexico in 2023. Cases
include sex trafficking that includes minors, and abuse of humans for profit in the drug trade.
Although 531 cases was a significant decline from 831 cases in 2022, it is still an extremely high
number of cases to say the least.

Slide 9:
Nathan Another form of Human Trafficking is Kidnapping. According to Human Rights Watch,
over 25,500 people who had gone missing in 2006 have still not been found, and the primary
reason is the cartel, who pay bribes to police to turn a blind eye once again.

Slide 9:
Alvin obviously, Human trafficking is extremely unethical , and the families of victims are also
exploited for personal gain. The families of victims killed from kidnapping and other forms of
trafficking are affected economically by losing a family member's wage and emotionally by
losing a loved one to violent causes. In some cases, human trafficking victims may have
children or students who are mentored by them and rely on them for advice and help.

Slide 10:
Ivan- Mexico does have an anti-corruption system that was established after activists raised
concern about the present corruption. This anti-corruption system however is very ineffective
because of the lack of funding and citizen participation, both which are crucial to have in order
to reduce corruption.
Many people resign due to the lack of resources to actually be able to do their job. Due to
Mexico's shift in priorities from corruption to other domestic matters, this causes a further
downfall in Mexico’s CCC (Capability to Combat Corruption.) The cartel rose through both
domestic and international forces, using their great amounts of profit to pay off judges, police
and politicians.
Alvin The cartel also has a great part in political matters, showing this through the political
homicides in the recent elections that killed over 30 potential candidates. The US has already
spent a trillion dollars to battle the cartel and the war on drugs, also financing Mexico with
security and counter-narcotics.

Slide 11:
Nathan One of the most significant and dangerous of these bribes is La Mordida. La Mordida is
a Mexican term that translates to “the bite.” According to Global informality project, La Mordida
“alludes to police officers being seen as dogs on the lookout to take a bite out of cartel
members,” meaning the police will turn a blind eye in exchange for money. This is an example
of a “petty corruption transaction," and is widely seen on the cartel side of Mexico.

Slide 12:
Nathan Here is a graphic from Insight Crime that outlines a corrupt system in which high-ranking
government officials enabled drug cartels in exchange for substantial bribes, undermining
Mexico's rule of law and causing violence. This case was significant because it resulted in the
transfer of over $10 million to the cartel and it highlights extensive corruption in the war on
drugs.

Slide 13:
Ivan 90% of Mexicans believe corruption is the government’s biggest problem. Since Mexican
citizens are harmed by bribery and corruption in the government, the current situation is
unethical as the majority (the citizens) are being exploited by certain government officials and
criminal groups for profit.
With this, some solutions to what the US could do to reduce the influence of corruption in
Mexico come into light. Furthermore, the cooperation between the cartels and the police
undermine the economy as well by allowing the cartel to deal their drugs and create a fluctuated
economy,
Slide 13:
Alvin 1: Since Cartels derive much of their power from drug profits driven by the U.S. demand,
we could fight domestic drug demand, by regulating drugs to reduce the economy that funds
cartels. Reducing this demand could be critical.

Slide 13:
2: Ivan- An example of a country that managed to battle their corruption is Singapore, which
went from being one of the most corrupt countries in the world to the least. They did this through
prioritizing anti-corruption in legislation and giving a great amount of funding for the offices of
the prosecutors. Mexico could adopt a similar political framework to avoid neglecting vital parts
in anti-corruption systems. If Mexico is able to actively prosecute any corruption within the
government then the influence of the cartel will also directly be reduced. After these changes
Mexico will be able to focus on the war on drugs rather than having to focus on corruption.
Slide 14:
Nathan Some limitations could be Behavioral challenges. Reducing drug demand requires
significant shifts in social attitudes, behaviors, and education, which can take years or decades
to achieve.

Slide 14:
Nathan- Insufficient Funding: Addiction treatment and prevention programs often face budget
cuts and lack adequate resources to meet nationwide demand.

Slide 14:
Ivan -Retaliation: Journalists and officials working against corruption face threats and violence,
which could discourage participation.

Slide 14:
Alvin But by understanding these limitations, the US can better shape solutions overcoming
obstacles to make great efforts to reduce corruption in Mexico.