Mexican drug cartels virtually rule large parts
of Mexico, with violence and murder spilling across the
U.S. border. In 2009, the death toll reached a high of more
than 9,000. While the Obama Administration should be
commended for its continuation of the Bush Administration’s
Mérida Initiative, President Obama and his Cabinet
have gone too far in placing the blame for Mexico’s drug
mayhem on U.S. gun laws and American drug use, and
many existing policies have yielded modest results at best.
Heritage Foundation Latin America expert Ray Walser
lays out the comprehensive plan that the U.S. should follow
to stem the tide of drug violence—or pay even higher costs
down the road.