When the Mexican government sent in the military to fight the drug cartels, as an honest institution, I figured it was history for the Mexican army. Well what do you know?
At present, some 40,000 forces are deployed throughout the nation against the traffickers, according to the secretary of defense.
But during the past six years, some 150,000 soldiers have deserted, with their departures disproportionately affecting forces stationed in Guerrero, Sinaloa, Michoacan and Chihuahua -- all considered fronts in the government's fight against drug cartels.
According to one retired general, the reason is economic.
The economics of making more working for the drug cartels, that is. Oh, and ignore the cliff notes version of the story that states Mexico has seen 150,000 desertions in the last six months. I nearly spewed coffee when I read that.
Normally, I'd worry about Mexico's army being destroyed in this fight. But the Mexican military really doesn't have a military job. At the best of times they can't stop us, and nobody else has the capability to invade them. So really, there's no reason not to use their military to fight the cartels.
The Mexicans need to seriously fight and defeat the drug cartels with some haste. Letting the battle drag on for years just allows the cartels to use their money to undermine the Mexican army and destroy the last institution capable of fighting the criminals.
Remember, these cartel guys aren't fanatics, though they are ruthless. Hammer them hard enough and they'll go elsewhere or do something else to save their lives and profits.
