Meet George Grayson: Narco-violence in Mexico, threat to U.S.

Below is a video where Dr. George Grayson addresses the cartel violence in Mexico and Concerns for the United States.  Video appears to have been posted ca May 2010.

Narco-Terrorists Fills Governance Void - See How

Below is an excerpt, the Forward, from a piece produced by a respected expert on Mexico and its internal problems, George Grayson.

La Familia Michoacana or as it is also known, La Fa­milia, has emerged as one of Mexico’s strangest and most grotesque drug cartels. Its leaders—Nazario “El Chayo” Moreno González and José de Jesús “El Chan­go” Méndez Vargas—insist they are doing the Lord’s work when they discipline teenagers for wearing long hair or spraying graffiti on colonial buildings in the Michoacán state capital of Morelia. However, this syndicate is not content with trying to civilize young people. It captures enemies, who may belong to Los Zetas or another competing cartel, and tortures, dis­members, and decapitates them—often leaving heads in public venues as a warning.

Despite their pious opposition to drug consump­tion by michoacanos, “El Chayo” and “El Chango” have amassed a fortune by importing precursor drugs from Asia and Europe through the Michoacán Pacific Coast port of Lázaro Cárdenas. They have constructed scores of sophisticated laboratories to convert these chemicals into methamphetamines for sale in an expanding U.S. market. La Familia also acquires resources by selling protection to merchants, street vendors, loggers, ho­tel owners, local gangs, and small-scale drug sellers. Rather than speak in terms of extortion, the shadowy organization insists that it “protects” its clients.

La Familia has recruited members from the ranks of the dispossessed. The North American Free Trade Agreement and the 2008-10 economic recession have left thousands of young people, mostly males, wan­dering the streets of Lázaro Cárdenas, Morelia, and many of the state’s other 111 municipalities. Uprooted from their families, unemployed, poorly educated, and homeless, many of these individuals had turned to drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and petty crime to cope with their dreary lives.

Along come La Familia’s recruiters with a message of hope. They say, in effect: “Enter a rehabilitation cen­ter, clean up your life, and we will provide meaning­ful opportunities.” Only after a person has shed their addiction are they invited to enter a 2-month program based on periods of silence, intensive Bible study, and exposure to Evangelical-style speakers.

If they complete this training—which is unabashed brainwashing—they receive a job, a salary, and inte­gration into a social group. Meanwhile, they contrib­ute to La Familia’s ability to move drugs, especially methamphetamines, through Baja California and So­nora onto the streets of the United States.

La Familia’s strength has grown because it has aligned with the Gulf and Sinaloa Cartels against Los Zetas in Tamaulipas and other areas south of the bor­der with Texas. If the three groups enjoy success, they will gain access to Nuevo Laredo, which is the largest portal for the bilateral flow of people, money, vehicles, arms, contraband, and drugs.

Dr. George W. Grayson provides an extremely as­tute analysis of La Familia, emphasizing its origins, evolution, ideology, leaders, and goals.

To access the full piece click on Grayson

People Choose Cartels over Government - When Governance Fails

People Choose Cartels over Government - When Governance Fails

In my last posting we addressed the issue of vigilantism and the issue of failed governance.  The posting was about what happens when governance fails and people take on the issue of establishing security themselves due to ineffectiveness of governance and a fear for their own safety.    We also noted that while gun trafficking and US drug consumption are tied to the Mexican drug problem; the problem is really about a failure in Mexican governance.  Mexicans don’t leave Mexico because it’s full of opportunity.  Mexicans leave Mexico in order to find a way to survive.  Those who don’t leave Mexico right away in search of opportunity may be partaking in the drug trade, or at least provide tacit support to the cartels in order to survive.  Ergo, the problem has Mexican origins.  Check out the video.

Vigilante - A Definition

"a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law are viewed as inadequate)"

Source:  Webster's Online 

Vigilantism: Symptom of Failed Governance

Vigilantism: Symptom of Failed Governance

Some Mexicans see their government as inept and ineffective.  This is forcing some of them to take matters into their own hands.  There are indications this is giving some Mexicans hope.

 

Ripping Apart Narco-Insurgents 2 - Governance and the Broader Look

Here's another perspective on counterinsurgency.  Below are a 8 videos worth watching that talk about insurgencies and counterinsurgencies in a larger context and how they are disrupted; how long it takes to disrupt them; the issue of effective goveranance and policing.

The majority of the vignettes and examples are from Afghanistan and Iraq, however, there are relevant principles that apply to the Mexico problem.

Counterinsurgency is generally a tactic, not a strategy.  David Kilcullen goes beyond mere counterinsurgency tactics and addresses the issue of governance...something government of Mexico is failing in as it does not offer better alternatives to the population, nor cannot it effectively protect them.

Ripping Apart Narco-Insurgents - Understanding the COIN TRIAD

This piece goes a little further in explain the ‘COIN Triad’.  While the ‘COIN Triad’ is not a panacea, it does provide a good mental framework to understand what needs to be done in order to disrupt an insurgent threat.

‘Disrupt Insurgent Psychological Dominance’

This first thing the Mexican government must do is to establish its credibility amongst the people.  To establish credibility, the government must ‘Disrupt Insurgent Psychological Dominance’.

Below is a generic example of how it has been done in other counterinsurgency environments.  Granted, every situation is different, but many principles remain the same.   The locals need to be made part of the solution.  The only thing kind of new is the idea of the ‘COIN Triad’ which highlights all the key functions and synchronization needed to start disrupting and destroying the threat from more of a holistic point of view