Gabriel Ferreyra presents a comprehensive analysis of drug trafficking in Mexico and the United States by examining the roots, development, consolidation, and cultural ramifications of this phenomenon in the past century as well as its negative consequences in contemporary Mexico. Ferreyra discusses the most devastating effects correlated to drug trafficking such as high murder rates, gruesome violence, disappearances, and mass graves to emphasize how Mexican society bears the brunt of this phenomenon while the United States insists on the futility of drug prohibition. Unlike other publications, this book provides an interdisciplinary social science approach where drug trafficking is conceptualized as a multifaceted social, political, economic, and cultural problem, rather than just a criminal justice issue. Drug Trafficking in Mexico and the United States also revisits the war on drugs and provides an argument how drug control is the primary force behind drug trafficking. In that respect, there is an analysis on how the DEA has reinforced the war on drugs model and why it became a reactionary agency that opposes any comprehensive alternative to the American drug problem besides drug control. The author concludes with recommendations to implement forward-thinking measures such as decriminalization, reclassification, and legalization of drugs to effectively address the illicit drug trade.
Gabriel Ferreyra is assistant professor of criminal justice at California State University, Los Angeles.
Preface 1. What is Drug Trafficking? 2. Drug Trafficking in Mexico: Origins, Development, and Consolidation 3. Narcoculture 4. The Price of the War on Drugs in Mexico 5. Drug Prohibition and the War on Drugs Revisited 6. How the DEA Got Lost in the War on Drugs 7. Conclusions: A New Paradigm to Mitigate Drug Trafficking Glossary Selected Bibliography Index About the Author
In his new book, Ferreyra (California State Univ., Los Angeles) argues that drug trafficking is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon that intersects every aspect of society. Ferreyra contends that before assaying to solve the issue, scholars must first understand the problem posed by such illicit activity (while also remarking that scholarly treatments have often marginalized the multidimensionality involved). . . He highlights the complex relationships between producers, distributors, and consumers in his quest to identify the structural forces that create the necessary space for drug trafficking to continue thriving despite attempts of both Mexican and US government authorities to eliminate such nefarious activity. The text visits topics such as narcoculture (chapter 3), the most nefarious outcomes of drug trafficking in Mexico, and the sometimes destructive role of the Drug Enforcement Administration in developing drug policy (chapter 6). The final chapter offers suggestions such as decriminalization and legalization, also welcoming the fact that some sectors of US society and the world are embracing forward-thinking policies to move beyond prohibition. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. * Choice * Most research on the Mexican/American drug trade separates the two countries and focuses exclusively on drug violence in Mexico or drug consumption in the U.S. In his important new book, Gabriel Ferreyra brings the two subjects together in a united analysis that provides potential solutions to the seemingly intractable problems of drug-related violence and abuse afflicting both countries. -- Howard Campbell, Professor of Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso In his book, Gabriel Ferreyra analyzes with great detail the complexities of drug trafficking in Mexico and the United States. This excellent work clearly depicts the nefarious consequences of prohibition and the drug war, as well as the problematic role of the DEA. A must read for all those interested in the negative effects of current drug policy and a failed drug war. -- Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, Associate Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University Gabriel Ferreyra presents the reader with a clear yet detailed overview of the nature and impact of the drug war on Mexico and the U.S., focusing on the dual problem of drug demand and drug trafficking. Capturing the multifaceted nature of drug trafficking, the author highlights the social, economic, political and even cultural dimensions of the use of drugs, narcotrafficking, and the war on drugs. In easy to read fashion, the author explores everything from narco-music and nacro-lifestyles to the history of the war on drugs and the pivotal role of DEA. Persuasively, Ferreyra shows how nearly 50 years of the war on drugs has been expensive, inefficient and inadequate, and that despite decades, neither Mexico nor the US are doing well. Violence in Mexico amid growing demand and opioid crisis in the US points to the need for a new approach that acknowledges the role of demand in the US as the driving force in the drug trade and downplays the criminal/security solution in favor of treating the problem as a health issue. Appropriate for undergraduate students and the public general, Drug Trafficking in Mexico and the United States contributes to our understanding of this critical issue and the need to reevaluate current policy. -- Stephen Morris, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and Middle Tennessee State University
