The Mexican Cartels: drug organizations extending reach farther into US
The Mexican Cartels: drug organizations extending reach farther into US.
I chose this map because I’m interested in how this topic is represented in the media and how maps visually depict the issue. The map shows the territory that each cartel controls in Mexico and the reach into cities in the United States. The page is divided into four sections: Cartels, Trafficking, Gun Trade and Violence. Each section is represented in a separate map.
· Cartels
This map shows three of the most important drug cartels in Mexican territory and United States cities with known presence of Mexican drug trafficking organizations.
· Trafficking
This map shows the drug trafficking routes of cocaine, ephedrine and marijuana.
· Gun Trade
This map shows the number of guns recovered in Mexico in 2007 and traced to licensed dealers in the US.
· Violence
This map shows the drug cartel related deaths by states in Mexican territory.
Multimedia
This sections show two video clips about violence in Tijuana and with in the army.
CRITIQUE
Information.
When a topic like the drug war is approach, all the factors have to be in place in order to understand the conflict. One of the key aspects of drug trafficking is money, which plays a key role in the exchange of drugs and guns between United States and Mexico. The money trail is not represented on the page. For example banks like HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Wachovia had been laundering money for years in Mexico and Colombia allowing the cartels to expand their territory and influence in Mexico and The United States. This element of the Drug war can be expanded upon in my view.
Another point that is missing is the Fast and Furious operation. Which is a federal operation that allowed weapons from the U.S. to pass into the hands of suspected gun smugglers so the arms could be traced to the higher echelons of Mexican drug cartels. The Bureau that runs the operation lost track of hundreds of firearms, many of which have been linked to crimes, including the fatal shooting of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in December 2010.
Maps
I would like to see the world map with the countries where the drugs come from and the routes through Mexico into United States, I think that showing all the countries that participate, from the production, distribution and consumers countries will give a better understanding of the conflict. Also, I believe that to have the ability to overlap maps to compare the different information presented would add another dimension to the interconnected nature of the conflict.
Media
Something that this website can develop further is it is the media section, that only has two video clips. To address a topic like violence in war, the human factor is very important, and the stories of those affected by violent circumstances can humanize the conflict for the audience.
How is related to my project
My project, like this site, can benefit from expanding the human-interest component and expanding on stories of real people to humanize my topic of abandoned buildings and those who reclaimed them.
Sources
http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_international/mexican_cartels/
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/outrageous-hsbc-settlement-proves-the-drug-war-is-a-joke-20121213
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/atf-fast-furious-sg,0,3828090.storygallery#axzz2lCChXkFL
http://www.metropolismag.com/Point-of-View/October-2013/Q-A-Jerilou-Hammett/