Part 10/12:
Mexico’s situation exemplifies how drug traffickers have become de facto rulers of vast regions. They buy off officials, bribe military leaders, and provide social services that governments fail to deliver. For instance, in Brazil, drug lords finance public housing, positioning themselves as community benefactors while simultaneously operating illicit economies.
The extent of cartel infiltration is so vast that operations like payoffs to police and politicians are common, with many key figures complicit or directly involved. The Trump administration’s efforts to revoke visas of corrupt officials and target cartel leadership are a clear attempt to weaken this network of influence.