Statistics tell part of the story. The damage that these traffickers have caused the United States is enormous. Organized crime groups from Mexico rely on violence as an essential tool of the trade. Much of the drug-related violence which has become commonplace in Mexico has spilled over to communities within the United States. But Constantine emphasized that strong U.S. enforcement against drugs and drug violence must be met by the kind of integrity in enforcement on the Mexican side of the border that produced the victory over organized crime a generation ago in the United States.
Corruption is the central tool of the criminal protectors.
The criminal group relies on a network of corrupt officials to protect the group from the criminal justice system. The ability of any government to attack powerful criminal organizations is dependent on the existence of honest, dedicated law-enforcement professionals. To attain this goal, meaningful anti-corruption initiatives which lead to sound criminal investigations and prosecutions of corrupt officials must be aggressively pursued. History has tought us that organized crime groups depend on an environment of corruption and intimidation to survive. Because they do not fear law enforcement, traffickers have been able to work to undermine legitimate investigations.