Drugs, Guns, Humans, and other Commodities
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I. Drugs: From Pharmaceutical to Illicit Commerce

A. Cocaine, 1860-1910

- 1860, German 'discovery' of cocaine = primary alkaloid in coca leaves
- Merck; Parke, Davis & Co.
- 1890-1902, 700% increase in supply
- 'ethical' and 'patent' uses:

Leibig's Coca Beef Tonic
Maltine with Coca
Lambert's Wine of Coca with Peptonate Iron and Extract of Cod Liver Oil
Vin Mariani
French Wine Coca
Coca-Cola

- Peruvian cocaine sulfate paste (cocaína bruta)
- 1890-1905, Peru is leading world supplier

B. Transitions, 1910-1940

- U.S. anti-cocaine movement
- U.S.-led intl. efforts, treaties
- Asian competition

C. The Illicit Trade, 1940-1980

- post-WWII, Peru the world's sole remaining cocaine source
- 1948, Peru criminalizes cocaine (Gen. Manuel Odría)
- shifts in:

Production (to Bolivia, Amazon jungle)
Processing (Chile, Colombia)
Managers (Cuba, Colombia, Mexico)
Routes (Florida, Mexican-US border via Central America + Caribbean, Brazil-Argentina to Europe)

- increase in demand, Border Patrol confiscates:

1960, 6 lbs
1963, 15 lbs
1967, 26 lbs
1969, 52 lbs
1971, 436 lbs
1973, 1000+ lbs

2019,  89,000 lbs

(United Nations Office on Drug and Crime 2010 report , 2020 report)

II. The Rise of Cartels, Colombia to Mexico

- Mexico: opium/heroin and marijuana to 1970s
- cocaine via Colombian connections 1980s w/ CIA links:

Felix Rodríguez (Cuban-American)
Juan Matta (Honduras)
Manuel Noriega (Panama)
Raúl Salinas, Mexican police

- 'cliques' become cartels:

Guadalajara, Sinaloa, Juárez, Gulf recruits Zetas 2003
Zetas break from Gulf cartel 2007
Zetas move into Central America 2008

- extorsion and human trafficking, forcing/hiring immigrants to carry
- (failed) attempts to halt arms trafficking
- entry of pharmaceutical opioids, black tar heroin

III. International approaches

Supply reduction: eradication, interdiction, alternative livelihood efforts
Demand reduction: criminalization, treatment, prevention, harm reduction