1999. Geraldo Rivera takes a look at the drug trade between Mexico and the United States, and the Mexican army’s efforts to eradicate it. We see the state of Guerrero and soldiers cutting down fields of opium poppies there. The region’s climate make it perfect for growing poppies, almost inevitably linking the lives of the poor farmers to the drug cartels.
Throughout this segment we hear from army officers involved in eradication, U.S. politicians, and the Mexican attorney general. On the U.S. side, we hear how the Mexican government’s drug eradication efforts are a disaster, at least recently. On the Mexican side, the situation seems more nuanced.
With 174 billion dollars in cross border trade between the U.S. and Mexico, is the focus on drug eradication or significant business investments?
In 2023, cross border trade between Mexico and the United States was around 800 billion dollars.