Mexicans Want More US Input in Drug War

Despite the intense criticism that the US government has received for its involvement in Mexico's drug war, Mexicans still want more of it. A total of 52% of Mexicans want an increased role by the US government in the drug war and 28% want the US military to intervene on Mexican soil, according to polling conducted by The Dallas Morning News, Mexico’s El Universal and Texas Spanish newspaper Al Día. A mere 21% of those polled believe that the government's current strategy is working. “That tells you that Mexicans are really, really tired of this drug war, and they would rather see an end sooner than wait years fighting this by themselves,” says Jorge Buendía, president of polling firm Buendía & Laredo. However, an increased US military presence would hardly guarantee an end to the drug war, not least as any foreign nationals, like US soldiers, are subject to tight regulations. The Mexican government won't let the US deploy troops to fight the cartels, and Mexican laws prohibit foreign military and police from operating. However, the US and Mexico have worked around this by allowing US federal agents and civilian military employees to work in advisory roles, while the US has provided Mexico with billions to assist its police and military forces.