A Decade Into Mexico's War on Drugs

(ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images)

When it began in 2006, Operation Michoacan signaled the start of a concerted effort by Mexico's government to eradicate organized crime. But a decade in, the country's security prospects don't seem much improved.

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Operation Michoacan, and to many, the start of Mexico's deadly war on drugs. But a decade later, the country's prospects for security and peace don't seem much better than they did when the massive crackdown on Mexican cartels began in 2006. Most people point to Felipe Calderon's presidency as the moment when things began to go wrong for Mexico. In the face of rising crime, and under mounting pressure from the United States to stem the flow of drugs across its southern border, Calderon sent 5,000 soldiers and federal police officers into the streets of Michoacan state, firing the first shots of what would become a long and bloody struggle. But it is neither fair nor accurate to pin the blame for the conflict that ensued on a single decision.