The Miami Herald reported July 31 that according to federal officials, Mexican groups aided by weak and corrupt law enforcement in that country are responsible for much of the cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine in the United States. Officials characterize the Mexican cartels as family operations with good business sense and international partners.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 92 percent of the cocaine sold in the United States in 2004 had arrived from Mexico, compared with 77 percent a year earlier.

Concerned that Mexico's increased presence in the U.S. drug trade could yield opportunities for terrorists to arrive through the smuggling networks, members of Congress have held hearings and are asking the Bush administration to devote more funds to intercepting drug shipments bound for the U.S. border.

The DEA has said that 14 U.S. cities are "staging areas" for the illegal drug trade from Mexico. These include seven cities in Texas (Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Laredo, McAllen and San Antonio), along with Albuquerque, N.M.; Los Angeles and San Diego, Calif.; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.; and Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.

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