Adapting, transforming, and modernizing under fire

Mexico's armed forces are in the midst of a transformation to better perform in an ongoing war against organized crime. Their role and visibility have escalated considerably since President Felipe Calderon assumed office in December of 2006. Although the fight against organized crime is clearly a law enforcement matter, the absence of effective and accountable police forces has meant that the Army, Navy, and Air Force have been used as supplementary forces to defend the civilian population and enforce the rule of law. While the federal government has striven to stand up a capable police force in order to relieve and eventually replace the military, that possibility is still distant. Despite considerable attention to and investment in Mexico's law enforcement sector during the past 5 years, the armed forces continue to be the only Mexican institutions with the capabilities to conduct nationwide operations and the main implementers of the government's security policy. This paper analyzes how the counterdrug role has influenced, and in some cases directed, its modernization. It also addresses the main challenges the counterdrug role is associated with, including human rights concerns, and proposes some options for its future.