Review of Don Winslow @donwinslow article in the current issue of Vanity Fair.

I know next to nothing about Mexican Drug cartels, so this was a fascinating read.

Among the things I learnt was

Unlike the Mafia, the Mexican cartels encourage their members who have been arrested to tell everything they know if they can cut a deal for a shorter sentence—all they are obliged to do is relay what they’ve given up to defense attorneys, who then pass the information on so the cartels can make the necessary adjustments.

For more on the operation of the Sinaloa cartel; and how relatively unimportant El Chapo’s bust was; and how little difference it will makes to drugs coming into the US, this is a great read.

It ends with a great summary and question.

What is the corruption of the American soul that makes us want the drugs in the first place? Opioids—which are killing more Americans now than either car crashes or guns—are a response to pain. We have to ask the question: what is the pain?

Until we ask and answer that question, the drug problem will always be with us.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/02/the-dirty-secret-of-el-chapo-downfall