According to figures compiled by the Associated Press, between December 2006 and September 2009, the Mexican Government arrested 226,667 drug suspects. Out of that total, less than a total have been officially charged with a crime.

The examples provided by the AP show that 24,000 people were freed from Baja California out of the 33,000 that were arrested. In Sinaloa, 9,700 were arrested and 5,606 were released. And in the birthplace of the Gulf Cartel, 3,600 were arrested with 2,083 later released.

Source: Associated Press, “AP Impact: Mexico justice means catch and release,” Washington Post, July 27, 2010.

According to the United Nations, 1.7 million people in Mexico consume 27.6 tons of cocaine each year. 3.9 tons of heroin is consumed within the country as well.

Up to 3 million people smoke marijuana in Mexico.

Officially, the Mexican Government reports that there are 428,000 drug addicts in the country.

Source:  Tim Johnson, “Rehab clinics turn into killing zones in Mexico’s drug war,” McClatchy, July 22, 2010.

In Fiscal Year 2009, authorities caught 130 minors attempting to smuggled drugs into Arizona from Mexico, an increase of 83 percent from Fiscal Year 2008.

Source:  Dennis Wagner, “Cartels use kids to bring in drugs,” Arizona Republic, July 5, 2010.

An estimated $29 Billion a year of cash from drug sales is smuggled into Mexico each year to the drug cartels.

If the $29 Billion were in 100 bills, the total weight of the cash smuggled would be 319 tons.

Source:  Michael Smith, “Banks Financing Mexico Gangs Admitted in Wells Fargo Deal,” Bloomberg, June 29, 2010.

Profits from the trafficking of Heroin for Mexican Drug Cartels is $360 Million  a year.

Source:  UNODC, “The Globalization of Crime,” Chapter 11: Regions Under Stress, June 2010.

The illegal arms trafficking market between the United States and Mexico is valued at $20 Million per year.

Source:  UNODC, “The Globalization of Crime,” Chapter 6: Firearms, June 2010.

In 2008, US Law Enforcement seized about 10,000 guns from entering Mexico.

Source:  UNODC, “The Globalization of Crime,” Chapter 6: Firearms, June 2010.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that there are about 200,000 members actively working in drug cartels in Mexico.

Source:  UNODC, “The Globalization of Crime,” Chapter 6: Firearms, June 2010.