The warlords, the fragile state, and the imaginary line in the sand

The purpose of this paper is to establish that Mexico suffers from several indicators of being a fragile state and that the paramilitary cartels that exist within it are a threat to the national security of the United States and Mexico. Evidence of the current fragility of the Mexican state and the severity of the cartel problem shall be presented primarily from both American as well as Mexican news sources, with other evidence coming from nonprofit organizations, foreign news outlets, and various government sources. Taken together this evidence shall highlight a major security threat on our nation’s doorstep.