http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/authors/4379/erica-thomas Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:46:57 -0400 Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:46:57 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1604/busted-by-the-feds-government-corruption-and-drug-trafficking By Erica Thomas - The international drug trade and the power of drug cartels have perplexed both analysts and policy makers for years. As drug production and trade grow, cartels have climbed to unthinkable heights of power and, in some cases, have crippled governments. This study explores this problem and attempts to answer the predominant question raised: why do states struggle to eradicate such powerful drug cartels and drug trafficking organizations? While multiple schools of thought emerge that answer this question, research finds that existing literature shows little quantitative and holistic analysis of government... Fri, 31 May 2013 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1604/busted-by-the-feds-government-corruption-and-drug-trafficking