Listen to experts discuss U.S.-Mexico relations under the Obama administration, including ways to mitigate drug violence and improve immigration policy.

Jesus Rios and July Ray find that more Mexicans perceive gangs and drug trafficking in their neighborhoods.

At its third meeting, in Rio de Janeiro, a report was made public by the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy, exposing the impressions reached after nearly a year of research and  debates. In this report, the commission evaluates the impact of policies on the "war on drugs" and develops recommendations for more efficient, secure, and humane strategies.

Shannon K. O'Neil discusses America's influential role in the war on drugs.

Mexico is struggling with a surge in drug-related violence, declining oil revenues, and an economy under strain. Some experts point to a looming security problem for the United States.

This article goes in depth into the rising Culiacán drug scene.

Markus Schultze-Kraft, Latin America program director at the International Crisis Group, recommends policies to combat drug trafficking in the region.

Elizabeth Kempshall, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Arizona, discusses her office's cooperation with Mexican law enforcement to fight drug trafficking.

John M. Walsh of the Washington Office on Latin America says the failure of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s major reform proposals at the polls was a surprise, and represents a “heavy defeat.”

New studies show the war on drugs is being lost in Afghanistan, and some policy experts think licensing the country for morphine production would help.

This document provides an overview of current and past drug policies implemented by Mexican government. It also analyzes the trends in the increased reliance on the Mexican armed forces in counter-drug activities and the role that the U.S. government has played in shaping Mexico's counter-drug efforts.

Maureen Meyer, with contributions from Coletta Youngers and Dave Bewley-Taylor

Armand Peschard-Sverdrup, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Jorge Chabat, professor at Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE) in Mexico City, debate what an ideal security cooperation agreement would look like between the United States and Mexico.

A Testimony Before the Committee on Foreign Affairs House of Representatives on the high flow of illicit drugs into the United States.

The GAO's recent report discusses the illicit drug threat posed by Mexican drug production and trafficking to the United States since 2000 and U.S. agencies' programs to support Mexico's counternarcotics efforts since fiscal year 2000.

The United States and Mexico are negotiating a significant aid package to help Mexico fight its drug war. But a “Plan Mexico” faces many hurdles.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has surprised many with his bold crackdown on drug violence and his ability to push reforms through the legislature.  

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has released its assessment of Afghanistan's opium cultivation (PDF).

Transcript of an interview by Radio Free Europe with Mark Norton, first secretary for counternarcotics at the British Embassy in Afghanistan, focussing on the coming poppy-eradication campaign in southern Helmand Province—targeting roughly one-tenth of the opium-poppy crops that provide about half of the heroin that reaches Europe. NATO forces will support the effort, which includes about 600 Afghan and auxiliary police, along with a force assembled by Helmand Governor Assadullah Wafa.

This report the Institute for War and Peace Reporting argues that corruption, lack of security, and poor coordination will combine to torpedo the counter-narcotics effort in Afghanistan.