LAW AND BORDER: Despite DonaId Trump's claims tO the contrary, a fin- ished barrier across the Mexico border won't stop the 升 OW Of drugs and dirty money intO the United States. created over time by b0th Republicans and Democrats tO reassure a frightened electorate. lt was meant tO prevent the flOW Of Latin Amer- icans wh0 want t0 illegally cross the border, and tO StOP t e rug ra cklng orgamzatlons across the border—both the South American producers and the Mexican distributors—that peddle their products and launder money. Despite the wall, the Mexican cartels have long managed to get drugs into the し S. by a variety ofmeans: catapults, hang gliders, under- ground tunnels, even submarines. And drugs from Mexico often still enter the United States through Offcial border crossings: With more than half a million people entering from Mexico into the し S. every day, it s impossible t0 check every car, motorcycle, truck and tour bus. Narcos often attach coke tO the underside Of vehicles that have permits tO cross the border in a speciallane; the best couners are those whO don't even know they're smuggling. They are even able to hide the odor ofcocaine—and fool drug dogs— by adding coffee or cayenne pepper t0 the outside of the packages. Once the vehicle makes it to the other side of the border, they find ways t0 retneve the drugs. As long as the U. S. remains the world's largest consumer Of coke, and as long as Mexico continues tO provide it, no wall will ever be able to stop the trade. SO far, the wall hasn't even stopped the flow Of undocumented immi- grants whO atte mpt tO cro ss the bor- der, risking their lives in the desert and enriching the human traffckers wh0 are controlled by the cartels. These mlgrants are crossing in search of honest work, of a better life for their families. Some are even fleeing the violence caused by the drug war ・ A W YO IT SE Contrary tO Trump s racist innuendo, they are not cartel members. But the wall has allowed the narcos tO exploit some Of them: If a migrant doesn't have the $ 1 , 500 tO $ 2 , 000 required tO pay a coyote, he can eliminate his debt by putting cocaine in his bag before crossing the border. The wall hasn't stopped laundered cartel money either. A 2012 study by two C010mbian economists, Alejandro GaVIria and Daniel Mejfa, revealed that 97 ・ 4 percent of drug traffcking ー C0101 れ bia iS laundere d byAmerican and Europe ambanking networks througlvdiverse financial operations. The case of Wachovia is a glaring example. Between 2004 and 2007 , several million dollars passed 仕0ⅲ-th0 ・ 'C0fferS0ftheSinaIoæcartel int the bank accounts of Wachovia through c ca 襯 0 (currency exchange offce s). The se Mexican Offces would receive the cash, open accounts managed by a Wachovia branch ⅲ Miami and electronically transfer the money intO accounts in the U. S.Wachovia didn't respect the antl-money-laundering protocol in the transfer Of more than $ 378 billion. Ofthat enormous sum, at least $ 110 million came 仕 om drug traffcking and ended up in international banking networks. ln 2010,Wachovia negotiated a $ 160 million settle- ment ( $ 110 million in forfeiture plus a $ 50 million fine) with federal authorities. But that figure is pal- try compared with the bank's earnings ・ Everyone—the narcos, the banks, the casas de cambio—profited despite the wall because smug- glers no longer cross borders With suitcases Of cash. Now money is moved directly 仕 om Mexico with a click. Yet recently the Clearing House, an ALL SENDS A MESSAGE: ARE WORKING FOR , AND WE ARE DOING ONCRETELY. YOU CAN IT, BRICK BY BRICK. association that represents the largest American banks, announced it plans tO propose a new sys- tem Of anti-money-laundering rule s tO the gov- ernment. This system would reduce the current reqmrements (which include the completion 0f a report on every transaction that could be crim- inal) , thus lightening the bure aucratic and finan- cialload that banks bear in order t0 respect the current anti-money-laundenng protocols. "What we are witnessing today is the renewal Of the American SPlrit, Trump said- Whis speech t0 Congress. But a wall is not part Of that spirit; it s part Of a darker, more cynical tradition, one not in line with those inalienable rights cited in the Declaration oflndependence: 1 ife , libe rty and the pursuit of h appinesszRights that the Founding Fathers recognized for all men, not only Americans. ロ P A G E 0 N E / C A R T E L S NEWSWEEK 17 MARCH 17 , 2017