Small Wars Journal has been covering this topic for a while and here is a good roll-up.
This post is focused on one document that I found particularly useful, Criminal Insurgencies in Mexico and the Americas, by Dr. Robert J. Bunker. It is a report to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere about the current threat in the Americas. It is a useful primer for understanding the current issues and arguments associated with narco-organizations.
The author summarizes the threat categories and the government policies to counter them. His central argument is that the countering efforts are not coordinated and the strategic situation has worsened over the last 30 years. In response, he recommends the Merida Initiative be replaced by a "more encompassing Western Hemispheric Strategy".
I don't agree with his claim that drug cartels and narco-gangs are the "#1 strategic threat to the United States", but next to global malign-Iranian influence, I do think they will pose the most significant asymmetric problem for US forces in the future. At a minimum AWG should stay connected to the community of interest associated with this threat and maintain currency.
If the US military is asked to play a larger role in the countering effort (probable considering the expansion of the problem set, the militarization of the criminal organizations, the proximity to the homeland, and the political implications) AWG will likely be asked to support.
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