Here We Go Again: Why Breaking A Drug Cartel Will Increase Drug Use

If you are in favor of the war on drugs, you should like drug cartels. A successful cartel behaves like a monopolist -- that is, they restrict output to raise prices. Granted, they use violence to maintain their cartel, but hey, you're the one advocating a war here.

For those of us opposed to the drug war, the destruction of a drug cartel is just another demonstration of the ridiculousness and stupidity of American drug policy. Break up the cartel and lots of small competitors move in, causing the market quantity to increase as the price falls to the cost of supply.

You would think that, of all positions in the government, the Attorney General would be in perfect position to understand this. After all, not only does s/he oversee the DEA, but also the Antitrust Division within the Department of Justice. With the right hand the DOJ argues they encourage competition, high output, and low consumer prices by smacking down cartels (so they claim), and with the left hand they are keeping us safe from access to drugs by...smacking down cartels? How does that contradiction escape them?

Nevertheless, CNN is keeping us up to date on the latest events in this policy charade:

U.S. investigators have wrapped up a major 21-month drug-enforcement operation aimed at crippling a powerful and violent Mexican cartel operating in the United States, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Wednesday.
...
In two years, cocaine prices more than doubled, while purity dropped by a third, indicating enforcement efforts are having an impact, Leonhart said.

"The result [of law enforcement pressure] is less cocaine on the streets of the United States. That's why the price has been affected. That's why the purity has been affected," she said.

Or the cartel was trying to increase cocaine prices because...they are a cartel. Regardless, I'm sure your temporary supply disruption is a permanent one. Congratulations DOJ, your continued existence is a mockery of humanity.