Last Wednesday, Congressman James Sensenbrenner accused the Mexican presidential front-runner Enrique Peña Nieto of “turning a blind eye to the cartels” because of his proposal to fight drug-related violence in lieu of drug trafficking.

So far, Peña Nieto has proposed three things to fight organized crime in Mexico: the creation of a paramilitary force, the appointment of former Colombian chief of police Oscar Naranjo, and a strategy of violence-reduction.

“In reality, a violence-reduction strategy will likely focus more on violent crimes and violent criminal groups like Los Zetas (known for kidnapping and extortion), than on counternarcotics interdiction. Sensenbrenner’s comments, while inaccurate, may have had a salubrious effect on Peña Nieto and his party,” wrote Nathan Jones, fellow of Drug Policy at the Baker Institute, at Rice University for a blog in the Houston Chronicle.