As I previously reported, the violence is increasing along the US/Mexico borders. President Calderone has escalated their fight against the drug cartels and the army has been deployed across border cities to thwart the cartels. Last week the violence escalated in Juarez as Cartel supporters blocked the Mexico/US border stations in protest of the army presence. Meanwhile, the Juarez vigilante group voiced support for the army and the Juarez police. The border is in an uproar as violence escalates and some local officials/police resign in lieu of threats against themselves and their families. Our USA has a certain degree of responsibility and accountability for this Drug Crisis since we are the number 1 Drug Abusing Country in the World and many reports indicate the USA is shipping some 2000 illegal weapons into the Mexican Cartels a Day.
What does America do to help Mexico defeat the Drug Cartels?
The El Paso Times reports:
EL PASO - The El Paso Police Department is investigating alleged threats against Juárez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz, who reportedly moved his family to El Paso for safety reasons, Det. Carlos Carrillo said Monday.
"We received information that the Juárez mayor lives in El Paso, and that possibly they were going to come to El Paso to get him," Carrillo said. "He has not asked us for our help, but it's our duty to protect any resident of our city who may be under threat." Juárez police said written threats against Reyes Ferriz and his family were left in different parts of Juárez after ex-police chief Roberto Orduña Cruz resigned Friday. The threats were written on banners the Juárez drug cartel has used to send messages to the police and others. In light of the threats, Juárez city spokesman Sergio Belmonte said the mayor has increased security for himself and other city officials. Chihuahua state officials said they are going to call a news conference later Monday to provide more details about Sunday's shooting attack that killed one of Chihuahua Gov. Jose Reyes Baeza Terrazas' bodyguards. The bodyguard who was killed while defending another state official was identified as Alejandro Chaparro Coronel. Officials said one of the armed men who allegedly killed Chaparro was injured and taken to a hospital.
"We received information that the Juárez mayor lives in El Paso, and that possibly they were going to come to El Paso to get him," Carrillo said. "He has not asked us for our help, but it's our duty to protect any resident of our city who may be under threat." Juárez police said written threats against Reyes Ferriz and his family were left in different parts of Juárez after ex-police chief Roberto Orduña Cruz resigned Friday. The threats were written on banners the Juárez drug cartel has used to send messages to the police and others. In light of the threats, Juárez city spokesman Sergio Belmonte said the mayor has increased security for himself and other city officials. Chihuahua state officials said they are going to call a news conference later Monday to provide more details about Sunday's shooting attack that killed one of Chihuahua Gov. Jose Reyes Baeza Terrazas' bodyguards. The bodyguard who was killed while defending another state official was identified as Alejandro Chaparro Coronel. Officials said one of the armed men who allegedly killed Chaparro was injured and taken to a hospital.
JUAREZ -- A so-called narco offensive last week left Juárez police leaderless and under fire with a wave of killings that also targeted for death elected officials in the outlying village of Guadalupe. The Juárez Citizens Command vigilante group on Saturday issued a manifesto, in which the group supported the Mexican army and condemned the crimes against police officers last week. According to Juárez news media, the manifesto of the Comando Ciudadano por Juárez, or CCJ, alerted the community against a group of kidnappers and extortionists that travels the city in a white Grand Cherokee with tinted windows and Texas plates and a white pickup also with tinted windows but no plates. The manifesto states the CCJ will act soon and asked residents to report the criminals to three phone numbers in Juárez. It was signed by a group leader identified as Comandante Abraham.
The answer is simple! Decriminalize recreational drugs to take the profit incentive away from the cartels.
ReplyDeleteCrack down on the gun show loophole that people are exploiting in order to buy weapons for the cartels.
People need to take these reports with a grain of salt though.
To read the media reports, one would think that Mexico is a war zone. Not true.
Nuevo Laredo has been quiet for more than two years now, yet even during the height of the violence, it was barely evident to the citizens.
I recently flew to Juarez from Monterrey for a weekend. I spent the weekend driving around town and visiting old friends as I had when I lived there, and never once felt threatened or intimidated.
Truth is, if you are not involved in the trade, or not trying to become involved, Mexico is relatively safe.
But, mundane existence doesn't sell newspapers or ad space on TV
The U.S. is too invested in illegal drugs vs. legal drugs to ever change its failed policy on drugs.
ReplyDeletePcorn,
ReplyDeleteI was reading about El Paso city Rep. Beto O’Rourke's recommendation,
the 12 words he added to a council resolution intended to express El Paso’s support for Juarez.
O’Rourke’s amendment called for an “honest open national debate on ending the prohibition on narcotics.”
The El Paso mayor vetoed these words, afraid he would be laughed at. However, the press did get wind of the 12 words. O'Rourke did get beat up over them, especially by the likes of Dobbs.
We can't even legalize marijuana. I do not expect that drugs will be legalized in our country in this century.
Frankly, I hate drugs. However, I can see your point. Take the crime out of them and the cartels/criminals go away, just like alcohol.
Here are interesting articles about Beto O'Rourke's proposal:
ReplyDeleteO’Rourke in national headlights over 12 words in Drug War resolution
Debates about legalizing marijuana have raged in U.S. for decades
Mexico's Future in the best crystal ball :
ReplyDeleteThe Drug Lords will be probably killed in a few years. They live a fast life like Achilles in the Iliad. A Goddess offered Achilles if he wanted to live a long uneventful life or a short life of Great Fame and Adventure.
Pablo Escobar died in his 42 birthday. Other relatives or henchmen enjoyed his Big Fortune.
Al Capone also died very young, from syphilis.
*******************
The Funny Thing
*******************
The funny thing is Hate TV and Hate Radio scaring millions of ignorants and fools with the idea that Mexico is going to collapse and the ashes are going to fall upon the USA.
That is not going to happen because the poorer Andean Countries have in great measure defeated big drug lords without collapsing.
Colombia is poorer than Mexico and fought the war against the most dangerous Drug Criminals that the World has seen in the last 50 years.
Today they are in tombs or in American Jails. There are of course little smugglers. But no big bosses with 50,000 heads of cattle and many airplanes and arsenals.
And The FARC drug criminals are almost defeated, hidden in deep jungle.
So, you can see the imbecility and stupidity of the FearMongering Racist Jingos invading TV Networks.
They want more military confrontations. As if that was what the situtation requires at this moment of History.
That is why TV is called the "Stupidity Box"
Prophesizing.com
Milenials.com
Vicente Duque
Read the report from the Joint Forces Command. I'm sure President Obama has. I'm certain that if Mexico ever looked like it was to collapse, our military would immediately respond. Page 36 speaks to the issue we are discussing here.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jfcom.mil/newslink/storyarchive/2008/JOE2008.pdf
Vincent: This is hardly fear mongering racist jingos inasmuch as the Joint Forces are made up of our army, navy, marines and air force. Perhaps you should educate yourself.
Dee, I agree, legalizing drugs is not the answer. We don't need to turn the country into one giant poppy field like Afghanistan. Perhaps pot will be legalized some day, but never hard drugs.
I do not understand why Mexico does not exploit its natural resources and provide for its people using what God gave them. Oil, minerals, fertile ground and a hard working population are tremendous assets. Ending poverty is the answer to the problem.
Anon,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the reference. From Page 36 of the link you provided from the Joint Operating Environment (from DoD):
"In terms of worst-case scenarios for the Joint Force and indeed the world, two large and important states bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse: Pakistan and Mexico.
Some forms of collapse in Pakistan would carry with it the likelihood of a sustained violent and bloody
civil and sectarian war, an even bigger haven for violent extremists, and the question of what would happen to its nuclear weapons. That “perfect storm” of uncertainty alone might require the engagement of U.S. and coalition forces into a situation of immense complexity and danger with no guarantee they could gain control of the weapons and with
the real possibility that a nuclear weapon might be used.
The Mexican possibility may seem less likely, but the government, its politicians, police, and judicial infrastructure are all under sustained assault and pressure by criminal gangs and drug cartels. How that internal conflict turns out over the next several years will have a major impact on the stability of the Mexican state. Any descent by Mexico into chaos would demand an American response based on the serious implications for homeland security alone."
I'm not advocating hard drugs, but the decriminalization of ganja would free up resources to combat the hard drugs.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather share the road with a stoner than a drunk, any day, and someone who drives 130,000 miles a year on US highways, I am familiar with the difference. After all, until the 60's marijuana was legal in this country.
You know, Mexico is not failing, nor anywhere close to collapse. Equate what is happening there with the US in the 20's, when Capon ran Chicago and the mob wars were in full swing. On into the 60's and 70's when the mob was fighting each other for vice territories. The cocaine wars of the 70's in Miami. There was some heavy duty firepower involved there.
Calderon is doing the right thing, God Bless him, the man's got a slop jar full of cojones. He will succeed in the end or at least hand a better country to his successor
Drug runners don't go to gun shows to buy guns. If you want to legalize drugs, fine, but KEEP GUNS LEGAL TOO.
ReplyDelete