U.S./Mex Drug Cartels Reign; Mexico/U.S Presidents Partner to Fight; Mexican Residents say, "We Need Gringitos Back!"

Mexico's President Felipe Calderon has staked his reputation on a nationwide army-led crackdown against Drug Cartels. More than 3,000 Mexican troops arrived this weekend in Juárez as part of what authorities have described as a frontal assault on crime. The new soldiers, which are in addition to the 2,000 already assigned to Joint Operation Chihuahua, were deployed after a meeting last week among high-level Mexican government officials in Juárez. More troops, including intelligence units, are expected to arrive in the next few days.
President Barack Obama and head of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, strongly support President Calderon's War on Drugs. Afterall, the U.S. continues to be the Number 1 user of illegal drugs in the World. Attorney General Eric Holder mounted one of the biggest assaults against powerful drug cartels recently. More than 750 people were arrested across the U.S. with tons of cocaine and marijuana seized and the distribution of drugs disrupted through a series of raids and arrests.
The rising tide of Mexican drug cartel-related violence along American's southern border and beyond is, considered by some, a state of war. The U.S. drug cartels are partnering with Mexican Cartels. The U.S. cartels continue to send 2,000 illegal weapons to the Mexican Cartels a day! Mexico's gun laws are relatively strict. Civilians can't own military-style rifles or high-powered pistols and need an O.K. from the military to buy weapons of any kind. U.S. laws, in contrast, are porous. And with almost 7,000 licensed gun dealers along the border, including many operating from homes, trailers or tiny shops in out-of-the-way towns and remote strip malls, tracking sales of guns destined for Mexican gangs is a needle-in-a-haystack sort of problem.
It is commendable that the government of Mexico and President Calderon have taken up the fight against the cartels with a vigor and courage foreign to his predecessors, who were content to exploit the American appetite for drugs and look the other way at their own military and political corruption. But it is obvious Calderon cannot do it alone. He needs a full court crackdown, with the support of the American Government who will arrest the don't-give-a-damn gun-dealers on the U.S. side of the border who are arming Mexican drug terrorists now threatening U.S. communities.
It is clear we ALL should support both President Calderon and President Obama in their charge to stop the Drug Cartels on both sides of the border.
Mexican Economy: "We Need Gringitos Back"
Meanwhile, the local Mexican residents, innocent in all that has been happening, are feeling the pain of the lost tourist revenue. "We need the gringitos to come back," said Maria Guadalupe Santiago Gutierrez. "The violence is not aimed at them, and if you are not involved in the drug business, nothing will happen to you. Please put that in the paper." Santiago used to sell her handmade arts and crafts at the Juárez mercado. Since the tourist trade faded, she has set up shop on the sidewalk within feet of the Paso del Norte Bridge, closer to where visitors might venture. On a good day, she sells five bracelets and charms at $1 each. "People in El Paso don't understand that if they don't come buy things from us, we don't eat," Santiago said.
References:
Mexico troops move in to retake warring border city
U.S. Moves Against Top Mexican Drug Cartel
Recent editorials from New Jersey newspapers
Mexico's military influx leaves a city on edge

Obama Pledges Long and Lasting Friendship with Mexico!

President Obama & President Calderon met yesterday. Obama said, “The friendship between the U.S. and Mexico has been strong. I believe it can be even stronger.”
After the meeting, an Obama spokesman said Obama pledged to find ways to work with Mexico to:
. Reduce drug-related violence
. Stop the flow of arms from the U.S. to Mexico
. Improve Immigration Issues
. Improve NAFTA
. Support stronger labor and environmental concerns.

Obama is making plans for a second visit with Calderon later this month to continue these conversations.

Presidents Obama and Calderon to Discuss Border Drug Violence and Immigration Initiatives Tomorrow

As I previously reported, President Obama is meeting with Mexico President Felipe Calderon tomorrow, Jan. 12, 2009. Their lead topic of discussion: War on Drugs in Border Cities.

With violence spilling over the Mexican border into the U.S., President Calderon should have little trouble securing support for his battle against drugs when he meets with President Obama.

The U.S. leads the World in illegal drug use and gangs/cartels across the globe are fighting to be the primary drug provider. In fact, last month, the U.S. Justice Department called Mexican cartels the biggest organized crime threat to the United States, saying they are increasingly pairing up with the Italian Mafia and other gangs to control distribution in American cities.

Calderon, who has been praised by U.S. officials for deploying troops to fight cartels and capturing top drug kingpins, already won a multimillion-dollar anti-drug aid package from Washington last year. Obama supports that plan, known as the Merida Initiative, and promises to take up another cause that Calderon champions: stopping the smuggling of guns from the U.S. to Mexico, which the Washington-based Brookings Institute says has reached a volume of 2,000 weapons a day. Obama has said that "southbound" strategy will complement the "northbound" crackdown on drug trafficking.

Calderon is also expected to discuss making immigration reform a top priority. While it is doubtful the Obama administration will view Comprehensive Immigration Reform as a top priority this year due to Economic and War priorities, Calderon said he will press for better conditions for Mexicans in the United States, based on respect for their rights and may express concerns over stepped-up migrant raids. In other words, the end to Hate Crimes Against Latinos and the end of ICE Raid/Detention Center Abuses.

I will monitor the outcome of these meetings and report the results later this week.

Reference: Obama-Calderon talks to focus on Mexican drug war