Happy New Years! My New Year's Wish List

Viewers,
I want to share with you my New Year's Wish List for 2011. I realize many of these wishes will not occur, but they are my wishes for the New Year:
1. Peace and Understanding in our world.
I wish wars would end and people would embrace one another and accept one another for who they are. We all have our similiarities. We all live and we all die. Life is short. However we all have our differences. We need to accept each other as we are.
2. Peace and Understanding in our Country:
We live in the greatest country in the world. We have a brilliant President. We are a land of Immigrants. We were founded as the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. We are a great experiment. People are meant to be free. People are meant to be accepted. Ours is an island of Freedom -- where anyone throughout the world who is brutalized or tortured for their religion and their beliefs, can run to for escape and acceptance. I pray that we all remember our roots and why our country, this great experiment, was founded. All Loyal Americans should believe in this! I also pray that We the People of the United States of America come together and RESPECT our President and his Administration and pledge to work together towards the Common Good and Peace in our World.
3. Comprehensive Immigration Reform:
I pray that CIR is passed in 2011, including the Dream Act for students to advance their education. Once CIR is passed, we can STOP the demonization of Latinos in our country. We can stop the loony proposals to change the 14th Ammendment so citizen children can remain citizens and stop being called the vile, racist term "anchor babies". We can stop racial profiling bills like Arizona's sb1070. We can stop the horrendous Hate Crimes happening across the US, like the deaths of little Brisenia Flores, Luis Ramirez, Marcelo Lucero and the Chilean students. We can stop the xenophobic "Official English" bill -- wishing to restrict Spanish from being used throughout the nation.
4. Those Congressmen and Activists Consumed with Hate for the President and for Latinos
I pray that those consumed by hate, stop and consider what their hatred and their actions are doing to destroy our Great Country. I pray that they understand that our country is evolving to a multi-cultural society. We are ALL Equal. We are ALL Free. Our President IS our President. Pledge your allegiance to our country and the reason it was founded. Stop your Hate. Embrace Change. Embrace a Peaceful and United Future for our Country.
5. End to Drugs, Cartels, Violence
I pray that every single drug user in America think about what their drug use is doing to our country and to the world. I pray that every person who smokes a marijuana cigarette reading these words stop to consider the impact. I pray that every person using meth, crack, coke, heroine, methodone, oxycodone, or any mind altering drug obtained illegally stop and consider the impact your drug use is having on our country and to the world. Think of all the drug mules being used to cart these substances into our country. Think of those "illeegals" forced to carry the bales of marijuana into our country by the cartels -- received by American Citizen cartels who forward off these drugs to you. Think of the violence in Mexico, the deaths, the murders, the blood all to feed these habits. Think of the US guns sold to these cartels -- that continue the wretched violence.
It is clear that we have three choices.
a. Each American using any type of drug must end their drug use,
b. we can legalize these drugs -- as alcohol was legalized,
c. we partner with Mexico and pledge to end these drug cartels once and for all -- and this includes throwing all drug users in our country in jail for so many years, they will be too old to use them again when they get out.
------------------------------------
Readers,
I know none of my wishes will come true this year. I will still wish for them.
In the meantime, what I will do this year is to continue to post the Truth! I will continue to support our President. I will continue to support CIR and the Dream Act. I will continue to support the End of Hate Crimes!
In the weeks ahead, I am going to put a spotlight on the changes in our new Republican Congress and those they have named for various leadership posts. It is extremely important that WE THE PEOPLE understand their background, their history of past actions -- particularly when they have displayed racist actions against our President and against Latinos. By doing so, we can STOP their ability to enact any of their Hate Bills that racially target Latinos, those they term "anchor babies" and all immigrants (documented or not). Let's speak loud and let's speak clear with our Votes, especially in preparation for 2012!
Always,
Dee
God Bless America
God Bless Our President Obama

American Conversation - Part 1: Economy, Jobs, Drugs, Education

True Story: I had lunch with a couple of old insurance agent acquaintances of mine yesterday. I generally don't talk about politics, immigration or religion with acquaintances, but since they were so concerned about the economy, I decided to make an exception.

They were both long time insurance agents, selling Life, Health and Property & Casualty insurance. They both had their own agencies making very comfortable livings until the economy dropped through the floor a couple of years ago. Their agencies went bankrupt. Now they are struggling to find some sort of income. They never thought they would be in this dire financial situation in their sixties.

A couple of weeks ago, they both found jobs at a call center to sell Health insurance to senior citizens. In good economic times, these gentlemen would never have taken a job in a call center. However, these are very dire, economic times. Even so, they still dress very professionally, in business suits and ties and are very grateful to be employed. (They reminded me of my Dad when he found a job trucking up Latino employees to Michigan to pick crops during the Depression. These guys are heroes!)

I decided to share this conversation with my readers on my blog. In the spirit of anonymity, I'm showing their names as: Independent Stan and TeaParty Jack
After they caught me up on their job status, our conversation went something like this:

Teaparty Jack: I don't think the government has a clue about what is happening to the middle class in this economy. We have a domino effect going on. Unemployment is high. Let me give you an example. The general public is not buying cars. The car dealers aren't selling cars. Therefore people don't need new car insurance so insurance agents are out of work. This economy is KILLING the Middle Class.
Independent Stan: (nods) It certainly looks that way. And there is so much screw up in government departments. Look what's happening with unemployment. They don't know anything about the insurance industry. They don't know anything about takebacks. I've been working for no salary for months and now they are disputing my eligibility for unemployment. I had to take this job to pay the mortgage and feed my family, yet at the same time they said I shouldn't be applying for a call center job considering my previous salary. They said I shouldn't be looking for jobs paying less than $33 an hour.
TeaParty Jack: I don't have any use for any of them..for either party. I think we need to kick them all out of office.
Dee: President Obama is trying to fix the economy but the Republicans are blocking him every step of the way.
Independent Stan: I don't like either side, but you are right about the Republicans.
Dee: Bush sent us off the cliff and we could have been in a deep depression if not for the bailouts and the stimulus programs.
Teaparty Jack: Socialism. We can't let the government control us.
Dee: Control us? Are you talking about regulation? During Bush's regime, they deregulated everything. Now look what's happening with BP and Eggs/Poultry and Beef.
Teaparty Jack: Hah! You can't keep blaming Bush for everything.
Independent Stan: Wait a minute. How long did it take us to get out of the Great Depression? 15 years?
Dee: Yep. That's about right. We didn't' get out 'til about 1945. We need to give them a little time to allow the Stimulus and Jobs programs to work.
Independent Stan: (the older of the two, chuckling to himself) You know these were exactly the same conditions before Hitler came into power.
Dee: Oh yes, I know and he was a great orator too (eyes roll).
Teaparty Jack: I still say Kick the bums out! All of them! Both Sides. Let's get people in there that listen to We The People.
Dee: Oh yeah, kick them all out and then we're stuck with the wacko Tea Party candidates.
Teaparty Jack: Wackos? They're not wackos. Like who?
Dee: Well, Sharron Angle for one. The teaparty candidate in Nevada.
Teaparty Jack: (silence. shrug. almost nod.)
Independent Stan: (Nod, Nod, Nod)
Dee: And what about Christine McConnell in Delaware.
Teaparty Jack: I don't see anything wrong with her.
Independent Stan: Come on! She falsified her educational documents and there were problems with her PAC funds...
Dee: (nod, nod, nod)
Teaparty Jack: (shrug -- giving up)
Dee: I agree. But let's get back to the real issue. We do need a Jobs Program. The problem nobody talks about is outsourcing. Big business is outsourcing the jobs the Middle Incomers want offshore. We need to bring those jobs back to America, at least a percentage of them. And for the companies that do bring them back, give them the tax breaks their begging for. It would cost our country NOTHING.
Independent Stan: (nods) Yeah but do you feel like paying $1500 for a flat screen TV that costs you a hundred and fifty bucks today?
Teaparty Jack: Yeah. That's cuz overseas, they only pay a buck an hour.
Dee: A day....I know, but those are the jobs that Americans want. Look at all the IT companies and Telecoms. They outsource most of their jobs offshore. The other thing, we are not doing a good enough job educating our children.
Independent Stan: Yes. They'd rather sit around and do Meth. Did you see that special the other day?
Dee: (Nod) I see what you are saying. The U.S. is the number one abuser of illegal drugs in the world. Other countries start early with their focus on education. I've heard that many countries in the Middle East, India for example, started focusing on education for their pre-schoolers in the 80's and 90's in preparation for the IT jobs of today. We need that kind of focus for our kids. Education is the great equalizer.
Independent Stan: I know what you mean but we do have freedom of choice. Unfortunately the choice our young people seem to be taking is Meth and other similar drugs. They'd rather sit around, smoke pot, do meth and play video games. They want the old manufacturing jobs, but those jobs have been outsourced overseas and they are never coming back.
Tea Party Jack: We can't let the government run our schools like the do in the Middle East. More Socialism.
Dee, Independent Stan: (shrug, shake head)
Indepent Stan: I bet you believe the President is not an American.
Tea Party Jack: I've never seen his Birth Certificate.
Independent Jack: (laughing) I've seen his Birth Certificate and they had a birth announcement the week after he was born. Come on. They've shown the same kind we all have. And he's not a Muslim anyway. It wouldn't even matter if he was one. Freedom of religion. Remember? That argument is silly.
Tea Party Jack: (Shrugs)
Dee: Drugs. We are the number one abuser of illegal drugs in the world and the cartels are falling all over themselves to supply us. And, on the other hand, we are the number one supplier of Guns to the Drug Cartels.
Tea Party Jack: We need to wall up the border.
Independent Stan: (Nods)
Dee: (head turns sideways) Jack! You do not want to have this conversation with me. (they do not know I have a blog) You will lose this discussion. You cannot tell me you want to build a 2000 mile wall on our Southern Border.
Independent Stan and Tea Party Jack: (both sit up straight, Stan stares at Jack, waiting for his response)
Tea Party Jack: (Backing up a bit) Well, maybe not 2000 miles, but we do have to secure the border. Don't you agree?
Independent Stan: (switching his stare back to me) You do agree to a secure border, don't you Dee?
(See: American Conversation - Part 2: Immigration)

The Real Border Issue: Arrest Drug Lords Not Landscapers!

Most people who advocate sealing of the Mexican border have never been to a border town. In border towns, hundreds if not thousands of people cross the footpaths and streets back and forth, to and from Mexico. People shop and do business daily. This is called commerce and border-living. Families, cousins, brothers, sisters, mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, live on both sides. When one visits a border town, there isn't much security leaving the U.S. There is much more security coming back in. Border Patrol man the booths along the border entries and patrol the border fences and barriers, both on foot and via vehicles. They also have electronic and video surveillance along well travelled points of entry and paths. Additionally, about 10 miles in from the border, there are Border Patrol booths set up to check the IDs of everyone travelling back into the U.S. from border towns.

Anyone who lives along the border will tell you. People who live along the border, people of all colors and ethnicities, have very good relationships with residents on both sides of the border. However, about 10 years ago, with the increase of drug use in America, a new group of travellers migrated both ways across the border. These are the drug cartels. Anyone who lives along the border will tell you, there is a huge difference between those that come here to work and those that carry drugs across the border. The drug carriers carry or sneak in by vehicle, bales of marijuana, meth, marjuana laced with meth and cocaine. They also carry prescription pills including vicodin and percocet/oxycontin. Many of these drug carriers are American citizens, like the Bowen family, and also take guns/weapons and ammunition back into Mexico to provide to the cartels. You see, Americans help finance both sides of the Mexican drug war by purchasing illegal drugs and smuggling weapons.

The residents on both sides of the border want the cartels to stop. They want America to stop using drugs. They want the cartels to stop delivering drugs. Most of all, they want the violence to end.

You would think anyone familiar with the situation on the border would understand what is happening. Reports from both sides of the border indicate the majority of the violence is in Mexico and has not crossed over to the U.S. side of the border. Violent Crime is down in the U.S., particularly in border states. However, extremists and sb1070 supporters want you to believe otherwise. They want you to believe border violence has increased. They exploited the murder of rancher Robert Krentz and want you to believe all "illeegals" are responsible for his death when in fact the police don't know who committed the crime and believe it was someone from the U.S. since the tracks went from North to South.

The zealots also exploited the so-called shooting of Deputy Puroll. Tapes have recently surfaced regarding his explanation of the shooting. The tape totally conflicts with early reports of the shooting provided by his spokesperson Tammy Villar. Yet, this shooting also is blamed on all "illeegals." Their lies are set up to instill fear and terror into border residents. They believe in the political adage, "If you tell a lie often enough, it becomes the truth."

The facts are: we have a drug problem in the U.S. We are the number one abuser of drugs in the world. Drug cartels from China, Columbia, Brazil, the Middle East, Russia, Venezuela, etc. are falling all over themselves to be our drug provider. We have a Drug problem in the U.S., not an "illegal immigration" problem. Border Security is a big factor in that we need to STOP the flow of drugs from coming into our country and we need to stop the flow of weapons, money and cash back to the Cartels both here and in Mexico.

The facts are: sb1070 has NOTHING to do with stopping drugs or even securing the border. The primary intent of sb1070 is to Mass Deport all the "illeegals" in Arizona and their citizen children too. It also criminalizes citizen friends and families of the 11M here. It also encourages citizens to become amateur Border Patrol by encouraging them to call the police every time they see who they suspect is an "illeegal" (aka brown person).

The worst part of sb1070 is it deters police resources from going after the real danger, the drug cartels. Instead, if sb1070 is enacted, Law Enforcement will be doomed to spend their time, as arpaio and his masked goons do, in terrorizing latino neighborhoods with suppression sweeps. No time to hunt down the felonious drug lords on both sides of the border. Jails will be filled with landscapers and restaurant workers. No room for violent drug dealers.

Why don't people understand the truth? We have a DRUG problem, not a migrant worker problem. We need our Border Patrol Agents and Law Enforcement focused on targetting felonious criminals, especially drug cartels and drug dealers, not conduct round-ups in well established latino neighborhoods rounding up agjob workers and cooks.

Remove the xenophobia and restrictionist attitude from the work that needs to be done. Allow the 11M to come out of the shadows, pay a fine and begin steps to apply for legal status. Let's bring some sense back to the immigration discussion. We need the Federal Government to pass CIR.

The Obama Administration has made a good start. On a visit to Mexico in March by several senior Obama administration officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; they met with key Mexico officals and expanded on and improved programs already under way as part of the Mérida Initiative that was started by the Bush administration including cooperation among American and Mexican intelligence agencies and American support for training Mexican police officers, judges, prosecutors and public defenders.

Under the new strategy, American and Mexican agencies will work together to refocus border enforcement efforts creating systems that allow goods and people to be screened before they reach the crossing points. The plan also provides support for Mexican programs intended to strengthen communities where socioeconomic hardships force many young people into crime. The most striking difference between the old strategy and the new one is the shift away from military assistance. More than half of the $1.3 billion spent under Merida was used to buy aircraft, inspection equipment and information technology for the Mexican military and police. Next year's foreign aid budget provides for civilian police training vs equipment. Military-to-military cooperation was expected to continue. This revised strategy will first go into effect in Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, the largest cities on Mexico's border with the United States. Ciudad Juárez, a city of 1.7 million, has become a symbol of the Mexican government's failed attempts to rein in the drug gangs. Finally the Administration is focusing on the right issues. Stop the drug cartels. Nip them in the bud. Partner with Mexico to stop the cartels at inception. On the American side, do the same. Infiltrate, Arrest and stop them!

Breaking News: Former top ICE Agent arrested in Drug-Smuggling, Corruption Case

azcentral reports:
Richard Cramer, a former agent in charge of ICE's Nogales, AZ office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has been arrested on charges of cocaine trafficking and public corruption for allegedly aiding Mexican drug cartels. Cramer, who retired in 2007, was arrested Friday at his home in Green Valley, AZ, and appeared before a federal judge in Tucson, who denied bail. The charges stem from a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigation dating to 2006. In a criminal complaint, agents say Cramer helped a large-scale drug-trafficking organization move cocaine through the U.S.

Cramer's arrest comes amid a rise in criminal corruption cases involving U.S. law-enforcement officials along the border, where smugglers increasingly are using money or sex to buy protection or to get authorities to look the other way as they move drugs and illegal immigrants into the country. More than 80 officials who worked along the border have been convicted on corruption-related charges since 2007, according to a recent investigation by the Associated Press. The spike in corruption on the U.S. side of the border appears related to the war on drug cartels that Mexican President Felipe Calderón announced in 2006. Calderón has sent tens of thousands of soldiers to combat the cartels. Federal authorities in Mexico also have arrested hundreds of law-enforcement and public officials with ties to drug trafficking.

The U.S. has pledged $1.4 billion for a three-year program to help Mexico equip and train law-enforcement officials to fight drug trafficking. The first $214 million was released this week. The complaint accuses Cramer of using his position to persuade DEA agents to run database checks under the guise of drug investigations. They say he was checking to ensure that drug traffickers he worked with were not confidential informants with law-enforcement agencies.

According to DEA agents, Cramer was stationed in Mexico when he offered his services to an unidentified cartel and invested $25,000 of his own money in a shipment of 300 kilograms of cocaine from Panama to Spain that was seized by agents. In an attempt to identify who tipped off authorities to the shipment, the complaint says, members of the cartel reportedly discussed using Cramer to determine the names and locations of sources and how Cramer had "very powerful friends," including DEA agents.

In the complaint, agents say the cartel tried to buy back the seized cocaine in Spain with a smaller shipment of cocaine that was smuggled from Mexico to Miami. In subsequent discussions, the complaint says, members of the cartel reportedly said that Cramer quit his job with the government to work directly for the cartel. According to the DEA, Cramer was allegedly responsible for supplying information on the workings of U.S. law enforcement, including how it conducts records checks, investigations and the turning of informants.

The complaint said that Cramer was linked to the cartel through e-mail addresses and a direct push-to-talk phone line that connected traffickers to his home in Green Valley. Records show Cramer was the resident -agent in charge of the U.S. Customs field office from at least 2001. Vincent Picard, an ICE spokesman, said Cramer was still in Nogales in 2004 but could not say specifically when he went to Mexico.

Napolitano/Holder Keep to Promise! Feds partner with State/Local Authorities to Crack Down on Gangs vs Workers!

Janet Napolitano and Eric Holder, are keeping to their promise to focus on incarcerating Employers and Drug Cartels/Felonious Criminals versus workers. Last Thursday, Federal Authorities in partnership with Local/State authorities in cooperation with Hawaiian Garden's Mayor Michael Gomez, captured and arrested 147 gang members. The charges, part of a massive racketeering case dubbed Operation Knock Out, were outlined in several indictments charging the 147 members and associates of the Varrio Hawaiian Gardens gang with murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, extortion, kidnapping and witness intimidation.

Sal Hernandez, the FBI's top agent in Los Angeles said, "The gang, also known as VHG, is so pervasive in Hawaiian Gardens that it is estimated one in 15 people living in the square-mile city just north of Long Beach has ties to it. With these arrests, the good people will be able to live in peace."

The probe into the gang initially began in 2005 after Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Jerry Ortiz was fatally shot by a Varrio Hawaiian Gardens gang member he was trying to arrest in connection with the shooting of an African American man. The shooter, a veteran gang member with devil's horns tattooed on his forehead, has been convicted of murder and sentenced to death. U.S. Atty. Thomas P. O'Brien, speaking at a news conference at the Lakewood sheriff's station, where the slain deputy had been assigned, touted the case as the "largest gang takedown in United States history. Today we honor Deputy Ortiz by coming together to crush the outlaw gang that took his life and make a positive difference for the law-abiding people who live in Hawaiian Gardens," said O'Brien, who stood in front of a memorial to Ortiz and other officers killed in the line of duty as he spoke.

The Federal/State/Local policies focusing on felonious criminals and drug cartels are the right path to follow vs the 287(g) Arpaio type policies and ICE Raids focusing on arresting migrant workers. Both PRO and ANTI agree that law enforcement at all levels should focus on capturing felonious criminals vs Racial Profiling of Latinos or targetting workers who have not committed any felonious crimes.

References:

Janet Napolitano Restructures ICE Policies to Focus on Employers, Drug Cartels/Felonious Criminals but Faces Fierce Opposition!

Dozens arrested in crackdown on Latino gang accused of targeting blacks

Latino 'hate gang' busted in L.A.

America is the No. 1 User of Illegal Drugs in the World. Should We Legalize Drugs in this Country? Many say Yes!

Some pundits are bringing up the subject of legalizing drugs in the U.S. Last week, I reported the discussion between Chris Matthews and Pat Buchanan. Matthews said, "This is a free country. We have tough laws.We put dealers in jail for 20 years. But it doesn’t work. People make their own decisions and they can make the bad ones. And you have to live with it." Buchanan responded, "We spend billions on drugs..We have millions of drug users. Friends. Colleagues. Families. Candidates for President who use dope..We got what we got."

Today, Jack Cafferty, a CNN Commentator, said we should legalize drugs. He said:

"The United States is the largest illegal drug market in the world. Americans want their weed, crack, cocaine, heroin, whatever. And they're willing to pay big money to get it. The drug suppliers are only too happy to oblige. The Mexican drug cartels now have operations in 230 American cities. That's 230 American cities! And we're not just talking about border towns, but places such as Anchorage, Alaska; Boston, Massachusetts; Atlanta, Georgia; and Billings, Montana. They're everywhere. And they don't just bring drugs, but violence and crime as well -- lots of it at no extra charge."

It's more than the Mexican Cartels, it is the American Cartels consisting of all ethnicities, including Italian, Asian, Russian, and good old Americans. Cafferty goes on to talk about the cost and failure of the U.S. War on Drugs:

"How many police officers and sheriff's deputies are involved in investigating and solving crimes involving illegal drugs? And arresting and transporting and interrogating and jailing the suspects? How many prosecutors and their staffs spend time prosecuting drug cases? How many defense lawyers spend their time defending drug suspects? How many hours of courtroom time are devoted to drug trials? How many judges, bailiffs, courtroom security officers, stenographers, etc., spend their time on drug trials? How many prison cells are filled with drug offenders? And how many corrections officers does it take to guard them? How much food do these convicts consume? And when they get out, how many parole and probation officers does it take to supervise their release? And how many ex-offenders turn right around and do it again? So how's this war on drugs going?"

Someone described insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time. That's a perfect description of the war on drugs.

Then he talks about Cost and Legalization:

What do you suppose the total price tag is for this failed war on drugs? One senior Harvard economist estimates we spend $44 billion a year fighting the war on drugs. He says if they were legal, governments would realize about $33 billion a year in tax revenue. Net swing of $77 billion. Could we use that money today for something else? You bet your ass we could. Plus the cartels would be out of business. Instantly. Goodbye crime and violence.
If drugs were legalized, we could empty out a lot of our prison cells. People will use this stuff whether it's legal or not. Just like they do booze. And you could make the argument that in some cases alcohol is just as dangerous as some drugs. I know.
Like I said ... something to think about. It's time.

I agree. It is time to think about legalizing drugs in our country, have them regulated like alcohol, and as with the end of prohibition, end the need for and the existence of Drug Cartels.

Reference:

War on drugs is insane

Eric Holder Has it Right! Focus on Drug Cartels and Felonious Criminals!

Eric Holder has it right. ICE should focus their energies on Drug Cartels and felonious criminals! All sides agree!

CNN Reports:

Arrests 'crushing blow' to Mexican drug cartel, U.S. officials say

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- 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. "Enormous amounts of narcotics" have been confiscated in the operation, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said.
Investigators made 52 arrests in overnight raids in California, Minnesota and Maryland, increasing to more than 750 the number of suspects detained in the coast-to-coast operation to disrupt the Sinaloa cartel, Holder said. Drug Enforcement Administration agents said $59 million has been seized in what was dubbed Operation Xcellerator. Holder heralded the operation and vowed to vigorously help the Mexican government battle the powerful cartels. "International drug trafficking organizations pose a sustained, serious threat to the safety and security of our communities," Holder told reporters.

DEA acting Administrator Michele Leonhart, who joined Holder at the Justice Department for the announcement, said the operation dealt "a crushing blow" to the Sinaloa cartel. "We successfully concluded the largest and hardest-hitting operation to ever target the very violent and dangerously powerful Sinaloa drug cartel," she said. Large amounts of illicit drugs, including 12,000 kilograms of cocaine, 1,200 pounds of methamphetamine and 1.3 million ecstasy pills, were confiscated in the United States during the operation, Holder said. "These are enormous amounts of narcotics -- drugs otherwise destined for the streets of the United States," Holder said.
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.
Holder praised Mexican President Felipe Calderon as "courageous" for his willingness to fight the drug cartels, and noted the estimated 5,000 deaths that resulted from drug battles in that country last year. DEA agents said fierce fighting between the two most powerful Mexican cartels -- the Sinaloa cartel, known as "the Federation," and the Gulf Cartel -- was largely about control of transportation routes for illegal drug trafficking.
Wednesday's announcement comes as increased violence along the Mexican border is prompting concern among state and federal officials in the United States. In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry called on the Department of Homeland Security to send "1,000 more troops" to the border in his state. "I don't care whether they are military troops, or National Guard troops or whether they are customs agents," he said.
Meanwhile in Washington, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee urged Democrats to call a hearing on border violence to highlight the threat. "The recent surge in drug-related violence on the Southwest border has turned some American communities and neighborhoods into the "Wild West," said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas.

Josh & Dee Talk: Understanding the Border Drug Wars!

Readers: I am starting a new feature on my blog called "Josh & Dee Talk." These are actual talks my husband Josh and I have about Immigration or Political issues. On this Talk, we discuss the Border Drug Wars.

Despite tough anti-drug laws, a new survey shows the U.S. has the highest level of illegal drug use in the world. (AP)
Josh: I was reading Alipac today. They said Chertoff is planning on sending troops onto the Mexican Borders to seal off the borders if the Drug Cartel violence gets any worse.
Dee: Alipac has a bunch of looneys. First off, Chertoff didn't say that at all. He just instructed the 22 federal agencies that fall under Homeland Security to develop border-violence response PLANs because the drug war in Mexico appears to be escalating, not ending.
Josh: But they said we need to completely seal off the border.
Dee: They don't understand what is happening on the border. What you have to understand is, this is not about Immigration. It's about Drugs and Money. It's about supply and demand! Reports indicate the U.S. leads the world in illegal drug use. Our citizens demand drugs. The cartels are like the gangs of New York and they are fighting each other to be the leading provider. Without the DEMAND, there would be NO Supply, NO Gangs, NO Cartels.
Josh: So this is like the Godfather. The U.S. has a great deal of culpability because without the Demand, there would be no Supply.
Dee: Exactly. Its a very curious thing. There are countries that have no laws against drug use, yet their Drug Use pales in comparison to U.S. drug use.
Josh: So Mexico and countries like Columbia and China are falling all over themselves to be the suppliers of US Drugs and these drug cartels are in an all-out war to gain control of certain border towns.
Dee: Yes! There are a number of drug cartels that are in an all-out war with each other to gain control of certain border towns, particularly Laredo. Laredo is a gateway city, not only into Mexico but into the United States as well. The cartels use Interstate 35 to transport illegal narcotics. They set up bases of operation not only on the Mexican side but on the U.S. side.
Josh: So our citizens are the recipients, the drug lords, the distributors of the drugs within our country.
Dee: Yes!
Josh: And this is primarily happening in US Border towns, especially Laredo and El Paso in Texas, and not in inner Mexico.
Dee: That's right.
Josh: So we in the U.S. are just as much to blame or moreso for our drug problems because we demand so much drugs. And the people in Mexico want to stop this just as much or more than we in the U.S.?
Dee: Yes, especially since so many innocent people on their side are getting caught in the crossfire. In fact, Mexico's ambassador to the U.S. made a pitch in April, 2008 for the U.S. Congress to support a program of cross-border cooperation against drug trafficking between the United States and Mexico. The United States wants Mexico to stem the flow of drugs north, Mexico wants the U.S. to stop the return flow of weapons and the cash proceeds of the drug trade, estimated at $10 billion annually. So far, no agreement.
Josh: Without a plan, the flow is not going to stop.
Dee: Yes. And in the meantime the violence on both sides of the border towns escalates. On the Mexico side, the deaths are rising to the thousands! Poor innocent residents of these towns are the innocent victims. President Calderon has intiated some initiatives, but without stopping the receipt and use of drugs in the U.S, Mexico is powerles and the violence againt the innocents continues. We have to stop the receipt of drugs on our side. Mexico has to stop it on their side. There is corruptness and greed on both sides. We have not seen near the impact on our the US side, but the violence on the border towns is escalating.
Josh: So what do you think the solutions is?
Dee: I don't know all the answers,but one thing that has to happen is, our President should address these issues openly and communicate to all Americans our culpability. President Obama is meeting with President Calderon on January 12. Perhaps they will develop a joint plan. From my perspective, we need to ask each and every American to partner in our war on drugs. Stop the Demand and we stop the Supply. We stop the cartels in their tracks. We make a safer America, a safer Mexico and a safer world.