Drug traffickers, Mexican police battle within yards of U.S. border

[Bullfighter]

(CNN) -- A "major gunbattle" between drug traffickers and Mexican federal police broke out Saturday evening in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, just 30 yards from the U.S. border at El Paso, Texas, causing U.S. authorities to cordon off a section of the city, according to a U.S. Border Patrol spokesman.

Three police officers were injured and one armed suspect was killed, federal police spokesman Ramon Salinas said.

First reports of gunshots came in from border agents around 7 p.m. (9 p.m. ET), U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Ramiro Cordero told CNN.

"The gunbattle is still going on right now," Cordero said 30 minutes after the incident began, just south of the University of Texas at El Paso.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries on the U.S. side of the border, Cordero said.

U.S. authorities blocked off a section of Paisano Street, which runs parallel to the Rio Grande.

The incident comes less than two months after shots fired from a gunbattle originating in Juarez crossed into El Paso and hit City Hall, damaging the building.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americ...ex.html?hpt=T2

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Just as long as it doesn't happen in Chicago.

Oh, wait a minute! It does.

 

[MikeK]

Considering the fact that any type of drug anyone wishes to buy is readily available within fifteen miles (often much less) of any inhabited community in the U.S., is it worth this kind of escalating madness to continue the clearly counterproductive War On Drugs?

Who benefits from the drug war?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Who benefits from the drug war?

That is the $64,000 question.

 

[Twofox]

Unfortuantely, this kind of thing happens so often on the border that it's become boring news anymore. Everyone is so busy fighting about what we should do, or not do, that nothing is getting done.

 

[Bullfighter]

Who benefits from the drug war?

The enemies of the civilized world, Latin America.

 

[Bullfighter]

Unfortuantely, this kind of thing happens so often on the border that it's become boring news anymore. Everyone is so busy fighting about what we should do, or not do, that nothing is getting done.

Bomb Mexico into a fine powder.

 

[topspin]

Legalize God's herb and the killing stops.

 

[johnrocks]

This madness brought to you by "The War on Drugs", ban chocolate and there would be people killing over it to make a buck, underground Kit Kat factories and people like me buying it.

 

[Bullfighter]

Legalize God's herb and the killing stops.

By the time you tax it, just like tobacco, they'll all go back to the drug cartels. Nothing will have changed except cartels could raise their prices to just under what the legal stuff sells for. They would love it!

 

[MikeK]

Legalize God's herb and the killing stops.

By the time you tax it, just like tobacco, they'll all go back to the drug cartels. Nothing will have changed except cartels could raise their prices to just under what the legal stuff sells for. They would love it!

What percentage of cigarette smokers do you suppose buy bootleg cigarettes vs those who don't risk the potential penalties?

Rest assured that if marijuana is legalized there will be severe penalties imposed for bootlegging. And while there will be some who grow their own or buy bootleg the majority won't.

 

[Twofox]

Legalize God's herb and the killing stops.

By the time you tax it, just like tobacco, they'll all go back to the drug cartels. Nothing will have changed except cartels could raise their prices to just under what the legal stuff sells for. They would love it!

What percentage of cigarette smokers do you suppose buy bootleg cigarettes vs those who don't risk the potential penalties?

Rest assured that if marijuana is legalized there will be severe penalties imposed for bootlegging. And while there will be some who grow their own or buy bootleg the majority won't.

Interesting point. Add alcahol, although I brew my own beer. When I used to smoke I boutgh bootleg cigs when I ran across them, but they weren't that common. I think most people would buy legal, or grow thier own.