Top cartel leader captured

[Ringel05]

Mexico City (CNN) -- Mexican authorities captured the top leader of one of the country's most violent drug cartels Tuesday, officials said.

Federal police captured Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, also known as "The Monkey," in an operation in the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico's national security spokesman said.

Spokesman Alejandro Poire called Mendez the "principal head" of La Familia Michoacana cartel and said his capture was the federal government's "most overwhelming blow" to the group.

"This capture destroys what remained of the leadership structure of this criminal organization," he said.

Mexican authorities: Top cartel leader captured - CNN.com

 

[Ropey]

I will believe it is working when American troops are asked to come in and deal with this issue. Until then, nothing will change.

It's simply whack a mole...

 

[Harry Dresden]

Mexico City (CNN) -- Mexican authorities captured the top leader of one of the country's most violent drug cartels Tuesday, officials said.

Federal police captured Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, also known as "The Monkey," in an operation in the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico's national security spokesman said.

the Monkey........did Bass name this guy and it stuck?....

 

[Ringel05]

Mexico City (CNN) -- Mexican authorities captured the top leader of one of the country's most violent drug cartels Tuesday, officials said.

Federal police captured Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, also known as "The Monkey," in an operation in the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico's national security spokesman said.

the Monkey........did Bass name this guy and it stuck?....

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Harry Dresden again.

 

[Kiki Cannoli]

As important as the captures are (three in two weeks), it is important to note that it is election time in Mexico; July 3rd. Makes you go hmmmm....

 

[waltky]

Top Colombian drug lord nabbed...

Colombia drug lord 'Sebastian' arrested
8 August 2012 - Sebastian had ties with Mexican drug gangs, such as the Zetas

Colombian police have arrested one of the country's main drug lords, Erikson Vargas, who is also known as Sebastian. He was the head of an underworld organisation called the "Office of Envigado", based in the Medellin area of northwestern Colombia. Police said Sebastian was detained at his ranch in the early hours of Wednesday morning. President Juan Manuel Santos described the arrest in Antioquia province as "a superblow to crime." "A triple jump against that criminal network and a gold medal for the police for the arrest of alias Sebastian," Mr Santos said in a message on Twitter.

Erikson Vargas is believed to have taken command of the "Office of Envigado" (Oficina de Envigado) in November 2011, when its previous leader Maximiliano Bonilla, known as Valenciano, was arrested in Venezuela. Colombia's Defence Minister, Juan Carlos Pinzon, said the organisation "killed more people than any other criminal network in Colombia in the last 10 years". He said there was an extradition order against Sebastian and that the authorities intended to send him to face justice in the United States. "Sebastian was the main target of the Colombian police. This is the hardest blow against Colombia's criminal organisations this year," said Mr Pinzon.

Escobar's heir

The organisation was set up by one of Colombia's most notorious drug lords, Pablo Escobar. Its main job was that of collecting debts on behalf of the Medellin Cartel. Those who failed to pay their debts were often brutally killed. After the death of Escobar, shot dead by Colombian police in December 1993, the Envigado organisation expanded its activities. Under the command of Escobar's heir, Diego Murillo, it grew into a multi-million dollar business, with a monthly income from drugs, extortion and money-laundering estimated at $20m (£13m) a month. In 2008, Murillo, who also went by the alias Don Berna, was extradited to the US to face drug-trafficking charges.

BBC News - Colombia drug lord 'Sebastian' arrested

 

[Douger]

Did they find any guns that were signed: "our thoughts and prayers are with you, Barry and Eric?"

 

[editec]

Well thank GOD nobody will be able to replace him, eh?

As long as there's DEMAND, there's going to be somebody to supply it.

 

[copsnrobbers]

The War on Drugs..... 40 years or so later? What a joke.

All they had to do was crop dust some fields.... Shit we're in space now.

 

[freedombecki]

Seems as if it isn't one thing, it's another about drug cartels.

Drug Cartels Using Drones Now to Identify Empty Areas Along the Border

49 Decapitated Corpses Found between Monterrey and US Border

Video at border showing drive shafts, car batteries, and other hiding places for meth, heroin, cocaine, and other drugs being smuggled by cartels at border

Drug abuse in Emergency Room PDF

What a mess. 90,000 cars going back and forth at some borders on a daily basis.

According to a quick glance, they're also finding a lot of drug cartel smuggling going on at just about every airport.

By air, by land, and by sea...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VXYymGVcjU"]cociane weed drug bust (speed boat chase major drugs) - YouTube[/ame]

Not confined to the border in Middle America.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlV3FA57veI"]Memphis Gang Connected to Mexican Drug Cartel Guilty of Murder to Hire - YouTube[/ame]

 

[waltky]

El Loco Barrera, last of the Colombian drug kingpins nabbed...

Colombia arrests ‘last’ drug lord
Thu, Sep 20, 2012 - FOLLOW THE MONEY: A global security forces operation caught Daniel Barrera, whose drug empire grew on the back of lucrative narcotics markets in both the US and Europe

Colombia said on Tuesday that Daniel “El Loco” Barrera, alleged to be the country’s last major drug lord, had been caught in neighboring Venezuela in an international sting led from Washington. “The last of the great capos has fallen,” Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced on national television, adding that the CIA and Britain’s MI6 had provided support. Barrera, whose outfit is estimated to have sent more than 900 tonnes of cocaine to the US and Europe, was caught in the Venezuelan city of San Cristobal, said Santos, adding that the drug lord had criminal ties to rebels from the hardline group FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). “This is perhaps the most important capture of recent times,” the president said, thanking the Venezuelan government for its help.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Tareck El Aissami confirmed the arrest on Twitter, calling it a “major coup” for his country and adding that “images” and “details of the operation” were to be released yesterday. Venezuela’s foreign ministry said Barrera was captured “after an intelligence operation carried out by Venezuelan authorities,” without mentioning any foreign involvement. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has long had rocky relations with Washington and regularly accuses the US of trying to undermine his leftist government. Santos said the operation “was led from Washington,” adding that the head of Colombia’s national police, General Jose Leon Riano, had helped direct it from the US capital.

Speaking from Washington, Leon Riano told the Caracol television network that authorities had tracked Barrera for four months before arresting him at a phone booth in San Cristobal. He added that the operation had been orchestrated from Washington because it required “special technical support.” US authorities could not immediately be reached for comment. In 2010 the US Treasury had named Barrera a “special designated narcotics trafficker,” saying he faced criminal charges in New York and was allied with the FARC, Latin America’s longest-running insurgency.

In the 1980s and early 1990s Colombian cartels dominated the American drug trade, but a US-supported crackdown has left local gangs in increasing disarray. Last year, 252 of Bogota’s 1,632 registered homicides — 15.4 percent — were linked to drugs, according to official figures. The regional cocaine trade, however, is still alive and well: Last year Colombia was the world’s largest cocaine producer, according to a UN report, though neighboring Peru is expected to soon overtake it. Colombian criminal gangs, as well as leftist guerrillas and right-wing paramilitary groups, sell the cocaine to Mexican criminal syndicates, who then smuggle it into the US and Europe. Colombia recently agreed to relaunch peace talks with the leftist FARC after a decade-long hiatus.

Colombia arrests ?last? drug lord - Taipei Times

 

[Cowman]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r81_GhjOzv0]Drug Lord Thanks Obama, Bush, & Reagan For War On Drugs - YouTube[/ame]

 

[BecauseIKnow]

It's too big of a businees to defeat. Unfortunately

 

[Cowman]

It's too big of a businees to defeat. Unfortunately

You can defeat it with policy change. Legalizing the least harmful of the drugs, which in a surprising twist is the one that nets them their biggest revenue. And, to top it off, we're the single biggest purchaser for them. They would not be able to simply adjust and expand their other drug trades because there isn't a market for it.

Less profitable means they'd have less money to spend and be easier to take down while being less attractive.

 

[BecauseIKnow]

It's too big of a businees to defeat. Unfortunately

You can defeat it with policy change. Legalizing the least harmful of the drugs, which in a surprising twist is the one that nets them their biggest revenue. And, to top it off, we're the single biggest purchaser for them. They would not be able to simply adjust and expand their other drug trades because there isn't a market for it.

Less profitable means they'd have less money to spend and be easier to take down while being less attractive.

True, but will the policy change?

 

[BecauseIKnow]

Drug Lord Thanks Obama, Bush, & Reagan For War On Drugs - YouTube

Damn he burned them

 

[Cowman]

It's too big of a businees to defeat. Unfortunately

You can defeat it with policy change. Legalizing the least harmful of the drugs, which in a surprising twist is the one that nets them their biggest revenue. And, to top it off, we're the single biggest purchaser for them. They would not be able to simply adjust and expand their other drug trades because there isn't a market for it.

Less profitable means they'd have less money to spend and be easier to take down while being less attractive.

True, but will the policy change?

It all depends on how long America would prefer to face off against drug lords instead of drug addicts.

I find drug addicts a whole lot less scary and easier to tackle.

 

[copsnrobbers]

I still wonder who in our and other Governments or agencies these guys are partnered with.

There's just way to much cash involved for them not to be.

 

[Indofred]

I will believe it is working when American troops are asked to come in and deal with this issue. Until then, nothing will change.

It's simply whack a mole...

How will they solve the problem, buy the stuff up cheap?

Afghan military recruits found dealing drugs to US soldiers, Army documents show | Fox News