War in Mexico: Criminal Syndicate State?

[eagleseven]

Drug cartels tighten grip; Mexico becoming 'narco-state'

MEXICO CITY - For months, the leaders of Tancitaro had held firm against the drug lords battling for control of this central Mexican town.

Then one morning, after months of threats and violence from the traffickers, they finally surrendered.

Before dawn, gunmen kidnapped the elderly fathers of the town administrator and the secretary of the City Council. Within hours, both officials resigned along with the mayor, the entire seven-member City Council, two department heads, the police chief and all 60 police officers. Tancitaro had fallen to the enemy.

Across Mexico, the continuing ability of traffickers to topple governments like Tancitaro's, intimidate police and keep drug shipments flowing is raising doubts about the Mexican government's 3-year-old, U.S.-backed war on the drug cartels.

Far from eliminating the gangs, the battle has exposed criminal networks more ingrained than most Americans could imagine: Hidden economies that employ up to one-fifth of the people in some Mexican states. Business empires that include holdings as everyday as gyms and a day-care center.

And the death toll continues to mount: Mexico saw 6,587 drug-related murders in 2009, up from 5,207 in 2008 and 2,275 in 2007, according to an unofficial tally by the respected newspaper Reforma.

100,000 foot soldiers in Mexican cartels

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico

The U.S. Defense Department thinks Mexico's two most deadly drug cartels together have fielded more than 100,000 foot soldiers - an army that rivals Mexico's armed forces and threatens to turn the country into a narco-state.

"It's moving to crisis proportions," a senior U.S. defense official told The Washington Times. The official, who spoke on the condition that he not be named because of the sensitive nature of his work, said the cartels' "foot soldiers" are on a par with Mexico's army of about 130,000.

The disclosure underlines the enormity of the challenge Mexico and the United States face as they struggle to contain what is increasingly looking like a civil war or an insurgency along the U.S.-Mexico border. In the past year, about 7,000 people have died - more than 1,000 in January alone. The conflict has become increasingly brutal, with victims beheaded and bodies dissolved in vats of acid.

The death toll dwarfs that in Afghanistan, where about 200 fatalities, including 29 U.S. troops, were reported in the first two months of 2009. About 400 people, including 31 U.S. military personnel, died in Iraq during the same period.

The first article is recent, the second article goes further back.

If more people are dying in Mexico than in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there are two hundred-thousand-strong armies fighting for power (100k+ vs 190k), why do we ignore the war going on below our southern border?

Does the US Government seriously believe that a Mexico ruled by drug cartels will not deleteriously affect the United States? Why is nobody talking about this increasingly dangerous situation?

 

[Avatar4321]

It's a very good question. I wish I had a really good answer.

 

[Contessa_Sharra]

If more people are dying in Mexico than in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there are two hundred-thousand-strong armies fighting for power (100k+ vs 190k), why do we ignore the war going on below our southern border?

Does the US Government seriously believe that a Mexico ruled by drug cartels will not deleteriously affect the United States? Why is nobody talking about this increasingly dangerous situation?

Answer A: Cheap Labor

Answer B: Job Security of those in "enforcement" and the jail industry

Corporations RULE! Literally!

 

[bodecea]

Now, here's a silly little notion I had years ago....we spend all the money and military we have overseas in really CLOSING down the border with Mexico. Shut it down completely. And then, let it be known that the reason we are doing so is because of the threat of ME terrorism......but.....if somehow or another, that threat were to disappear, the borders would loosen up again. Let the Cartels know that if they were to "solve" our problem in their own special way, the borders wouldn't be so locked down........


Get my drift?

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Now, here's a silly little notion I had years ago....we spend all the money and military we have overseas in really CLOSING down the border with Mexico. Shut it down completely. And then, let it be known that the reason we are doing so is because of the threat of ME terrorism......but.....if somehow or another, that threat were to disappear, the borders would loosen up again. Let the Cartels know that if they were to "solve" our problem in their own special way, the borders wouldn't be so locked down........


Get my drift?

So you're willing to work with the drug lords?

How about we secure our borders and keep them secure and while we're at it why don't we enforce our federal immigration policies and prosecute those that hire illegals and those that harbor them. That includes cutting off all federal money to sanctuary cities. I go to Mexico at least twice a month, I see first hand the carnage that takes place. The most dangerous job along the border is a cameraman or photographer, for some reason those folks don't like their picture taken. And it's not just the drug runners, it's also the federales that cause mayhem too.

 

[Contessa_Sharra]

Now, here's a silly little notion I had years ago....we spend all the money and military we have overseas in really CLOSING down the border with Mexico. Shut it down completely. And then, let it be known that the reason we are doing so is because of the threat of ME terrorism......but.....if somehow or another, that threat were to disappear, the borders would loosen up again. Let the Cartels know that if they were to "solve" our problem in their own special way, the borders wouldn't be so locked down........


Get my drift?

So you're willing to work with the drug lords?

How about we secure our borders and keep them secure and while we're at it why don't we enforce our federal immigration policies and prosecute those that hire illegals and those that harbor them. That includes cutting off all federal money to sanctuary cities. I go to Mexico at least twice a month, I see first hand the carnage that takes place. The most dangerous job along the border is a cameraman or photographer, for some reason those folks don't like their picture taken. And it's not just the drug runners, it's also the federales that cause mayhem too.

What would any DECENT, Law-abiding American want to go to that shit-hole for? What kind of regular business would they even have there?

Aren't you thrilled that Emily West saved y'all's bacon!

 

[Gadawg73]

Almost every single drug enforcement Mexican official we trained for years left and went to work for the drug cartels.
Just yesterday in Juarez another man was found in a 50 gallon drum burned to a crisp with handcuffs on. The lucky ones just get decapitated.
Prohibit a bottle of Jack Daniels or a pack of Marlboros and we would have the same thing going on here.
We are the largest drug dealers in the world. RJ Reynolds and all other drug producers of tobacco here look the other way as huge tobacco cartels sell that drug illegally in many other countries. We allow large ships to smuggle tax free those cigs illegally into many overseas countries.
Same thing.
War on Drugs is a JOKE.

 

[slackjawed]

I live about 200 miles north of Nogales, in a small town in the mountains. The mexican cartels have a presence here, even in this small town. They catch large shipments going through here on a fairly regular basis. Last summer, somebody was killed and cut into pieces and the pieces scattered around the national forest.
We have a local militia here that has really gotten larger in the past 4 years, mostly for this reason.

Listen folks, put aside the political bullshit and at least recognize that on this, Sherriff Joe Arpio is absolutely correct. We should fire janet the 'isolated incident' idiot, and replace her with Joe.

 

[bodecea]

Now, here's a silly little notion I had years ago....we spend all the money and military we have overseas in really CLOSING down the border with Mexico. Shut it down completely. And then, let it be known that the reason we are doing so is because of the threat of ME terrorism......but.....if somehow or another, that threat were to disappear, the borders would loosen up again. Let the Cartels know that if they were to "solve" our problem in their own special way, the borders wouldn't be so locked down........


Get my drift?

So you're willing to work with the drug lords?

How about we secure our borders and keep them secure and while we're at it why don't we enforce our federal immigration policies and prosecute those that hire illegals and those that harbor them. That includes cutting off all federal money to sanctuary cities. I go to Mexico at least twice a month, I see first hand the carnage that takes place. The most dangerous job along the border is a cameraman or photographer, for some reason those folks don't like their picture taken. And it's not just the drug runners, it's also the federales that cause mayhem too.

Work with them? No.

Use them? Yes.

 

[Gadawg73]

Some folks must have riden the short bus to school.
End prohbition and the drug cartels END over night.
What cartel is selling liquor and tobaco illegally in America and killing to do so?

 

[Contessa_Sharra]

Why aren't we profiling illegals/drug runners? They are doing a lot more harm to US Citizens than Iranians, Iraqis and Afghanistanis combined!

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Now, here's a silly little notion I had years ago....we spend all the money and military we have overseas in really CLOSING down the border with Mexico. Shut it down completely. And then, let it be known that the reason we are doing so is because of the threat of ME terrorism......but.....if somehow or another, that threat were to disappear, the borders would loosen up again. Let the Cartels know that if they were to "solve" our problem in their own special way, the borders wouldn't be so locked down........


Get my drift?

So you're willing to work with the drug lords?

How about we secure our borders and keep them secure and while we're at it why don't we enforce our federal immigration policies and prosecute those that hire illegals and those that harbor them. That includes cutting off all federal money to sanctuary cities. I go to Mexico at least twice a month, I see first hand the carnage that takes place. The most dangerous job along the border is a cameraman or photographer, for some reason those folks don't like their picture taken. And it's not just the drug runners, it's also the federales that cause mayhem too.

What would any DECENT, Law-abiding American want to go to that shit-hole for? What kind of regular business would they even have there?

Aren't you thrilled that Emily West saved y'all's bacon!

I own two thousand acres just outside of Villa Union. Who is Emily West?

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Now, here's a silly little notion I had years ago....we spend all the money and military we have overseas in really CLOSING down the border with Mexico. Shut it down completely. And then, let it be known that the reason we are doing so is because of the threat of ME terrorism......but.....if somehow or another, that threat were to disappear, the borders would loosen up again. Let the Cartels know that if they were to "solve" our problem in their own special way, the borders wouldn't be so locked down........


Get my drift?

So you're willing to work with the drug lords?

How about we secure our borders and keep them secure and while we're at it why don't we enforce our federal immigration policies and prosecute those that hire illegals and those that harbor them. That includes cutting off all federal money to sanctuary cities. I go to Mexico at least twice a month, I see first hand the carnage that takes place. The most dangerous job along the border is a cameraman or photographer, for some reason those folks don't like their picture taken. And it's not just the drug runners, it's also the federales that cause mayhem too.

Work with them? No.

Use them? Yes.

Use them how?

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Why aren't we profiling illegals/drug runners? They are doing a lot more harm to US Citizens than Iranians, Iraqis and Afghanistanis combined!

Texas troopers and Border agents do profile and a lot of drugs as well as illegal immigrants are captured in the process.

 

[Contumacious]

War in Mexico: Criminal Syndicate State?

They need to do something , when their neighbor to the north is a criminal theocratic state.

.

 

[bodecea]

So you're willing to work with the drug lords?

How about we secure our borders and keep them secure and while we're at it why don't we enforce our federal immigration policies and prosecute those that hire illegals and those that harbor them. That includes cutting off all federal money to sanctuary cities. I go to Mexico at least twice a month, I see first hand the carnage that takes place. The most dangerous job along the border is a cameraman or photographer, for some reason those folks don't like their picture taken. And it's not just the drug runners, it's also the federales that cause mayhem too.

Work with them? No.

Use them? Yes.

Use them how?

Now...why do I have to repeat myself to you...especially when you are quoting the very post in which I explain how to use them.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Work with them? No.

Use them? Yes.

Use them how?

Now...why do I have to repeat myself to you...especially when you are quoting the very post in which I explain how to use them.

Because what you stated was ambiguous. How exactly are the cartels going to solve our problem? What is "their own special way"?

Your quote:
"Let the Cartels know that if they were to "solve" our problem in their own special way, the borders wouldn't be so locked down...."

 

[bodecea]

Use them how?

Now...why do I have to repeat myself to you...especially when you are quoting the very post in which I explain how to use them.

Because what you stated was ambiguous. How exactly are the cartels going to solve our problem? What is "their own special way"?

Your quote:
"Let the Cartels know that if they were to "solve" our problem in their own special way, the borders wouldn't be so locked down...."

I was going to say "leave that to your imagination" but then realized that you would have nothing to leave it to. My apologies.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Now...why do I have to repeat myself to you...especially when you are quoting the very post in which I explain how to use them.

Because what you stated was ambiguous. How exactly are the cartels going to solve our problem? What is "their own special way"?

Your quote:
"Let the Cartels know that if they were to "solve" our problem in their own special way, the borders wouldn't be so locked down...."

I was going to say "leave that to your imagination" but then realized that you would have nothing to leave it to. My apologies.

So are you going to answer my questions or simply hurl insults?

 

[bodecea]

Because what you stated was ambiguous. How exactly are the cartels going to solve our problem? What is "their own special way"?

Your quote:
"Let the Cartels know that if they were to "solve" our problem in their own special way, the borders wouldn't be so locked down...."

I was going to say "leave that to your imagination" but then realized that you would have nothing to leave it to. My apologies.

So are you going to answer my questions or simply hurl insults?

I did answer your question...even before you asked it. It is not my fault if you are unable or unwilling to comprehend a simple answer. Or is this one of your games where you pretend to not understand....or maybe you are not pretending. If that is so, my apologies...and sympathies.