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DrugScreening.org


 

Drug Violence Jumps the Mexican Border to the U.S.
November 19, 2008

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News Summary

Federal authorities have documented crimes associated with drug violence in Mexico – including murder and kidnapping – in 195 cities across the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported Nov. 16.

As a result of Project Reckoning, an 18-month investigation tracking U.S. criminal activity by Mexican cartels, 507 people have been arrested, and authorities have seized more than $60 million in cash, 16,000 kilograms of cocaine, half a ton of methamphetamine, 19 pounds of heroin, and 51 pounds of marijuana.

The effects of Mexico's drug war have hit almost every state in the country, with only Vermont and West Virginia untouched by drug smuggling operations, and some cities hosting multiple cartels. Incidents have included a man tortured in a vacant home in suburban Atlanta, multiple murders and kidnappings in the San Diego area tied to the Arellano Felix cartel, the kidnapping of a six-year-old boy from his Las Vegas home, and the brutal murder of two boys in Texas.

Understanding why and how cartels chose specific urban regions is still difficult, said Chuck Miller, a spokesman for the National Drug Intelligence Center.

"It could be one of them may know someone in one part of the country, and have established routes for up there," Miller said. "It could be geographic locations that are operating in Mexico or adjacent to other areas. Or there could be affiliations with individuals residing in specific locations."

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by Judith on 21 Nov 08 04:34 PM EST
If you use maxwoods logic, why not legalize heroin? Over 1800 times as much cocaine as heroin is involved in drug trafficker violence. Obviously I am being sarcastic. Seriously, what problems would lealizing marajuana solve, and how many more problems would it create? Oh and I don't know if you know how much marajuana is in a pound. $5 a pound would be like paying 50 cents for a can of chew.

Posted by Katie L. on 20 Nov 08 05:44 PM EST
We can have an impact on the violence and drug-related crimes spilling over from Mexico to the U.S.--by putting more resources into prevention and reducing the demand for marijuana in the U.S. We need to stop treating marijuana as harmless, or worse, as a medicine. Alcohol and tobacco are legal drugs and they cost our society more than all the illicit drugs combined because they are inexpensive and readily available, where illegal drugs are not. It is well documented that alcohol, tobacco and marijuana are gateway drugs. Legalizing marijuana would insure that it also becomes cheap and available as well. When Alaska legalized marijuana their youth use went up two-fold. Do we really want to go down that road?

Posted by maxwood on 20 Nov 08 02:44 PM EST
Project Reckoning offers figures showing that over 900 times as much cocaine as marijuana is involved in drug trafficker violence. Thinking the unthinkable-- if cannabis were legalized, would it let almost all the air out of drug crime syndicates? If cannabis were $5 a pound, who would pay black market prices for cocaine?

Posted by george@home on 20 Nov 08 08:43 AM EST
Project Reckoning investigating the state of WI along the Mississippi River would be helpful. Drugs and violence are destroying some small agricultural towns and the folks that live there.

Posted by BenK@Stonehill on 19 Nov 08 03:39 PM EST
What I want to know is the percentage of these Mexicans who could legally be in the United States is, if any. I congratulate Project Reckoning for cracking down on these cartels and from those statistics I guess you can say that it has been "successful". It is extremely unfortunate that despite the efforts of the Project Reckoning investigations we have seen drug-related crimes and violence occur all across America. The fact that this violence and drug running is stemming from Mexico is aggravating because we cannot stop it. Amping up our border control has not seemed to deter these cartels from trafficking drugs and wreaking havoc in forty eight states.

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