Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Don't Go There - Or Here

The state university system that I work for prohibits all travel on official business by students, staff, and faculty to certain countries that are designated "high-risk." Countries so designated include, among others, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, and Pakistan.

And, as of today, another third world failed country - Mexico.

Which leads somewhat indirectly to today's post.

No gross photos or descriptions of Mexican drug cartel violence today. Instead, it's something more disturbing. The Justice Department is reporting that the cartels are increasingly establishing a presence in small and medium-sized U.S. communities.

Mexican Drug Cartels Spread to Small-Town USA
The Justice Department's National Drug Intelligence Center estimates Mexican cartels control distribution of most of the methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana coming into the country, and they're increasingly producing the drugs themselves.

In 2009 and 2010, the center reported, cartels operated in 1,286 U.S. cities, more than five times the number reported in 2008. The center named only 50 cities in 2006.

Target communities often have an existing Hispanic population and a nearby interstate for ferrying drugs and money to and fro, said author Charles Bowden, whose books on the Mexican drug war include "Murder City: Ciudad Juarez and the Global Economy's New Killing Fields."
The bit about an existing Hispanic population is a little misleading. It's not that a large percentage of Hispanics are criminals or members of drug cartels. Rather, it's that the cartel members are Hispanic, and thus look for cities and towns that have a sizable Hispanic population so they won't stand out.

In an ironic twist, a major reason for the infiltration of cartels into smaller communities is the growing demand for meth -- the poor man's cocaine -- by working class whites. This is exacerbated by the U.S. fight against domestic meth production. Remember when you could buy cold pills over the counter? Now you have to go through a registration process. I can by a firearm easier than I can get a package of Sudafed.

As a result, in yet another example of the law of unintended consequences, Mexican cartels have taken over methamphetamine production from U.S. biker gangs. Now the cartels make the meth in Mexico and smuggle it into the U.S.

In the Silver Lining department:
... despite the increasing cartel presence in America, acts of wanton violence like those occurring south of the border aren't so common stateside.

... the cartels realize it's not smart to exact a Mexican brand of violence in the United States.

"In El Paso, murder's bad for business," ... "In Juarez, it is business."

The reason is twofold: Cartels fear American law enforcement agencies because they respond to violence more swiftly and forcibly than do their Mexican counterparts, and "since the U.S. is the primary consumer, the cartels will try and avoid disturbing the hand that feeds them."

Still, there are exceptions ... there have been many kidnappings and a couple of beheadings on U.S. soil linked to the cartels.
But for now, at least in this country, the cartels prefer bribery to brutality. Gold trumps lead. And given the current state of the economy, drug smuggling and bribery appear to be recession-proof industries.

Helped out, of course, by a drug-using example-in-chief stimulating demand, and an Attorney General who helps arm the cartels.

What could go wrong?



9 comments:

JT said...

We will end up occupied from the inside out. I've read several articles about how cartels buy homes in middle class neighborhoods to use as stash houses. They sneak in, establish themselves in homes, schools, jobs. The libs want their vote and grant amnesty programs because, you see,they have homes, children in schools and jobs that nobody else will do!! Someday that vote will turn on them - on all of us and we will be North Mexico.

Pascvaks said...

Who thinks the Civil War was a fluke, that it can never happen again? Wonder what the winners will say it was about this time?

Old NFO said...

Harper is dead on... Stash house just busted in Tucson with 20,000 rounds of ammo destined for Mexico! Good post Sir!

CenTexTim said...

Harper, Pascvaks, NFO - good points all. I wish I had more time to go into the Fla. and TX voter registration lawsuits. It's a travesty.

JT said...

On tonight's news here, busted a Zeta cartel running a multi-million dollar money laundering horse business in a suburb of Dallas.

Toejam said...

Harper is absolutely correct.

The North-East is infested with them too.

Manalapan, New Jersey cocaine kingpin gets 25 years in prison

“Vicente Esteves, the head of an international narcotics trafficking and money-laundering network that pulled in $1million a week to help finance his opulent Manalapan estate was sentenced today to 25 years in prison.”

This guy lived with his wife and a couple of kids in their very opulent house that’s located about 3 miles from where I live.

CenTexTim said...

Harper - don't you own a horse or two...?

Toejam - I can picture you living in a place with opulent estates. ;-)

Seriously, it's the 1920s all over again. The cartels have made their fortunes in criminal enterprises and are now in the process of legitimatizing themselves. Where's Elliot Ness when we need him?

Toejam said...

CTT,

I don't live in an opulent estate. That's fer darn sure. I live in a 30-year old over 55's condo development that like myself has seen better days.

This drug dude came along and paid way over the top for 2 acres just a 1/2 mile from a busy highway (Rte-9) which is an old North-South Rte that gives very easy access to NYC and the NJ Turnpike. I recon his mules used the house as a stop over on their way to Manhattan.

Pascvaks said...

Where's that Elliot Ness guy and the Untouchables when ya' really need them? I'm tellin' you guys there's money out there, tax money; I knew it was a mistake to close Alcatraz, I knew it!;-)

Elliot! ELLIOT! Where is that guy?