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Protests may be Mexican drug cartels' latest tactic in fighting military presence
deviliscious
Member UncommonPosts: 4,359
Protests may be Mexican drug cartels' latest tactic in fighting military presence
12:00 AM CST on Thursday, February 19, 2009
By LAURENCE ILIFF / The Dallas Morning News
liliff@dallasnews.com
MEXICO CITY – Drug cartels unleashed a new and potentially powerful weapon this week in their battle with the government, analysts say – the use of unarmed civilian protesters to demand the withdrawal of army soldiers in drug hot spots along the Mexico-Texas border.
Protesters paralyzed nine bridges linking Mexico to Texas on Tuesday, and local, state and federal authorities allege that the demonstrators were paid by drug-trafficking groups.
If true, it puts the government in a delicate position. The protesters have a constitutional right to demonstrate peacefully, and they face increasingly tough economic conditions, including growing unemployment and a $5-a-day minimum wage.
"It's an evolution of the strategy of groups fighting the government to demonstrate and to signal their areas of control," said Arturo Yañez, a commentator on security issues. "These are people without AK-47s, without grenades, who can take control of international bridges, and the government doesn't do anything about it."
Officials in Ciudad Juárez, where all U.S.-Mexico traffic was shut down Tuesday, said in a statement that they respected the right of people to protest "when it does not affect third parties." But they cited opinion polls showing that 80 percent of residents support the military presence.
President Felipe Calderón has sent tens of thousands of troops to drug hot spots to contain spreading cartel violence.
Alfredo Quijano, editor of the Norte newspaper in Ciudad Juárez, said some – but not all – of the taxi drivers and other protesters had apparently legitimate grievances. Many of them were women and children.
About 150 formal human rights complaints have been lodged against soldiers in and around Juárez since the army arrived there more than a year ago.
But, he added, the demonstrators were probably organized, paid and encouraged by trafficking groups in a coordinated effort not just along the border, but also in other cities, including Monterrey, where Calderón will visit this week to celebrate "Army Day."
Given massive border unemployment, he said, recruiting protesters is not difficult.
Media reports quoted some protesters who anonymously said that they had been paid to hold anti-army signs. But others said they had legitimate grievances against the army for illegal detentions of loved ones, who they say were taken away in military vehicles and have not been seen or heard from since.
Taxi drivers also said they were demanding the release of a colleague detained by soldiers.
The government said the detained taxi driver was monitoring army patrols and had drugs in his vehicle when soldiers searched it.
Quijano said that nearly everyone detained by the military seems to end up in possession of drugs, which raises the question of whether the drugs were being planted, a practice human rights investigators have documented in the past.
The Mexico-Texas international bridges have long been used for protests and are closely associated with the democracy movement of the 1980s and 1990s, when blockages were used to denounce vote fraud and to get the attention of the U.S. government.
What the cartels want, Quijano said, is respect for their traditional areas of influence and a level playing field when it comes to government law enforcement.
One of the recurring themes since Calderón declared war on the cartels more than two years ago is the accusation by some trafficking groups that the government and the army protect the Sinaloa cartel to the detriment of others.
Last summer and fall, a dozen top federal law enforcement officials, including the drug czar, were jailed and accused of helping the Sinaloa cartel and its allies.
Calderón has said the government fights all the cartels equally and will not be intimidated by them.
Mexican government officials attributed Tuesday's protests to the Gulf cartel and its paramilitary enforcement wing, the Zetas.
Those groups operate in the Texas-Mexico border states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo León, but have moved into Chihuahua to help the Juárez cartel hold off its Sinaloa rivals, analysts say.
Quijano said police are being targeted in Ciudad Juárez because the "local" Juárez cartel believes that law enforcement and soldiers have sold out to the "outsiders" – the Sinaloa cartel.
He also said it was noteworthy that all of Tuesday's protests were held in areas that the Juárez and Gulf cartels consider part of their traditional drug routes to the U.S.: Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León and Veracruz.
"It's a plan to pressure the government," he said.
On Wednesday, "narco-banners" appeared in Juárez threatening the head of public security, Roberto Orduña Cruz, and demanding his resignation. One of his top subordinates, police operational director Sacramento Pérez Serrano, was gunned down Tuesday along with two other officers.
Quijano said some of the banners were signed by "La Linea," the enforcement arm of the Juárez cartel.
Comments
I think after the outcome of this war with drug cartels, North America as a whole will benefit. If Mexico loses control, the United States will force control and eliminate drug traffickers. If they take out the drug cartels even better. The US loses alot of money due to the corruption in Mexico, and Mexicans civilians also recieve much worse living conditions.
It may be unpaid civilians. The fact of the matter is that the average civilian's (Mexico civilian) money is completely tied up to the drug trade whether or not they are involved. It's a sad fact about Mexico.
Also there is no way possible to win the drug war. It's a foolish idea that has wasted billions of dollars in it's execution.
Seems like they should call it an ongoing project than a war.
Don't be terrorized! You're more likely to die of a car accident, drowning, fire, or murder! More people die every year from prescription drugs than terrorism LOL!
You know, if you really wanted to get rid of the cartels there's an easy solution. Legalize.
The minute pot and cocaine is legalized the street price of those substances will drop like a fucking rock. The cartels would suddenly find themselves undercut by larger multinational corporations, and without revenue the cartels would be completely powerless.
Of course, then the economy south of the border would tank, but if you want to make an omlett....
Although that sounds like it work, I have thought about it, it actually wouldn't. What would happen is that the cartel would utilize their connections for corporations and continue to make the big bucks without any kind of obstacle at all. They would leap for oy and we would NEVER get to bust any of them again. IE We simply would not see the crime like we do now, although it would remain.
Then the cartels would simply find another niche to conquer and eploit until the governments caved in and legalized it because it worked twice before.
The problem with Meico is that it is essentially a renegade state or territory of the US that we can't effectively police, and these riots have a lot more to do with the decline of the Meican economy, what there was of it, than the cartels.
___________________
Sadly, I see storm clouds on the horizon. A faint stench of Vanguard is in the air.-Kien
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/12/13/
That would work in the US but not Mexico or Columbia. The cartels have Armies almost as well trained and some times better armed then the actual military down there. The cartels would simply say woot we won bitches its legal now. Problem being its still Illegal in the states. We woul reward them for bad behavoir. I have little issue with legalizing marajuana but out side of that I dont think it would benifit society very much to klegalize meth lol.
"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". No one can stop anyone from pursuing happiness, but life and liberty are said to only exist if they are deliberately sought and paid for".
This would not work simply because of the business practices of the Cartels. Their idea of eliminating their competition is not by pricing and such , they just kill them regardless of what country they are operating from. Yes any "multinational company" that attempted to compete with them would wind up dead. That is just how they roll. It would not come down to them losing revenue before they did this, they would stop them before it got that far. Their "hits" have not been limited by borders, they carry them out in the US as well as many other countries as they see fit. With them now using unarmed civilians to block the roads into the US they now have control over the international highways. I actually think the Cartels are hoping that the military will use force upon them to get "sympathy" as has worked in many other countries to gain sympathy for terrorists to rally more to their cause. It is clearly a strategic move that can only be countered by force at some point, by either police or military intervetion. As long as this method works for the cartels to gain control over areas they will continue to use human shields.
When things are legalized the darker aspects of the trade disappear. It happened with the alcohol prohabition too.
You are comparing apples to oranges. This is differnt times, different capabilities. Techonlogy has changed this. There are more factors, we have allowed this to occur for too long that it is simply not possible with the way things currently are. The money and military power that Carltels currenlty have is alot more serious now than what we dealt with from prohibition. Wishful thinking but it simply is not the reality of this situation.
This would not work simply because of the business practices of the Cartels. Their idea of eliminating their competition is not by pricing and such , they just kill them regardless of what country they are operating from. Yes any "multinational company" that attempted to compete with them would wind up dead. That is just how they roll. It would not come down to them losing revenue before they did this, they would stop them before it got that far. Their "hits" have not been limited by borders, they carry them out in the US as well as many other countries as they see fit. With them now using unarmed civilians to block the roads into the US they now have control over the international highways. I actually think the Cartels are hoping that the military will use force upon them to get "sympathy" as has worked in many other countries to gain sympathy for terrorists to rally more to their cause. It is clearly a strategic move that can only be countered by force at some point, by either police or military intervetion. As long as this method works for the cartels to gain control over areas they will continue to use human shields.
Cartles have a differernt way of manging their business but not succeeding in their business. In order to succeed you need customers, and all customers have the same idea of what they want. Lets say these multinational corporations offer 100%pure cocaine for the same price as the blackmarket, the cocaine being sold by the corporation would be regulated somehow to make sure it is 100% pure and so they would win customers over because theyre paying the same price but for a better product. Now I know blackmarket prices always were and always will be cheaper, but multinational corporations would have a much easier and cheaper way of cultivating transporting and selling these drugs since what they are doing would be considered legal, therefore beating the blackmarket in this sense and gaining more customers, eventually gaining the majority of the market. After they have the majority of the market the blackmarket for the substance diminishes over time. The only real reason it is here is because there is a demand for something that is not available. Look at alcohol, bootlegging used to be very common but now it is so available leaglly there really is no point in buying moonshine. And yes i know different times and cirumstances, but our security and regulations on such things have adapted and improved over time too therefore making it the same thing. Business is business not matter where when or by who it is conducted, the ideas dont change and thats why a legal corporation would "win" against a a drug cartel.
I am neutral leaning toward against the legalization of "all" drugs and personally would not do them (with the exception of marijuana of course
) i just wanted to point out where you were flawed in saying that legalization would not help crime or anything at all, when in fact it would.
The US State Dept has just issued a travel advisory to all Americans who are thinking of visiting Mexico. The travel advisory is not nationwide, it is limited to areas plagued by the drug trade and prostitution. Not sure which areas those are, but I think I'll avoid it all just to be safe. Sorry Mexico, I know your economy relies on tourism to grow.
I am not saying that legalization would not help with crime ..It would only help with crime at the lower levels, these people already believe they are above any law. The thing is is that the Cartels would make sure they had control over the market by all means possible. You are assuming that these multinational companies would be given the chance to get that far, but apparently are unaware of what is actually occuring in the matter of "competition". One thing would be certain , and that would be that All Cartels and any multinational company that attempted to sell would still have to fight it out before anyone could legally get their doors open. There would be hits placed all over the place before a single product would be sold legally. These cartels deal in legal and illegal businesses and run them all the same way. If our security is so improved then maybe you can tell me why Hits are being carried out in the US? Why the mexican military is escorting drugs into this country and why the mexican military is able to cross our borders and hold our officers at gun point? That really seems " improved" LMAO!
I am not saying that legalization would not help with crime ..It would only help with crime at the lower levels, these people already believe they are above any law. The thing is is that the Cartels would make sure they had control over the market by all means possible. You are assuming that these multinational companies would be given the chance to get that far, but apparently are unaware of what is actually occuring in the matter of "competition". One thing would be certain , and that would be that All Cartels and any multinational company that attempted to sell would still have to fight it out before anyone could legally get their doors open. There would be hits placed all over the place before a single product would be sold legally. These cartels deal in legal and illegal businesses and run them all the same way. If our security is so improved then maybe you can tell me why Hits are being carried out in the US? Why the mexican military is escorting drugs into this country and why the mexican military is able to cross our borders and hold our officers at gun point? That really seems " improved" LMAO!
O yes because we have the same technology as 70 years ago. Our technology improved and so did the Mexican technology, they then find something weak about anything (the boarder in this case) and exploit to get what they want (same goes for everything, you want something you cant have so you find a weakness in the obstacle preventing you from getting what you want, you learn to exploit this weakness and victory is yours) thats why all this is happening. Nothing is and never will be perfect, to assume this is plain ignorant and stupid, there will always be loopholes and ways to get around security, we are not communists so we respect people privacy and restrict our security in some manners, thats why all that you stated is happening. Now i know regulated products would be much harder to achieve in some countries but i believe it is possible, the only reason people see those countries to be as terrible as you see them is because of media. Media potrays them as third world countries that do little to nothing to stop these sorts of things. Also please tell me if a cartells military is even close to equal to a goverments military power and the cartells as you explained them are power crazy, why wouldnt he try to take over the entire country?
Obviously you aren't from Texas.. LOL we deal with this first hand here. The Mexican Cartels are alive and well here as well. If you could get the local news here you would fully understand the scope of this thing. The Mexican Cartels ARE in control of Mexico, different Cartels have purchased police, Military , different officials, this war is not to eliminate drugs, this war in Mexico is a battle over territory and who gets to be the biggest dealer. You know the Highlander movie .. well these guys think there can be "only one" the police and military are fighting each other for different drug lords. That is why there are so many casualties in this thing and the US is going to have to go in there. Now the US does have enough force to deal with these people but in order to truely solve this it will leave many dead in Mexico.
You may be right, but for the moment this is the reason no one should ever buy illegal drugs. The money goes strait to drug cartels.
If we're not going to follow your approach, I wish we would take a page out of the Israel’s playbook and march across the border and open up a can of whoop-ass on the cartels.
That's a War I could support; one that truly helps people.
I question if a country this Conservative will ever find it within it's self to legalize drugs?
Obviously you aren't from Texas.. LOL we deal with this first hand here. The Mexican Cartels are alive and well here as well. If you could get the local news here you would fully understand the scope of this thing. The Mexican Cartels ARE in control of Mexico, different Cartels have purchased police, Military , different officials, this war is not to eliminate drugs, this war in Mexico is a battle over territory and who gets to be the biggest dealer. You know the Highlander movie .. well these guys think there can be "only one" the police and military are fighting each other for different drug lords. That is why there are so many casualties in this thing and the US is going to have to go in there. Now the US does have enough force to deal with these people but in order to truely solve this it will leave many dead in Mexico.
I think many in this country fail to understand what an incredible lure tax free money is for some people. People on both sides of the Border. Money that doesn’t have to be reported and you can do anything with. This is what people are willing to kill for.
Obviously you aren't from Texas.. LOL we deal with this first hand here. The Mexican Cartels are alive and well here as well. If you could get the local news here you would fully understand the scope of this thing. The Mexican Cartels ARE in control of Mexico, different Cartels have purchased police, Military , different officials, this war is not to eliminate drugs, this war in Mexico is a battle over territory and who gets to be the biggest dealer. You know the Highlander movie .. well these guys think there can be "only one" the police and military are fighting each other for different drug lords. That is why there are so many casualties in this thing and the US is going to have to go in there. Now the US does have enough force to deal with these people but in order to truely solve this it will leave many dead in Mexico.
I think many in this country fail to understand what an incredible lure tax free money is for some people. People on both sides of the Border. Money that doesn’t have to be reported and you can do anything with. This is what people are willing to kill for.
You must be from Texas .. you know wassup lol!
I agree we should go there and take care of business, otherwise they are going to keep making it our business, and more and more now they are getting braver about venturing into the US to make it sloppy here as well. WTH is up with the Feds turning the other way when we have Mexican troops coming into this country , this is an act of war and on our soil. It is like oh okay they have seized control of the roads leading into the US, and have been sending troops across the border, our local sherrifs are confiscating mexican military humvees and begging for US military assistance, but it's ok .. Mexico is our "friend" lmao. This needs to be taken care of before the legalization of anything can even be considered.
You may be right, but for the moment this is the reason no one should ever buy illegal drugs. The money goes strait to drug cartels.
If we're not going to follow your approach, I wish we would take a page out of the Israel’s playbook and march across the border and open up a can of whoop-ass on the cartels.
That's a War I could support; one that truly helps people.
I question if a country this Conservative will ever find it within it's self to legalize drugs?
For some drugs this is very true and for others it is not. Cocaine? Always from a cartel. Marijuana? Depends on your sources. Everything else? Normally not. LSD is normally made in communes by hippies. This is because LSD doesn't have much profit potential except for the dealer so the only people interested in making it are hippies.
Edit:
Cocaine is a very sad trade that revolves around taking advantage of one area. There's a valley where most of the worlds cocaine comes from. The valley is very locked in by mountains so it's expensive to get anything out so they can't sell any of their produce to the rest of the country due to the high price of transportation. The only thing that people want from them? The coca leaves that cocaine is made from. Due to the soil in that valley it is one of the only places that can grow it in abundance.
Now, because that is the only thing that anyone outside of the valley wants they have to grow that to survive. Since these are just regular people growing it they don't have helicopters to get it out of the valley and so this is where the cartel bleeds them dry. They sell everything for $300-500 a kilo and as soon as it's out of the valley the price sky rockets to $10,000-15,000 a kilo. The whole cocaine business is based on greed.
For some drugs this is very true and for others it is not. Cocaine? Always from a cartel. Marijuana? Depends on your sources. Everything else? Normally not. LSD is normally made in communes by hippies. This is because LSD doesn't have much profit potential except for the dealer so the only people interested in making it are hippies.
Legalizing will not be a reality any time soon, especially now with the economy the way it is, Until they find some other way to support the judicial system drugs are what pays the bills. It is just not feasable to even consider at this time. Our entire court system would collapse.
For some drugs this is very true and for others it is not. Cocaine? Always from a cartel. Marijuana? Depends on your sources. Everything else? Normally not. LSD is normally made in communes by hippies. This is because LSD doesn't have much profit potential except for the dealer so the only people interested in making it are hippies.
Legalizing will not be a reality any time soon, especially now with the economy the way it is, Until they find some other way to support the judicial system drugs are what pays the bills. It is just not feasable to even consider at this time. Our entire court system would collapse.
Oh I realize this completely. What I was responding to was the statement that money goes straight to the cartels. I should have edited it so that it was more apparent.
Yea to make it worse though within the last couple of years they have been comming across the border to take out any competition here as well. That is why we have seen an increase in the number of "hits' being carried out in the US. They want absolute contrrol over the drug markets, and are now taking out competition anywhere it may be. And yes, they are in other markets now than just cocaine, heroine ,and mary jane... they have been progressing to take complete control.
Yea to make it worse though within the last couple of years they have been comming across the border to take out any competition here as well. That is why we have seen an increase in the number of "hits' being carried out in the US. They want absolute contrrol over the drug markets, and are now taking out competition anywhere it may be. And yes, they are in other markets now than just cocaine, heroine ,and mary jane... they have been progressing to take complete control.
Of course. But the thing is is that they aren't as interested in the other drugs is because they just aren't as profitable. Of course where I live there isn't a lot of cartel drugs too so I might be off. (I don't live in America)
Yea to make it worse though within the last couple of years they have been comming across the border to take out any competition here as well. That is why we have seen an increase in the number of "hits' being carried out in the US. They want absolute contrrol over the drug markets, and are now taking out competition anywhere it may be. And yes, they are in other markets now than just cocaine, heroine ,and mary jane... they have been progressing to take complete control.
Of course. But the thing is is that they aren't as interested in the other drugs is because they just aren't as profitable. Of course where I live there isn't a lot of cartel drugs too so I might be off. (I don't live in America)
They have expanded their "merchandise" . Our officers have been confiscating an influx of Cartel Heroine, opium, cocaine, marijuana from military vehicles.. yea basically if there is a market for it the Cartels are into it now. Our looking the other way for so long has now allowed them to expand to this point.
- my viewpoint on this thing is I am in The Dallas, Texas area and have friends in the Elpaso Police dept that are getting a bit more than frustrated because they are not getting the help they need to deal with this matter.
Basically it is to the point that if the US does not send in military to deal with this soon Texas will be overrun. They are ALREADY carrying out attacks on American soil, refugees are pouring into Elpaso.. that is where we are at now.
The Cartels have already taken control of the roads leading into Elpaso, Laredo, and many other roads into the US.
Sweet. Make all drugs legal, let the dealers sort it out and start up businesses, I'm sure they will all get along and work together peacefully, and waste more of my tax dollars for an explosion of addict rehabs and hospital overdose visits by people who spend all their money on fixes instead of health insurance! I'm already paying for my neighbors mortgage, why not their crack habit?
Don't be terrorized! You're more likely to die of a car accident, drowning, fire, or murder! More people die every year from prescription drugs than terrorism LOL!
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/mexico/stories/DN-juarez_21int.ART0.State.Edition1.4c490e0.html
Juárez chief gets message, quits as promise to kill officers kept
Juárez chief gets message, quits as promise to kill officers kept
12:00 AM CST on Saturday, February 21, 2009
FROM WIRE REPORTS Julie Watson, The Associated Press
CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico – The police chief of this violent border city stepped down Friday after suspected drug cartel members carried out a threat to force his resignation by killing two law officers.
EDUARDO VERDUGO/The Associated Press
Suspected cartel members were shown to the media at a police station in Ciudad Juárez on Thursday after threats were posted saying police officers would be killed until the chief quit. More than 50 police officers have been killed in drug violence in the last 13 months in Juárez, across the border from El Paso. Gunmen killed a police officer and a jail guard early Friday and left notes on their bodies saying they were fulfilling a promise to kill at least one police officer every 48 hours until the city's chief of public security, Roberto Orduña Cruz, quit.
Five police officers have been killed this week in Juárez, across the border from El Paso.
Juárez Mayor José Reyes insisted that the city would not give in to the threat, but Orduña said later Friday that he didn't want to endanger more officers.
"We can't allow men who work defending our citizens to continue to lose their lives," he said. "That is why I am presenting my permanent resignation," effective immediately.
Interim chief
Authorities said an interim chief will be named quickly and a permanent replacement found in coming weeks.
The slayings Friday were the latest grim sign that criminal gangs are determined to control the police in this city of more than a million people.
Gunmen killed Officer César Iván Portillo and city jail guard Juan Pablo Ruiz before dawn Friday as they left their homes for work, city spokesman Jaime Torres said.
On Tuesday, assailants fatally shot the chief's director of operations, Sacramento Pérez Serrano, and three officers sitting with him in a patrol car near the U.S. Consulate.
More than 6,000 people have been killed in drug violence across Mexico in the past 13 months as gangs battle each other for territory and the army in the government's national crackdown.
Nearly a third of the slayings have occurred in Ciudad Juárez, and more than 50 of those were city police officers.
Many officers have quit out of fear for their lives, some after their names appeared on hit lists left in public throughout the city.
Violence also has spilled across the border into the U.S., where authorities report a spike in killings, kidnappings and home invasions connected to Mexico's murderous cartels.
"The violence is spreading like wildfire across the Rio Grande," said George Grayson, a Mexico expert at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. "It's a major national security problem for us that is much more important than Iraq and Afghanistan."
U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials have said there is a plan to bring in the military if the violence continues to grow and threaten the U.S. border region.
Robert Almonte, executive director of the Texas Narcotics Officers Association, said El Paso has been spared most of the violence but that the escalating killings in Juárez are worrisome.
"I think it's jarring. ... We can't even fathom those kinds of things happening here in the United States," he said.
A retired army major, Orduña became chief in May after the former security chief, Guillérmo Prieto, resigned and fled to El Paso after his operations director was slain.
For Orduña's protection, the city built living quarters for him at the police station so he didn't have to go home.
Police were placed on "red alert" – meaning that they could not patrol alone – after cardboard signs with handwritten messages appeared Wednesday taped to the doors and windows of businesses. They warned Orduña that an officer would be killed every two days until he quit.
Alert continues
That alert continued Friday after Orduña stepped down. Police have also been told to patrol with guns in hand.
Some Mexicans have questioned whether President Felipe Calderón's two-year crackdown on the drug gangs has justified all the killings.
But Calderón and his administration have said they have no choice but to confront the cartels.
Economy Minister Gerardo Ruiz Mateos said Wednesday that if Mexico gave up its fight against the cartels, "the next president of the republic would be a drug dealer."
Julie Watson,
The Associated Press