40,000 Mexican soldiers are deployed across the country in a campaign to root out drug cartels. There are four major cartels: The Sinaloa cartel, the Gulf cartel, the Tijuana cartel, and the Juarez cartel. They control the trafficking of drugs from South America to the US. The drug cartels are believed to be operating in many US cities.
The seriousness of the situation can be gauged from the fact that of the 6,000 murders in Mexico in 2008, 90% were drug related. Cartels are at war with each other - over territory-and with the government. There have been huge drug seizures, and senior cartel leaders have been imprisoned or killed.
It is estimated that 1300 people have been murdered so far in 2009-testament to the fact that that the level of violence is escalating. Atrocities include decapitation,cutting out of tongues and the use of acid in addition to the the usual shootings, kidnappings and robberies. Mexico is sending up to 5,000 new troops and federal police into Ciudad Juarez, where there is open warfare amongst drug gangs. Ciudad Juarez is across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas. So far this month 250 people have been murdered in the city by hitmen.
It is against this background that Texas Governor Rick Perry has called on the Obama administration to provide 1000 troops to help guard the Texas-Mexican border and prevent an overspill of violence.
The seriousness of the situation can be gauged from the fact that of the 6,000 murders in Mexico in 2008, 90% were drug related. Cartels are at war with each other - over territory-and with the government. There have been huge drug seizures, and senior cartel leaders have been imprisoned or killed.
It is estimated that 1300 people have been murdered so far in 2009-testament to the fact that that the level of violence is escalating. Atrocities include decapitation,cutting out of tongues and the use of acid in addition to the the usual shootings, kidnappings and robberies. Mexico is sending up to 5,000 new troops and federal police into Ciudad Juarez, where there is open warfare amongst drug gangs. Ciudad Juarez is across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas. So far this month 250 people have been murdered in the city by hitmen.
It is against this background that Texas Governor Rick Perry has called on the Obama administration to provide 1000 troops to help guard the Texas-Mexican border and prevent an overspill of violence.
3 comments:
John, back in early September I heard that the US/Mexico border was clamping down on traffic heading into Mexico. Apparently, there was concern about an influx of guns and weapons entering the country from the U.S. Then, next I hear is the horrible escalation of violence.
It is just a matter of time before we have troops on the entire southwest. The President wants a ban on assault weapons because they are buying them in the US and carrying them across the border into Mexico. Then bringing in drugs from Mexico to the US.
Rainy: The whole of that situation makes me damn nervous. We just updated our passports in case we decide to head more north one day.
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