Mexican Drug Cartels Armed To The Hilt, Threatening National Security
February 4, 2009 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
In November, along the border with Texas, Mexican authorities arrested drug cartel leader Jaime “el Hummer” Gonzalez Duran — one of the founders of “Los Zetas,” a paramilitary organization of former Mexican soldiers who decided there was more money to be made in selling drugs than in serving in the Mexican military.
As El Hummer was being transported to the airport in an armed vehicle, his fellow cartel members launched a brazen attack against the federales.
They were armed to the teeth. Their arsenal ranged from semi-automatic rifles to rocket-propelled grenades. When the smoke finally cleared and the government had prevailed, Mexican federal agents captured 540 assault rifles, more than 500,000 rounds of ammunition, 150 grenades, 14 cartridges of dynamite, 98 fragmentation grenades, 67 bulletproof vests, seven Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifles and a Light Anti Tank (LAW) rocket.
This is modern Mexico, where the leaders of the powerful drug cartels are armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapons, many of which are smuggled over the border from the United States.
It is with this array of superior weapons that drug cartels are threatening the very stability of their own country. And it’s why America’s outgoing CIA Director, Michael Hayden, says violence in Mexico will pose the second greatest threat to U.S. security next year, right after Al Qaeda. “Americans are understandably focused on the flow of drugs and migrants into the U.S. from Mexico,” says Andreas Peter, author of “Border Games: Policing the U.S.-Mexico Divide.”
it is going to get worse with people out of work.lord knows i need the money my business hasnt done any work for 3 months.how come the gov give me a bail out
Who is selling this weapons to the criminals? It is clear that the arms industry is making a hefty profit from the sales. And these weapons are obtained by the criminals in the United States. In addition, as everyone knows, the root of the problem is the voracious appetite of Americans for drugs that keeps the trade going.
The U.S. needs to take responsibility for its part in the drug war. It is Americans who use the drugs and it is here that weapons are produced and sold.
These armed gangs are constantly crossing our borders already. Cartel members, gang members such as MS-13 come here daily to move their drugs, kidnap people, kill people. It’s effectively an armed invasion by a foreign hostile force and should be treated as such. If the U.S. military would respond with deadly force it would send a very strong message to those who would cross our borders to do us harm. If they were in uniform it would be considered an act of war.
As long as there is money to be made in drugs, there will always be money and violence attached. Mexico has a very low minimum wage for everyone, even cops, so there is incentive for the cops to work both sides of the street. Since the economy is in a downhill spiral, people may want to escape their problems with drugs or alcohol even if the escape is only temporary. It’s understandable why the drug cartels use sophisticated weapon since there is a lot of money to be made in the drug trade. Besides, being in the drug trade doesn’t take an education to be in the trade. As far as the weapons, with the economy going aray, people may go into the weapons trade as well.