"'Flood' of drugs from Mexico linked to Atlanta area abductions."

Here is an excerpt from Mary Lou Pickel's article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"A recent increase in drug-related kidnappings in Gwinnett County has put a spotlight on drug violence in Georgia, federal agents say. About nine drug-related kidnappings have occurred in Gwinnett this year. The latest involved a man bound and chained in a basement in Lilburn whom federal agents rescued earlier this month. Mexican drug cartels are moving large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana into the country for distribution up the East Coast, said Rodney Benson, the special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Atlanta. Drug-related kidnappings have increased in the past 90 days, he said. David Nahmias, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, said Gwinnett is a center of Mexican drug cartel activity in the area because of easy transportation on I-85 and a large Hispanic population where traffickers can try to blend in... Representatives of Mexican drug cartels in Atlanta are 'clashing with each other,' the DEA's Benson said. Drug traffickers are also getting younger, Gwinnett County Assistant District Attorney Keith Miles said... Miles says the up-tick in kidnappings is not a 'blip.' 'It's just a matter of time before innocent people get caught in the crossfire,' he said." Link to Full Article

Analysis: This story shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, as Atlanta is a known trafficking hub for Mexican TCOs. What should come as a surprise is that THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN IN JUY 2008! Yep, this headline and complete story would fit right in with news reports coming out today.

Honestly, I don't have much by way of analysis on this story; it really speaks for itself. I highly recommend following the link to the full article and scrolling down to the bottom so you can read some of the kidnapping cases that occurred in the first half of 2008 in Gwinnett. My point for writing this post is to showcase exactly how little we've progressed in acknowledging that Mexico's drug war is here. This kind of stuff has been happening not just in Georgia, but in Alabama, Baltimore, Denver...you name it. US cities nowhere near the border have been experiencing kidnappings and violent drug-related murders for years, but some in charge are happy to pass those incidents off as "the drug business as usual."

And hey, maybe it is. DHS chooses not to keep track of cartel-on-cartel violence here in the US, which totally misses the point of what border violence spillover really is. The El Paso Sheriff's Office has told me that if they investigate a gang-related murder that is somehow connected to the Mexican drug trade, they don't consider that spillover; just "business as usual." I'm pretty sure that DHS wouldn't classify these Gwinnett kidnappings that way either, which makes me wonder how many TCO-related violent incidents are occurring in the United States where agencies - for purely subjective or political reasons - choose to not advertise the link to Mexico. Then you have other agencies, like the DEA and several south Texas departments, who are happy to let Americans know, "Hey! We've got a problem here!"

I just get so angry when I stumble across old news reports like this that read like today's news. It makes me feel like some people at DHS and in the White House are asleep at the wheel. How is it that no progress has been made in the last four years in our cities where Mexican TCOs are operating? It's all about priorities, and it seems obvious to me that the drug war has been nowhere near the top of the national security priority list since it started in earnest several years ago.

Comments

[Jose Angel Flores]

These cartels have grown, have mutated into something else while responding to the war on drugs launched by Mexico and the US, responding to the fierce defense of the borders implemented by the US authorities that have affected their operations and income, responding to the strong actions of the mexican government, responding to the constant presence of mexican army, marines and federal police officers in territories and routes they used to control.
They transformed into something else, they are now better organized, they are familiarized with technologies which they use to their advantage, and they are ruthless when pursuing their objectives. They are moving into the US and are now putting their terror in practice there. I hope I could say the opposite, but I do believe that pretty soon we will see decapitaded people, dismembered bodies and cold blooded killings in beautiful american suburbs, previoulsy known for their tranquility. I hope I could see it differently.

[DETA]

The Atlanta Mexico based DTOs have definitely changed the game...however, the emerging threat is that the DTOs are starting to get out into the smaller areas (AL, TN, NC, SC etc) where there is less law enforcement per capita, with even less resources available to that law enforcement.

[Darwin]

You asked, "How is it that no progress has been made in the last four years in our cities where Mexican TCOs are operating?"

The answer? Because we have not learned our lesson from the years of prohibition of alcohol. Where are the alcohol cartels today? They no longer exist, due to no more war against alcohol. This war on drugs is foolish. It creates the cartels, the violence, etc., even the desire for it, as it is a forbidden "fruit". Were people still drinking when alcohol was illegal? Yes! Are people doing drugs even though they are illegal? Yes, very much so! Hello. Is anyone home? The drug war is producing nothing good, but instead killing innocent people who don't even do drugs! That awful price is not worth trying to save stupid people from abusing their minds and bodies. The drug war also helps further ruin people's lives as they throw drugees in jail, rather than offering them help (perhaps). The drug war is a very sad assault on foolish people.

[Ed]

Actually, the problem is not the "War on Drugs" as it never really existed. The DHS and this administration has no desire to stop illegal immigration or drug related crime. Their desire is to destroy the US from within with the help of the Mexican TCOs. Trust me, if the US government truly wanted to stop the immigration and drug problem, they could. Simply get rid of the ACLU and other liberal progressive organizations and bring back public executions. Stop preventing American citizens from owning and carring LEGALLY purchased firearms and the right to defend themselves with deadly force. The country will not turn into the "Wild West" as all the anti-gun rights advocates like Bloomberg, Clinton, Emmanual etc. claim. Heck, the wild west wasn't the wild west...learn your history, but not the crap they currently teach in our schools with the progressive agenda. The true history of our founders. It's time for Americans to be proud of our country and our history and stop apologizing for the past or our greatness as a nation.

[Danita Clark Able]

A problem largely ignored by Obama.

[Matt Dickinson]

If drugs are legalized are there less crimes associated with them, such as kidnapping and murder and robbery?