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2009-03-17 Caribbean-Latin America
Colombian General: Mexico's Drug Wars 'Will Intensify'
BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- The drug wars in Mexico "will intensify," says the head of Colombia's anti-narcotics police, Gen. Álvaro Caro. "It's going to get worse," Caro said during an exclusive interview about the wave of drug violence in Mexico. "The Mexican cartels are very structured, well armed and organized, and have the power to corrupt."

Last year alone, 5,400 people were murdered in the surge in drug violence in Mexico. Caro calls it "narco-terrorism," and says it is "the price you pay for taking on the cartels."

It also results from changes made by Colombian drug kingpins to their transporting routes. Shipping cocaine to the United States by air has become more difficult and risky in recent years, argues Caro, leading Colombian drug barons to look for new ways of transporting their merchandise. They decided on Central America as a trans-shipment point. "That's when the Mexican cartels started to come in with more force. They would pick up the cocaine dumped by the Colombian cartels in Central America and then distribute it to major cities in the U.S."

Roughly a decade ago, the Mexican drug cartels earned 10 percent of the street value for every kilo of cocaine they transported. But in recent years, the Colombian and Mexican cartels have embarked on "joint ventures," giving Mexican cartels a greater share of the profits. According to Caro, at times the Mexican cartels now claim up to half the value of the cocaine they traffic. With the greater stake in the drug trade, Mexican cartels began scrambling for power and a greater share of the profits, resulting in today's turf wars. "The fight between the cartels in Mexico is a lot to do with territorial control. They're all competing for the cocaine distribution routes to the U.S."

The spiraling drug violence in Mexico is also the result of "decisive action" carried out by the Mexican government since Felipe Calderon came to power in 2006. "[Calderon] came in with a new attitude. Drug traffickers started to get caught. The government started to attack the criminal structures and exposed corruption in the police force," said Caro. "In response, the Mexican cartels are striking back in a show of power and strength."

Caro, like many, believes the epicenter of the problem is the porous 2,000-mile U.S-Mexican border. Around 90 percent of all cocaine entering the United States comes through Mexico. "You have to pinpoint key areas along the border where drugs enter and focus on those points. You have to get greater control of that border."

He also recommends going after the big fish. "You have to attack the cartel structures through intelligence gathering, identify the big leaders and go after them."

Colombia is, of course, fighting its own drug war. Despite record cocaine seizures in recent years and dozens of drug kingpins captured, Colombia remains the world's leading producer of cocaine. Worse still, according to the U.N., coca production in Colombia -- as in Bolivia and Peru -- is on the rise.

The Mexican government would do well to heed what Colombia learned from its experience fighting the "war on drugs," namely that the tentacles of the drug cartels can penetrate deep into the police force, government institutions and the justice system. During the height of Colombia's drug wars in the 1980's and 1990's, drug cartels (notably the infamous Cali and Medellin cartels) permeated well into the country's political life and the justice system. In the past, presidential campaigns were bankrolled by drug barons, judges and witnesses bribed and police murdered. The drug cartels operated using the mafia's golden rule: Everyone has a price for which they can be bought.

Now it's Mexico's turn to live through the all-too-familiar story.

Meanwhile, the governments of Mexico and Colombia, "are cooperating very closely and sharing intelligence information," says Caro. Colombia has even helped train Mexican drug officials.

As for how long the high levels of violence will last in Mexico, Caro said that would depend on a number of factors, including "the government's strength of conviction," and "the resources and money it has to continue fighting." Significantly, he added that the duration would also be determined by "the conviction of the cartels to keep fighting back," a worrying thought given the lucrative profits at stake.
Posted by tu3031 2009-03-17 10:46|| || Front Page|| [1 views ]  Top

#1 The Colombians would know. A great many good soldiers and police died to help some order to that nation.

He is right though. If we secured the border, that would go a long way to breaking the cartels by denying them funds.
Posted by DarthVader 2009-03-17 11:13||   2009-03-17 11:13|| Front Page Top

#2 big fences can't be bribed, or mine fields
Posted by rabid whitetail 2009-03-17 11:22||   2009-03-17 11:22|| Front Page Top

#3 You forget both nations have plenty of seacoast, build a fence YES, but they'll just shift to watercraft, above or below.
Posted by Redneck Jim">Redneck Jim  2009-03-17 18:57||   2009-03-17 18:57|| Front Page Top

#4 DRUDGEREPORT/FREEREPUBLIC > seems the USA is prepping a so-called "INTEGRATED PLAN" to help Mahico handle its drug violence.

US PROBLEM > MEXICO = AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN > most likely any anti-US/Govt MilTerrs will move over the borders into neighboring countries.

* AFPAKISTAN > read, CHINA [Uighurs], RUSSIA + CENTRAL ASIA [already], INDIA + SOUTHEAST ASIA, + AFRICA.

* MAHICO > "GO SOUTH YOUNG DRUG LORD/TERRORIST", i.e. to CENTRAL-SOUTH AMERIKA + CARIBBEAN REGIONS.

Lest we fergit, RADICAL MULLLAHS > among other scenarios, INDUCING GEOPOL "GREAT POWERS" CONFRONTATIONISM including REGIONAL-GLOBAL NUKE WAR, ...ETC. MUTUALLY DESTRUCTION]IS TO THE ADVANTAGE + BENEFIT OF RADICAL ISLAM.

Also, OSAMA BIN LADEN's SUPPORT FOR "ECONOMIC JIHAD" AGZ US NATIONAL-WORLD ECONOMY > can be broadly summed up as INDUCING THE USA TO MILPOL OR MILECON EXPAND SUCH THAT IT INEVITABLY COLLAPSES UNDER ITS OWN IMPERIALIST WEIGHT + GLOBAL GEOPOL "OBESITY".
Posted by JosephMendiola 2009-03-17 19:51||   2009-03-17 19:51|| Front Page Top

#5 RENSE > BRAZIL WARNS USA NOT TO INTERFERE IN LATIN AMERICA.

IMO read > fear of OBAMA = USA sending US Milfors after Mexican cartels whom may flee south from Rio Grande + Mahico, INTO LOWER AMERICAS.

Sub-read, LOWER AMERICAS DEVOL IN LT INTO AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN + US-NATO battlefields
[return of Euro Colonialism].
Posted by JosephMendiola 2009-03-17 20:15||   2009-03-17 20:15|| Front Page Top

13:40 M. Murcek
13:39 Whiskey Mike
13:36 Dale
13:20 irish+rage+boy
13:16 Grom the Reflective
13:16 DarthVader
12:58 trailing wife









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