| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| US southern border update. |
| 2009-03-31 |
| Source: Former SF soldier I live in the Rio Grande Valley. We are just 8 to 15 miles north of Reynosa, Mexico (McAllen, TX), 58 miles west of Matamoros, Mexico (Brownsville, TX) and 152 miles east of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico (Laredo, TX). Ciudad Juarez (El Paso, TX) is 752 miles to our west. The state immediately to our south is Tamaulipas the state south of Juarez is Coahuila. Brownsville/Matamoros, Laredo/Nuevo Laredo & El Paso/Juarez are sister cities. Violence along our part of the border is picking up. There have been shootouts between cartel members and Mexican army troops in the towns across from us. Large numbers of troops and cartel members, Cartels are using full auto weapons, RPG's and grenades, have body armor and good comms. Poverty is rampant along the border. The cartels pay well. Their recruiting practices follow the VC in some respects - Join us or I will kill you or your's. So far we have not seen the beheadings that have taken place further to the west. The main cartel here is the Gulf cartel. Their enforcement arm is called the Zetas. Mexico just announced a $2,000,000.00 each reward for the top leaders of the 6 main cartels and $1,000,000.00 each for their top lieutenants. I work some of the gun shows in south Texas and believe me, many black guns and 1,000's of rounds of ammo go out of there with some rough looking fellows. Some of the dealers are very careful to check ID's. Some openly joke that they know where the guns are going but don't care. Got their money. BATF is working the shows, hard. Quite some time back I asked about a fellow Named Cele Castillo. He worked for DEA in Central America, got a hard on for the US is now a guest of the US Government, 35 months for arms smuggling. Seventeen were recently arrested for arms smuggling in Brownsville, charged with making straw purchases, soliciting someone to make the purchase or smuggling. One thing I have not seen in a few years is the 50 cal, rifle or rounds. There used to be several dealers at the shows. Night vision equipment abounds if your pockets are deep enough. No doubt many of the black guns and much of the ammo come from the USA. No way do the RPGs or grenades come from us legally, Expense is of little concern to the cartels and there are enough arms suppliers worldwide ready to sell at the right price. Then there are those that might supply simply to destabilize the region. South Texas does have the best law enforcement/legal system money can buy. Along with the Hidalgo County Sheriff Brig Marmalejo, Cameron County Sheriff Conrado Cantu and Starr County Sheriff Gene Falcon have been convicted for abetting drug trafficking. Heard yesterday that a fugitive federal marshal was found murdered execution style in western Mexico. Wonder what that situation was. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #5 Plot to destroy 2nd amendment. I'm quite sure the Chinese Norinco organization can supply the banditos with all the firepower they need. No need to buy US, smuggling across the Pacific is all that is needed. |
| Posted by: borgboy 2009-03-31 14:44 |
| #4 This is all gummit gun snatch cover for action. I'm reasonably certain we'll see more of it in the months to come. Google the Blair Holt Licensing & Record of Sale Act of 2009. Also known as HR 45. Then, please, join the NRA (or your local pro-gun association). I beg you. ~Fellow Texan ... not far from the border. |
| Posted by: Zorba Craising6734 2009-03-31 13:45 |
| #3 I've never seen Autos at gunshows. The whole "military arms going south" is such bullshit. The straw purchases and pickups/busts that have happened are all usually semi-auto pistols. The cartels get their arms from down south and FROM THE MEXICAN ARMY. Also, wtf is up with the language. "many black guns"??? The situation is shitty tho and I'd advocate more arms and defense for our fence. I'd also like there to be a policy, that if Border Patrol members are shot at, that they can shoot back. This has happened a few times locally. |
| Posted by: Anon4021 2009-03-31 12:26 |
| #2 Quite right Jack. RPG's and grenade launchers are not huge sellers at gun shows. In fact, they are illegal to own or sell. I've never seen or heard of one at a show. Also begs the question... if the Feds and BATF are "working the shows" then why is it an issue? They should be hearding the bad guys off to prison in platoon size formations. This is all gummit gun snatch cover for action. I'm reasonably certain we'll see more of it in the months to come. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-03-31 09:33 |
| #1 I've never seen RPG's or grenades or even .50 cal, SAWS or auto at any show I've attended. I still say they are getting the heavy stuff from Hugo and Daniel and their ilk in Nica and Vene. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2009-03-31 09:25 |