Posted on 06/23/2013 4:36:30 AM PDT by AtlasStalled
Two border agents have been sentenced to hard time "for running a ring that smuggled hundreds of illegal immigrants into the United States" as reported by The Associated Press:
Judge John A. Houston of Federal District Court on Friday sentenced Raul Villarreal to 35 years for being the ringleader and ordered him to pay a $250,000 fine. Fidel Villarreal, his brother, was sentenced to 30 years for managing the illicit business.
American law enforcement finally has recognized that many U.S. border towns are little more than banana republics beholden to the Mexican drug cartels, and federal and state officials are dropping in to sweep up as reported by Jeri Clausing for The Associated Press: "state and federal agencies are cracking down on border town corruption as part of the larger effort to battle Mexican drug cartels."
Of course, it is axiomatic that organized crime cannot exist without public corruption.
The Mexican cartels move $50 billion in bulk product and bundled cash across the border each year, and have established supply lines, distribution networks and operational cells in hundreds of communties throughout the United States. There is no way that such a well-entrenched operation could be so successfully accomplished without a little help from well-placed friends.
Indeed, in recent years nine South Texas lawmen have been charged with "using their badges to sneak drugs or guns through the U.S.-Mexico border region from Laredo to Brownsville" as reported by Dane Schiller for the Houston Chronicle:
"Interviews and court records and testimony show the South Texas cases often involve one officer at a time pulled to the dark side by friends, family or associates offering quick cash. 'If you are a local person, you are going to have friends and relatives in the community and know people on both sides of the border,' said Steve McCraw, head of the Texas Department of Public Safety. 'They are going to know someone, who knows someone, and take a shot.'"
In March 2011 the mayor, police chief and a village trustee in Columbus, NM were charged with running guns into Mexico for the Juarez cartel's enforcement crew La Linea, and the case has raised a red flag about the extent to which the narco insurgents have corrupted U.S. cops and politicians in border communities as reported by Bob Reynolds for Al Jazeera.
Of particular concern is corruption within the U.S. Customs and Border Protection where 129 agents already have been charged in recent years and another 600 are under investigation.
Leni
Yes, in a sane universe they would all be called out on this nonsense.
But they get away with it because not many are paying attention. Or maybe more than I think are paying attention, but like me, don’t know what to do other than complain to our reps (and that’s obviously a lost cause).
Also, for it to remain static at the 11 million estimate, the same number you mentioned that are likely crossing in would have to be either leaving or dying.
And if they’re leaving, someone, somewhere would be posting video of it. I would think anyway.
It doesn’t help when doing your job can get you into trouble, too.
Shoot a drug-runner/smuggler, go to jail. Help him out instead...hello, walls!
Yepper........The Gubmint puts two crooked Border Patrol agents away for smuggling illegals while the same gubmint leaves the border unprotected, thereby allowing millions more illegals to enter the U.S. without doing a damn thing about it. Now tell me where is the justice?
To: AtlasStalled; mickie
Isn’t it funny how federal (and enemedia) figures on illegal aliens squatting in this country have remained static at “11 million” for years when everyone knows hundreds, if not thousands are crossing all along the state borders every day, not only from Mejico...but from other third-world sewers across the world!
Leni
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How dare you question the “approved media’s” estimate?
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