Posted on 05/24/2008 9:24:21 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
MEXICO CITY - The chief of Mexico's war on drug gangs said Washington should concentrate on halting the flow of arms to Mexican drug cartels rather than haggle over how much aid to give Mexico's anti-smuggling operation.
Reacting to a vote by U.S. lawmakers to trim an aid package for the drug war, Mexico's deputy attorney general, Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, said an alternative would be to keep the cash in the United States and use it to curb illegal arms trafficking across the border.
"Some of us were talking, remarking that, well, this (sum of money) is all very well, but why don't we tell the Americans they could spend it on their (border security forces) to stop the flow of arms to Mexico," Santiago Vasconcelos said in remarks on local radio distributed by his office on Saturday.
Santiago Vasconcelos, the point man in Mexico's crackdown on drug smuggling gangs, said 97 percent of the weapons used by Mexican drug gangs came from the United States.
He said Mexico would evaluate whether to accept any U.S. offer of funds and under what conditions.
Mexico is spending $7 billion of its own money to fund its 18-month-old crackdown on the powerful and violent cartels that smuggle Colombian cocaine north to U.S. consumers.
U.S. President George W. Bush had offered to add $1.4 billion in three tranches to pay for surveillance equipment and speedy aircraft, but his opponents in Congress have haggled over the amount and asked that human rights conditions be attached.
The U.S. House of Representatives this month cut the first tranche of the so-called Merida Initiative, named after the Mexican city where it was conceived, to $400 million from $500 million, and the Senate Appropriations Committee put forward a figure of $350 million.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has made the war on drug cartels the centerpiece of his presidency, deploying some 25,000 troops and federal police across the country, but the operation has sparked considerable bloodshed.
Turf wars between rival cartels and battles with the army have killed 1,380 people this year, nearly 50 percent more than the same period last year, according to the attorney general's office. (Reporting by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Forget sending Mexico money, build the fence...
Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
Is there really an arms smuggling problem from the US into Mexico? I can see why they would be upset if that were true. I’ve always wondered who these arms smugglers were and who they got their weapons from.
Proposal:
We stop the flow of guns.
You stop the flow of illegals.
The irony of that piece is so thick I can’t find my shoes.
But maybe they’ll help us build the fence to stop the flow of firearms?
NOT !
Mexico should focus on stopping illegal drug production.
Illegal aliens are the people sending guns to Mexico, but Mexico HELPS illegals into the US.
Irony is a bitch.
¡Presidente Calderón, construya una cerca!
Umm Dear Mexico , your citizens bring em back too your country illegally. You remember that word ......Illegal ?
as ya state SS..........BUILD THE FENCE !!
And I don’t care whose side it’s built on .....US or MEXICAN !! Hell build one on both sides !!!
Like Messico is qualified to advise anyone on anything, other than how to be a corrupt cellpool, that is.
Balance of payments? Drugs into the U.S., guns into Mexico?
“US should focus on stemming gun flow, Mexico says.”
Great idea.
That strategy sure worked in NYC, Wash DC, and Detroit.
Projection means never having to say you’re sorry.
Just BUILD THE FENCE and we won't have to worry about the guns coming from the North anymore. Did I mention BUILD THE FENCE? I meant to say BUILD THE FENCE.
It would solve so many problems...
Is the DHS so inefficient that weapons can be exported to the Mexican Drug Cartel’s from the U.S. during a period of such vehement anti gun discussion within our own borders?
I’ve read the accusations from South of the border about the weapons coming from the U.S. before, but cannot get it through my head how it’s possible for this to happen when we have Liberal snitches everywhere ready to pounce upon Americas 2nd Amendment legal gun owners.
It’s not in the interests of either Political Party to ignore massive shipments of arms and munitions from our Nation to the enemies of our “ally”, Mexico.
The articles I’ve read always indicate the U.S. has to stop the guns from crossing the border, but never indicate who, or how those weapons are getting to the Drug Cartels, therefore seem to me as empty accusations.
So who really is shipping arms and munitions there? Is it really the U.S.? Is it BS? Is it actually Cuba?, China?, or Chavez? WHO?
“Just askin’”
There is a large population of Mexican American citizens whose families have been in the US for a hundred years. These people have relatives on both sides of the border. They wouldn’t hesitate if a Mexican relative asked them to buy a rifle or a case of ammo.
the Illegals can live in the stripe between the fences...
>Mexico should focus on stopping illegal drug production.<
I have a better idea, let’s send our damn dope addicts down to Mexico.
As if any drug lord would go to the trouble of setting up straw purchases for semi-auto firearms in the U.S. - when he has access to millions of select-fire firearms carried by "uncorruptable" Mexican police and troops. What a crock.
The Mexican government may indeed be worried about American firearms heading south, but their worries have more to do with ordinary citizens obtaining guns - in a society where legal gun ownership is essentially impossible - than with drug lords.
Build nice big fence.
Mexican criminals and police (often one and the same) can slaughter each other to hearts content on their side of nice big fence.
Why would stop our guns from flowing into Mexico. It’s not our problem. In fact, perhaps we should be providing maps, survival, and legal tips to our guns heading to Mexico.
If Mexico wants to keep our guns out of their country, perhaps they should build a wall.
Keep the guns here - fire the bullets there.
Suddenly, as if by magic, they now want the US to have better Border control.
Anyone else see how the article points out that Mexico is actually spending $7 billion of it’s own money to crack down on cartels?
Why should it be considered news that they are spending THEIR OWN money to fight THEIR OWN problem.
This is getting ridiculous.
Step 1: Seal the border. This denies drug cartels their customers, and supposedly will stop the flow of guns into Mexico. Of course, this is idiotic, as the amount of smuggling on the southern border of Mexico is about as big as the southern border of the US, but Mexico can feel better that those guns didn’t come from the US.
Step 2: Deport the illegals who are distributing the narcotics in the United States by enforcing existing immigration law. A positive for Mexico, because most of the people who want to work will be coming back home.
Step 3: Make it illegal to send money to Mexico except to a US citizen. Bring your ID to the consulate. Now illegal drug traffickers can no longer use the postal, banking and money transferring services to cover up their crimes.
Step 4: All those who are angry over being deported can take out their anger at the socialist system that holds power over Mexico and turn it into an economic powerhouse, as they’ve mineral and oil resources, an able bodied population again, and have been under the rules of freedom for so long that they won’t put up with highway barricades and other illegal activity.
Step 5: Remove barriers to gun ownership for legal citizens. Let’s face it, the reason why the cartels hold such power is because they’re the ones with the guns and everyone else has to wait for corrupt police or army members to come ‘defend them’.
“Is there really an arms smuggling problem from the US into Mexico?”
Yes. The arms are smuggled into Mexico to be traded for narcotics. The right calibers of ammunition can be up to a dollar per round there and a pistol worth $500 here in the U.S. can be traded for dope in Mexico worth up to 10 times that or more if you can sell it in the U.S.
Guns are a valuable currency to purchase narcotics with in Mexico. The people smuggling guns into Mexico from the U.S. are most often illegals residing here and selling dope.
The smuggling groups usually purchase from gun shows, newspaper ads, and straw purchases from gun shops. They also obtain firearms that are traded (often stolen) for dope by users.
It is rather ironic that Mexico does very little to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S. but they are screaming about guns entering Mexico.
Supply and demand. Dope is dirt cheap but guns and ammo are very expensive.
Ironic? You be the judge.
You want to know who is shipping guns from the U.S. to Mexico?
Drug dealers. Usually Mexican drug dealers who reside here in the U.S. illegally.
“Forget sending Mexico money, build the fence...”
Build the fence with the money we are sending to Mexico. Better yet, if Mexico wants aid, let them build the fence.
US should focus on stemming gun flow, Mexico says...
Mexico should focus on stemming the ILLEGAL flow, US citizens say!!!
“F” mexico and their dictating of US policy!!!
Merida Initiative....(Let’s swap armies)
Mark
Let's building a fence for sure. Also, I am for militarizing the border, reactivating the draft to staff it if necessary. Heck, serving a tour down in the desert would be good for our soft, flabby teens. Heck, now that I am thinking about this, I really like the notion! So, let's get on with rescinding the Posse Comitatus Act and reactivating the draft and “Get’er Done”! Fat chance, the soccer moms would go nuts if they even got a whiff that their precious babies might be drafted...
Once more the pipsqueak nation which can’t feed or provide jobs to its own citizens and lives like a parasite on American dollars is attempting to dictate to the U.S.
Based on this administration’s craven actions in the Ramons/Compean tragedy, I’m not optimistic that Bush will NOT cave in again to these bandits.
Tax and send. Collect esport taxes and ship all the small arms the Mexicans can pay for. Perhaps they will thin their population.
Unbelievable!
Kingu - your “Steps 1 - 4” are brilliant. Please tell me you have a position of power to get these into motion?
#15 - LOVE it!
Meza is a Mexican citizen and lied abut being a US citizen.
How about this: "Mexico should focus on stemming illegal alien flow, US says". But this is merely corollary to the main problem with our "friendly neighbor to the south".
The real issue here is why Mexico is such a corrupt, poverty-stricken, third-world hellhole.
As early as 12 years ago, when he was my representative, I was a regular at Newt’s Town Hall Meetings where I spoke in support of the FairTax. 70% or more of the others who took the mike were visibly ANGRY ABOUT THE FAILURE TO STOP THE GROWING FLOW OF ILLEGALS! (While he DID and probably still DOES support the illegal invasion, at several sessions – clearly pandering to the crowd -- Newt suggested the 100,000 IRS agents be given weapons and sent down to the border with Mexico.) That certainly works for me.
Under Bush, that flow became a TORRENT!
He CLEARLY doesn’t care WHAT we think!
DO TRY TO GET THAT MEMORY OVER THE TRADITIONAL 20 NANOSECOND LEVEL AND HOLD THE THOUGHT THROUGH NOVEMBER ’08!
In ABSTRACT terms, this is the conspiratorial view of what’s going on vis-à-vis the INVASION of the illegals here:
The current alien invasion from the south serves BOTH the elites who run Mexico – and many of the OTHER states of Central and South America -- and the political ruling class who increasingly run the United States:
· It takes pressure off the 60 or so families who control approximately 80% of the wealth in Mexico. Without the northern “safety valve” (the United States) for their poor, those poor MIGHT be inclined to do what America’s early colonists found it necessary to do: Revolt! Parenthetically, that would be MY suggestion for them: Instead of fleeing here – and converting “here” to a larger, more poverty infested version of “there,” they ought to stay there and make “there” into their version of “here,” whatever that would be. Revolutions ARE messy and there are no guarantees that they will produce the desired result. But – according to one T. Jefferson – they are often necessary. Never forget that THIS country was born in revolution!
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson ·
· For the NAFTA/CAFTA coveting US national ruling class – especially those who, in varying degrees, quest after some sort of One-World utopia run by guess who? – it provides yet another level of insecurity and tension among the indigenous populace which can be used to justify new and more draconian limits to freedom here. Instead of securing the borders, allow millions of illegals to come in and when the natives become alarmed, require a national ID card. “Your papers, please!” will soon become a phrase familiar to all. It’s Mr. Franklin’s trade of freedom for (false) security. It’s also the time-tested Hegelian Dialectic the One-Worlders have successfully worked like a rented mule.
While they occasionally squabble among themselves, the elites of history have ALL had one thing in common: They will do ANYTHING to remain in charge. And throughout that history, except for the 230 year-old experiment in freedom called “America,” most of the men who have walked the earth have lived as slaves to these elites whether they call themselves kings, emperors, potentates, sultans, czars – or presidents.
Get ready, folks. Unless some SERIOUS changes are made and the handful of Americans who CARE about liberty get involved, that history will almost certainly repeat here.
Now for the SPECIFICS of the matter:
My take on Bush's role in all of this is:
1. His long and apparently positive experience with the large hispanic population in Texas is largely responsible for his inaction on this alien invasion. And why wouldn't HIS experience with them be positive as he traveled in the highest, best-educated circles among them, not the Hispanic gangbangers and pine-straw spreaders...
2. Boy Jorge Bush was cared for by a Hispanic nanny for many years while his daddy was running Zapata Oil (into the ground).
3. His brother Jeb is married to a native of Mexico (the daughter of a migrant worker) and his nieces and nephews are mixed blood. And before you scream "ethnocentric bigot" at me, there's nothing inherently wrong with that. But that fact -- and items 1 and 2 – DO predispose him to a warm and fuzzy feeling for folks from south of the Rio Grande.
And if -- in some strange and metastasizing American desire for a new royal family dynasty -- Jeb or his son should win the White House in some future presidential beauty contest designed to divert the American electorate every four years, I'd bet that HIS activities toward this alien invasion will make W's behavior look like a warm-up exercise.
Any vestige of Western European culture -- the culture MY great-grandparents and probably yours brought here after standing in line at places like Ellis Island, being interrogated, deloused and recorded -- will be a distant memory – IF it’s remembered at all.
Read “Age of Revolution”
The revolutions in South and Central America merely exchanged an aristocracy in Europe for a homegrown one in the Americas.
Mexico is just one of the results.
I read today, in what was probably a Time Magazine, that the Mexican government matches funds sent back to Mexico from illegal aliens.
Awwww....you beat me to it!! But I guess that WAS the obvious response...
Mexico can go pound sand.
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