Posted on 02/21/2011 4:43:07 PM PST by epow
The Big Clubs in Mexico’s Drug War Aren’t Slipping Through the Gun-Show Loophole
Another series of leaked State Department cables made public this week by WikiLeaks lend credence to investigative reports on gun trafficking and the drug war published by Narco News as far back as 2009.
The big battles in the drug war in Mexico are “not being fought with Saturday night specials, hobby rifles and hunting shotguns,” Narco News reported in March 2009, against the grain, at a time when the mainstream media was pushing a narrative that assigned the blame for the rising tide of weapons flowing into Mexico to U.S. gun stores and gun shows.
Rather, we reported at the time, “the drug trafficking organizations are now in possession of high-powered munitions in vast quantities that can’t be explained by the gun-show loophole.”
Those weapons, found in stashes seized by Mexican law enforcers and military over the past several years, include U.S.-military issued rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers and explosives.
The State Department cables released recently by WikiLeaks support Narco News’ reporting and also confirm that our government is very aware of the fact that U.S military munitions are finding their way into Mexico, and into the hands of narco-trafficking organizations, via a multi-billion dollar stream of private-sector and Pentagon arms exports.
Narco News, in a report in December 2008 [“Juarez murders shine a light on an emerging Military Cartel”] examined the increasing militarization of narco-trafficking groups in Mexico and pointed out that U.S. military-issued ammunition popped up in an arms cache seized in Reynosa, Mexico, in November 2008 that was linked to the Zetas, a mercenary group that provides enforcement services to Mexican narco-trafficking organizations.
Tosh Plumlee, a former CIA asset who still has deep connections in the covert world, told Narco News recently that
(Excerpt) Read more at narcosphere.narconews.com ...
NOT what Obama and his Democrat gungrabber buddies want Americans to know.
BTTT
So what is this 500 wordfest saying exactly, as in is there a point here in my lifetime????
Darned tootin. Mexican drug cartels have bought up all the M60’s, grenade launchers and TOW missiles. You can’t find a bargain anymore at a gun show.
Ooooops. So much for that justification.
Thank you. I was needing a grin. You provided it!!
Spent to much time on Al Jezeera today. %;)
Its a big to-do about nothing.
They quote State Department memos as saying they are “aware” that the Pentagon is “aware” that everyone is “aware” that drug gangs are using old US military weapons (and Korean, and anything else) that they bought from old war zones in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, where ever, then refurbished in shops set up in Oaxaca. They try to imply that the Pentagon is selling weapons to the gangs but in the end they are talking about twenty-five or thirty year old weapons from the wars of yesteryear, bought from Central America. Or bought from Central American militaries. Or the Mexican military, but they don’t go there.
Actually, I believe a lot of Zeta and mafia weaponry comes straight from the Mexican military, which they don’t talk about, so again, the article is about half bogus. And a lot of the drug gangs like to use AK-47s too, also widely available, but the article doesn’t go into that.
In any event, they are using machine guns, hand grenades, and rocket launchers that they did not buy at Walmart in Tucson.
They are saying that many military grade weapons sold to Central American states during the 80’s and 90’s have been sold to Narco traffickers, most likely by corrupt police and military members of said nations. There are also commercial sales from the U.S. to “peoples” in the region.
Succinct. Thanks. Why in HAIL can’t the writer do that?
Guns “FINDING THEIR WAY” to Mexico? What utter rubbish. They walk there, maybe take a bus? The guns show a plane ticket, sit on a plane, and then fly to Mexico?
Mexican people take the guns into Mexico, or Mexican military people SELL these guns to narcos.
To prevent Mexican people from doing this, we would have to be their PARENTS.
And we’re not their parents.
I know! Websites could easily publish a re-cap, which is to-the-point, instead of going on and on.
Too bad those engaging in said “Commercial sales” can’t consider native-born Californians “peoples” in the region; they’d have a burgeoning market.
Everyone gets to play but us legitimate, law-abiding folks, ‘cuz the moment we get geared up to a level equal to the growing threat, we be on the wrong end of a Federal firearms rap.
Just f’n damnable.
This has been going on for 30 years...no surprise, legalize marijuana, and make hard drugs available with mandatory treatment programs..there is no other solution to the narco crises..
Just because a bunch of Europeans and Africans showed up is no reason for that to stop.
Legalize all drugs and make qualifiers for any government assistance of any type based on clean monthly drug screens.
Yep, Many of our founding Fathers smoked POT, its a crazy war we have against our own people..there are better ways to address the morality or usefullness of taking substances..
Still, alcohol, which provided a relatively sterile drinking source, was a superior vehicle. That’s why the Central American and Venezuelan Indians ARE NOT IN CHARGE ANYMORE.
Because the writter is a Urinalist ... a presstitute.
Making it a capital crime would work.
yep..
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.