Posted on 09/25/2012 3:19:49 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
The Mexican armed forces have arrested 35 police officers accused of having links with one of the country's most powerful drug cartels, the Zetas.
The officers were arrested in operations in the eastern states of San Luis Potosi and Veracruz.
A turf war between the Zetas and rival criminal organisations in Veracruz has led to some of Mexico's worst massacres in recent years.
Local police officers are often accused of ties with the drug cartels.
In a statement, the Navy said the 35 people arrested "were all police officers in the Veracruz public security department and allegedly collaborated with the Zetas criminal organisation".
They were arrested on Saturday in the cities of Xalapa - capital of Veracruz state - and San Luis Potosi, but information on the operation was only released on Monday.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
That’s a shocker.
In Mexico anything is possible if you use “la mordida”, a bribe in our minds but not for Mexicans. Mexican public workers are paid so little that la mordida is considered a pay-as-you-go system of getting things done.
To be a Mexican police officer anywhere in Mexico means being available for “el soborno” or as us gringos say “the touch”. I have used it as a way of getting through traffic a few times. I bumped into a farm truck at an agricultural inspection station and offered el soborno to not only pay for the “damage” but pass around all the vehicles waiting and be on my way.
It is a very small step to accept el soborno from the drug trade. The other benefit of taking el soborno is that you and your family get to stay alive and save enough money to get to the US.
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.