Borderland Beat has the latest fatality stats in the brutal “war on drugs” south of the border. [After the jump.] Actually, it isn’t really a “war on drugs.” It’s a war between drug cartels, with Mexican government forces weighing-in for one side or another depending on who’s paying the most for political patronage. At the same time, the Mexican authorities continue to crack down on civilian gun ownership, leaving millions of citizens defenseless against the drug thugs and their allies, who rape, torture, murder and intimidate the populace with near total impunity. eluniversaldf.mx reports “From December 24, 2012 date that launched the program ‘For Your Family,’ voluntary disarmament through March 2013 have collected a total of 4,282 firearms, 28,259 cartridges.” How many Mexican civilians have been incarcerated for illegal firearms? No se . . .
A total of 4,249 drug-related killings occurred in Mexico from December 2012, when President Enrique Peña Nieto took office, to March 2013, marking a drop of 14 percent from the comparable four-month period in 2011-2012, the Government Secretariat said.
Some 685 fewer murders occurred between Dec. 1, when Peña Nieto took office, and March 31, compared to the prior period, Deputy Government Secretary Eduardo Sanchez said.
Drug-related killings also fell 17 percent compared to the August-November 2012 period, Sanchez said.
A total of 184 law enforcement agents were murdered during the Peña Nieto administration’s first four months, the official said.
The war on drugs launched by former President Felipe Calderon, who was in office from 2006 to 2012, left about 70,000 people dead, or an average of 32 per day, in Mexico, officials say. Other figures put that numbers at around 150,000.
Calderon, of the conservative National Action Party, or PAN, deployed thousands of soldiers and Federal Police officers across the country to fight drug cartels.
The ideal system for government and criminal alike is when both can freely extort the population for their own purposes.The politicians seek political power, the criminal seeks $$$. When both win, the citizen loses
When either wins, the citizens lose.
They have the kinda of country they deserve. If the people of Mexico want better then they should fight for it.
You can say the same thing about Rhode Island.
Agreed. But they have given up hope, and decided to walk the border, take up residence here, and vote for gun control.
The war on drugs is a total waste of time and money. You can never stop it. The more they try to squeeze on this issue, the more profitable it becomes to the traffickers. They should just appeal any ridiculous laws that are against it and let free people be free. Those that want to destroy themselves can go ahead and do it, and the rest of us can happily be rid of them.
Regardless, the best way to combat drug use is “education.” Parents need to talk to their children, educate their children, teach their children moral virtues, honor, respect, etc. A spanking may be necessary – however currently that is almost banned.
They have, repeatedly. It’s taken a long time – and some outside “assistance” – to beat them down.
It is the misfortune of Mexico to have the world’s largest arms exporter and drug market on its northern border.
No, civilian disarmament there is not a good idea, but that’s only a small part of a problem which is largely not of their making.
And this is different from the US Prohibition, alcohol-Mafia, Al Capone Chicago Gangster violence how…….
For one, none of the parties mentioned above chose to kill people en masse. American gangsters of the era depended upon public relations to a certain degree – many saw them as folk heroes of sorts. And one or two may have qualified. I have Pretty Boy Floyd in mind here.
The Mexican cartels apparently don’t feel the same need for PR.
I would imagine the cartels don’t need the support of the Mexican people since they are not their customers.
Most of the customers for the Mexican cartels are north of the border.
Legalization and regulation of these drugs would put the cartels out of business overnight.
I don’t use drugs, but why should I prevent my neighbor from using them if he causes me no harm?
-ted
video removed due to copyright infringement wtf
I needed a good laugh Robert, not a war on drugs…between drug cartels, good one, Randy
Don’t tell Chicago, this could be the new model. Tired of the occasional rotten citizen fighting back? Something has to be done? Gotta have a plan? Well feast your eyes, Randy
Americans miss an important point. In Mexican culture, La Mordida “a little bite” of the action is ingrained into the culture. It’s accepted as necessary there. CIA operatives were attacked by people dressed all in black. The attackers drove a few miles away, put on military uniforms, and came back to investigate the attack! That’s normal for them.
In America, a bribe is wrong, but that’s our culture. I’m only a few miles North of The Rio Grande, and see the culture clash daily. How can we fight a culture we don’t understand?
Via 7.62 x 51mm?
7.62X54R is cheaper.
I’ve heard that 60% of the cartel money comes from marijuana. Seems like a pretty simple solution to me. Legalize pot. Slash their funding. That’s a lot of bribe money gone overnight. Meanwhile BO keeps talking about needing more “revenues” so you kill two birds with one stone.
You have my vote! The goal of the cartels is to get American money for their drugs. Stop the demand and there will be no cartels.
I doubt the cartels will disappear overnight. The Mob certainly didn’t after prohibition was repealed. In fact it may get worse before it gets better, with the same number of bad guys now chasing only 40% of the cash. There will be even more pressure to eliminate the competition.
But in the long run it would solve a lot of our problems. A great deal of elicit traffic along the border would cease, making it easier to police. Increased tax revenues to pay for all those food stamps and housing vouchers we need so that so many of our citizens can continue not having to work. Hell, there might even be a few slackards who chose to reenter the workforce with the prospect of working in the pot industry. Ahh, life in O’Bama’s America!
You’re right of course, they won’t disappear – they’ve built up an incredible war chest thanks to 60+ years of government stupidity.
Actually, the cartels lobby here against legalization. Follow the money.
Nieto, the current MX pres is PRI,/i> and as such, is rapidly devolving Calderon’s idiotic policies against the drug lords.
The drop in violence is due to the PRI’s real politik and not futilely rocking the weed and coke boat.
It pains me that so many of my fellow Mexicans are slaughtered every day while our neglectful government sits back. And all because some people want to get high. It’s funny, they don’t realize the repercussions of consuming drugs. Aside from the health ones. Obama should just legalize, regulate and tax drugs. The US is the biggest market for the cartels. Without it, their funding would be thrashed.
Video has been killed.
Drop in violence?
Hmm.
“The war on drugs launched by former President Felipe Calderon, who was in office from 2006 to 2012, left about 70,000 people dead, or an average of 32 per day, in Mexico, officials say.”
32 per day.
“A total of 4,249 drug-related killings occurred in Mexico from December 2012, when President Enrique Peña Nieto took office, to March 2013, marking a drop of 14 percent from the comparable four-month period in 2011-2012, the Government Secretariat said.”
4,249 killings in 120 days = 35 per day.
yep. Sounds like they’ve got the problem all taken care of.