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Drug seizures lead to ruthless retribution

By Jeremy Schwartz | Monday, December 17, 2007, 01:35 PM

If anything vividly demonstrates the uphill battle Mexico faces in battling the drug cartels, it’s the gruesome payback the frontline drug war fighters are receiving.

On Friday, customs agents at Mexico City’s international airport seized half a ton of pure cocaine on a plane coming from Colombia. Two days later, authorities found the decapitated heads of two customs workers. Officials haven’t declared the cases connected, but most observers believe there may be a link.

Such direct retribution is becoming a disturbing trend. Last week, two soldiers who manned a highway checkpoint near Monterrey were found executed, days after the seizure of seven tons of marijuana from the back of a tractor-trailer. glock.jpg

What can be done about these apparent retribution killings, which are sure to have a chilling effect on customs agents, soldiers and cops? Will they all have to wear ski masks to hide their identity? In discussing the case with one longtime foreign correspondent here, it seemed clear that even such extreme measures probably wouldn’t work. In the Monterrey case, the killers likely knew the names and addresses of the murdered soldiers, and that would require the work of an inside snitch.

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By gvj4

December 17, 2007 4:42 PM | Link to this

Legalize it.

By Larry

December 17, 2007 5:58 PM | Link to this

We, as a state and country, should get better prepared before this violence moves north of the border, it’s only a matter of time. One of the reasons for the gangs excessive brutality is Mexico has no death penalty. Without a death penalty the gangs rule the prisons as well because even if they kill a guard they only get an additional life penalty. The death penalty is feared by these guys as we have repeatedly seen killers flee to the border in a desperate attempt to flee. We should keep the death penalty or we will see this type of violence from REPEAT offenders.

By Jeff

December 17, 2007 7:03 PM | Link to this

why do you have a picture of a glock pistol instead of pictures of drugs. Are you implying that guns are responsible for the drug trade.

By Mike

December 17, 2007 11:41 PM | Link to this

While we focus our attention on terror on the other side of the world there is a building storm of violence to our south. People that are familiar with the border will tell you that perceptions are changing and they are changing to one of being fearful of what is happening on the other side of the Texas-Mexico border.

What happens on this side of the border when the other side of the border becomes another Columbia of the 80’s and 90’s? The drug cartels have helped to destabilize governments of South and Central America and they appear to be on the verge of doing the same in Mexico. When they can kill honest law enforcement with impunity and do so as examples to others in law enforcement as a message, “stop seizing our drugs or you die”, the rule of law is truly in doubt.

It is already affecting Texas cities along the border. The border cities with bridges have come to depend on the crossing fees for their general fund operating budgets, up to 25% in some cases. If you check you might find border crossings are down from last year, in some of these cities the drop is considerable. Fewer people and vehicles are going across at all points and the primary reason is not increased paper work or the long lines to get back into this country. It’s about fear. Fear of the escalating violence on the other side. The movement of people and goods back and forth across the border is a huge part the economy of south Texas along with the agricultural industry. The loss in revenue from the reduction in the number of border crossings will mean less money the border cities will have for public safety and other critical social programs that receive funding from a city’s general fund, adding to the problem.

Our Congressional leaders answer to the problem is by building a wall, as though a man made wall will keep us all safe from terrorists and drug cartels. When will people on our side of the border get a grip and understand that walls, fences and rivers will not keep out the drug smugglers and the violence that will surly follow them over to this side of the border. Only with a comprehensive policy based on the sharing of solid actionable intelligence and commitment of the resources from both sides to move on that intelligence, can we get a handle on the growing violence. This will lead in the long run to a stronger working relationship between our two governments. Hopefully our political leaders on both sides will come to understand it is not about us verses them, but about all of us who want to live, work and raise our families in peace, which ever side of the Rio Grande you live on.

By Melissa

December 21, 2007 5:20 PM | Link to this

It’s Colombia not Columbia.