Thread: 48 arrested in US raid on Mexican drug cartel (751 arrests)

48 arrested in U.S. raid on Mexican drug cartel

The arrests in California, Minnesota and Maryland are part of a multi-agency operation targeting the Sinaloa Cartel. The number of arrests is now up to 751.

February 26, 2009|Josh Meyer

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced Wednesday that authorities had arrested more than 730 people across the country in a 21-month investigation targeting Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel and its infiltration into U.S. cities.

The arrests, including 50 on Wednesday in California, Minnesota, Maryland and the nation's capital, come amid growing concern in Washington that Mexican crime organizations are out of control and threaten the stability of parts of Mexico and the safety of U.S. citizens.

The Homeland Security Department has developed a plan to send more agents and other resources, and possibly military support, to the U.S.-Mexico border if the drug violence continues to spill over and overwhelm the agents stationed there, a department official confirmed.

The Pentagon is looking into a larger role in bolstering counter-narcotics efforts. Adm. Dennis C. Blair, the director of national intelligence, told Congress on Wednesday that the corruptive influence and increasing violence of the cartels had undermined the Mexican government's ability to govern parts of its country.

A recent State Department travel advisory warned U.S. citizens about the perils of travel in Mexico, likening the shootouts between authorities and the cartels to "small-unit combat." The U.S. National Drug Intelligence Center believes that Mexican cartels maintain drug distribution networks or supply drugs to distributors in as many as 195 U.S. cities.

And on Wednesday, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, said the recent surge in drug-related violence on the Southwest border "has turned some American communities and neighborhoods into the Wild West."

"A battle is building on the border, and U.S. citizens are getting caught in the crossfire," Smith said, calling on House Democrats to hold a hearing on drug-related violence on the border. "Congress must address the violence before more lives are lost."

U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., in his first news conference since taking over as the nation's top law enforcement officer, offered this as proof of the creeping spread of the Sinaloa cartel in the United States: the seizure of more than $59 million in illegal drug proceeds and large amounts of narcotics, including more than 24,000 pounds of cocaine, 1,200 pounds of methamphetamine and 1.3 million ecstasy pills.

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/26 ... g-cartel26

"The Homeland Security Department has developed a plan to send more agents and other resources, and possibly military support, to the U.S.-Mexico border if the drug violence continues to spill over and overwhelm the agents stationed there, a department official confirmed."



They are "CONSIDERING" using military support at the border "should" the violence continue? How dumb do they think we are? It's NEVER going to stop unless the military or equivelent stands guard on the border! ENOUGH TALK, TIME FOR ACTION NOW!!!!!!!!!

Mexican drug gang suspects rounded up

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http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/201 ... gang_N.htm

Originally Posted by FreeRideIsOver

"The Homeland Security Department has developed a plan to send more agents and other resources, and possibly military support, to the U.S.-Mexico border if the drug violence continues to spill over and overwhelm the agents stationed there, a department official confirmed."



They are "CONSIDERING" using military support at the border "should" the violence continue? How dumb do they think we are? It's NEVER going to stop unless the military or equivelent stands guard on the border! ENOUGH TALK, TIME FOR ACTION NOW!!!!!!!!!

Welcome!

Agree wholeheartedly! Dang forked tongues of theirs. I'd like to plug them into and electrical socket..

FoxNews had exclusive footage of the war room in DC in regard to this.
one screen showed a running total of what had been seized

8 Million in cash. over 16 tons of pot

Federal Agents Raid Mexican Drug Cartel Suspects In El Paso

Posted: 4:20 pm MST February 24, 2011Updated: 4:50 pm MST February 24, 2011
EL PASO, Texas -- Law enforcement officers across the U.S. conduct a massive sweep Thursday of Mexican drug cartel suspects.

KFOX14 got video of a raid in El Paso near the intersection of Magnolia and Texas in downtown El Paso.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said the sweep is in reaction to last week's shooting of two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/26987667/detail.html


Does anyone have the suspicion besides me that perhaps the Feds have known for some time that these cartel people are in the US? I find it very suspicious that since the murder of the Ice agent, all of the sudden these raids are occurring. What does it mean? That the US has known that these people were/are here and have been ignoring that fact until now?

Originally Posted by elpasoborn

. . . Does anyone have the suspicion besides me that perhaps the Feds have known for some time that these cartel people are in the US? I find it very suspicious that since the murder of the Ice agent, all of the sudden these raids are occurring. What does it mean? That the US has known that these people were/are here and have been ignoring that fact until now?

They have made more than 700 arrest in the last 21 months of the investigation.

"The Justice Department announced Wednesday that authorities had arrested more than 730 people across the country in a 21-month investigation targeting Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel and its infiltration into U.S. cities."

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-229255.html

From another article.

Authorities in Brazil, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia and Mexico conducted similar sweeps in concert with U.S. authorities.

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1189387.html#1189387

By late Thursday afternoon police and federal agents around the U.S. had seized nearly 300 weapons and more than 16 tons of marijuana along with other drugs. The sweep was expected to continue through Friday.

In the Newark, N.J., area, authorities on Wednesday arrested at least one person with ties to Mexico's ruthless Zetas drug gang - the same gang believed responsible for the deadly attack on Zapata and Avila - and seized about $1 million they believe was bound for cartel bosses in Mexico.

Former Mexican special forces soldiers are among the Zetas' members
During a traffic stop north of Los Angeles late Wednesday police arrested one man and seized $2 million in cash along with 86 kilos of cocaine, drugs worth millions of dollars on the street.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/02/ ... 25312.html

The DEA division for North Texas, the Panhandle, and Oklahoma have made 57 arrests, and seized approximately 70 pounds of methamphetamine, 40 kilograms of cocaine, 200 pounds of marijuana, 36 weapons and over $2 million in U.S. currency, gold bullion and other assets. There is no word if any of the arrests or seizures are from our area.

http://www.connectamarillo.com/news/sto ... &id=585432