Thread: Efforts to halt flow of guns, cash to Mexico working

San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial

The lifeblood of the cartels / Efforts to halt flow of guns, cash to Mexico working

By Union-Tribune Editorial Board,
Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.

At the core of the Mexican drug war is a deadly triangle: drugs, cash and guns.

The cartels – which Mexican President Felipe Calderón has been trying to put out of business since taking office in December 2006 – thrive because of an appetite for illegal drugs in the United States and, to a lesser extent, Canada. Since the crackdown began, drug traffickers have encountered more difficulty in getting their product into the hands of regular customers to the north. So they’ve had to sell more of it to a new crop of Mexican clients at home, who are not willing to accept the high prices that Americans and Canadians pay. This change has hurt the cartels’ bottom line. If drug traffickers continue to see profit margins shrink, perhaps they’ll look for another line of work.

That’s why a recent round of drug seizures by the U.S. Border Patrol is so important. Last week, agents seized 66 pounds of cocaine during a smuggling attempt at the Interstate 8 checkpoint in East County. The drugs had a street value of about $644,000. Just days earlier, Border Patrol agents discovered 110 pounds of cocaine in two separate stops at the Interstate 5 checkpoint near San Clemente.

Then there is the cash. Last spring, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials stepped up the inspection of southbound vehicles at the U.S.-Mexico border. The result has turned up large amounts of currency, presumably drug revenue headed south and into the bank accounts of drug traffickers. In September, officials discovered nearly $500,000 in cash stuffed in a duffel bag in a minivan heading south through the Otay Mesa crossing. Ready cash is the blood that circulates in the heart of the drug trade. Cut it off and, with any luck, you’ll have system failure.

And where does much of that cash go? To buy guns. And here, local officials can lend a hand. It was recently announced that the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will receive part of a $3.3 million federal grant aimed at stemming the flow of guns into Mexico. The money will pay three years’ salary of a detective dedicated to investigating arms suppliers and those responsible for trafficking the weapons into Mexico. Gun running is usually thought of as a federal issue, but there is no reason that local officers can’t pitch in within specific guidelines. In 2008, more than 14,000 firearms purchased in the United States were recovered by Mexican authorities, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. California was the second-most popular source of the guns, behind Texas.

All this is a reminder of how intricately involved Americans remain in this war raging to the south, whether they realize it or not. The United States has to stay committed to helping Calderón fight and win this conflict. Or we will all pay the consequences for many years to come.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010 ... halt-flow/

I only wish that they would include remittances in the term "flow of cash."