Thread: Drug Cartel Members Kidnapping People in San Diego County

Drug Cartel Members Kidnapping People in San Diego County
Reported by: Antonio Castelan
Email: antonio.castelan@sandiego6.com
Last Update: 10/09 8:16 pm

The drug war violence in Tijuana is spilling over to this side of the border as drug cartel members in Tijuana search for different avenues of make money.

As the battle rages everyday on the streets of Tijuana, drug traffickers routinely commit murder.

In San Diego, we don't see bloodshed in the streets but, secretly, kidnappings of prominent people are happening.

Law enforcement officers claim there have been close to 200 kidnappings tied to the drug cartel. The numbers would probably be higher if all of the kidnappings were reported.

Sheriff statistics claim 187 kidnappings tied to the drug cartel happened in the past year.

The numbers a couple a years ago were below 75.

Jay La Suer is running for sheriff. The former State Assemblymen confirms those kidnapping numbers.

La Suer said, "Cross border crime is something that is interventional. Cross border crime is something very dangerous to the citizens of San Diego."

We are told the kidnappings are mainly happening in the Southbay in cities like Chula Vista or Eastlake.

Pete Nunez is a former U.S attorney. He's followed the drug war for many years.

Nunez points out the wealthy are usually the targets. He believes this is the cartels' new effort in making money.

Nunez said, "Most of them are profit driven. It's an attempt -- you kidnap a guy and hope to get a lot of money."

Nunez doesn't see the trend going away. "What happens on one side quite often affects what happens on the other side."

http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/sto ... t8VTg.cspx

Oh great!

So is San Diego going to become like Phoenix which is the second highest kidnapping capital of the world?

Nunez doesn't see the trend going away. "What happens on one side quite often affects what happens on the other side."

Nice! Get me the H out of here....please!