Thread: Law officials testify on border violence

Law officials testify on border violence

By Dennis Wagner, The Arizona Republic

PHOENIX — Violence involving Mexican narcotics cartels threatens to bleed across the border into Arizona and other states already coping with an epidemic of drug-related murders and kidnappings, according to law enforcement officials who testified Monday before a state Senate subcommittee in Arizona.

The experts described recent gun battles just south of the border where Mexican gangs fought rival cartels, as well as police, blasting away with machine guns and lobbing hand grenades.

"This is organized crime," warned Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard.

"The enemy we are combating is extremely well organized, extremely disciplined and extremely well trained."

MORE: Mexican drug gangs wage war

Goddard joined federal, state and local police leaders in a state Judiciary Committee session convened to evaluate the effects and perils of border-related violence.

"Hundreds of people are being kidnapped, raped and killed," said Sen. Jonathan Paton, R-Tucson, in a news release explaining the session. "Body parts are cut off if ransoms aren't paid fast enough. Drug cartel members are being assassinated in our own state. This is very real, and policymakers need to hear about the dangers."

Arizona's mostly isolated border has been a funnel zone for drug and human smugglers during the past five years. But the state's southern neighbor, Sonora, is emerging as a new battleground in the power struggles among cartels — and between the drug syndicates and police.

Dan Wells, Intelligence Bureau commander at the state Department of Public Safety, listed a series of brazen gunfights just below the border during the past two years.

On Nov. 14 of last year, armed gunmen attacked the police station in Nogales. The next day, the state police commander was assassinated by a sniper during an ambush outside a hotel. Then, on Nov. 3, police exchanged fire for three hours with gang members.

"It was such heavy firefight that police were actually calling for reinforcements…and asking for ammunition from the American side," said Wells.

Speakers said bloodshed that historically was confined to Mexico is escalating and migrating. Phoenix now ranks second in the world in kidnappings for ransom, behind Mexico City. In 2008, the city reported 3664 abductions, mostly tied to Mexican human smugglers and narcotics gangs.

"The violence associated with drug cartels is also reaching into Arizona," said Wells. "This is a new and rising phenomenon that is very alarming."

Law officers described how various task forces strive to combat the crime wave, and mentioned the importance of funding, but offered no novel solutions. The Legislature is expected to consider several related bills this year. One would make it a felony to harbor or conceal illegal immigrants; another would impose more severe penalties on smugglers who use or threaten violence.

Experts said the drug- and human-smuggling enterprises are accompanied by money laundering, auto theft, ID fraud, public corruption and other crimes.

One example: Wells said 95 percent of the firearms seized at Mexican crime scenes were smuggled south from the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimates that more than 7,7004 guns sold in America have been traced to Mexico, some of them linked to shootouts among the cartels or between police and drug organizations.

George Gillett, assistant special agent in charge for ATF, said a new initiative – Project Gunrunner – has been developed to trace southbound gun smuggling from Arizona and New Mexico.
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USA TODAY is starting to pay more attention to the WAR IN MEXICO and the illegal alien problems in this country.

Arizona's mostly isolated border has been a funnel zone for drug and human smugglers during the past five years.

Yep, that's because the former Governor of Arizona didn't do enough to assist in securing her own border. What did she get in reward, a position in the Obama administration (Secretary of Homeland Security).

This is a very important article. I hope it gets lots of attention in the morning

Just last week Napolitano said that the violence wasn't coming across the border.

Sounds like she doesn't know what she is talking about.

Actually MSM has been pretty good at reporting this especially Glenn Beck and he was on FOX and Friends this morning ...great report!!


........."Red Alert".........
Maryland needs help alipacer's , calls, faxes and e-mails
One day left to stop drivers licenes from illegal aliens,
Instructions and Contact info:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopic-147196-days ... asc-0.html

I like to see stories like this in USA TODAY because that gets this information into every city in the country all at the same time.
Then maybe people will demand that their local media follow up on it with more stories.

For months I have been e-mailing every story I find about the WAR IN MEXICO and the violence on the border to 4 different people at USA TODAY and finally they are starting to give these issues more coverage.
You can do this with your local media too.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

For months I have been e-mailing every story I find about the WAR IN MEXICO and the violence on the border to 4 different people at USA TODAY and finally they are starting to give these issues more coverage.
You can do this with your local media too.

Thats great! I send them to all MSM with a nice little scathing letter and asking why I have not seen this in the news.

RELATED:

Mexican drug cartel violence has spilled over into Texas
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-147411.html