The Valley of Juarez
[Guest post by DRJ]
Last week, the AP reported the Sinaloa cartel has won the Juarez drug war:
“After a two-year battle that has killed more than 5,000 people, Mexico’s most powerful kingpin now controls the coveted trafficking routes through Ciudad Juarez. That conclusion by U.S. intelligence adds to evidence that Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s Sinaloa cartel is winning Mexico’s drug war. *** Already, the Sinaloa cartel is the world’s largest, and Guzman last year made Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s top billionaires.
His cartel moved in on the city in 2008 in an attempt to wrest it from the Juarez cartel led by Vicente Carrillo Fuentes. The fighting prompted Mexican President Felipe Calderon to send thousands of army troops to the city, but the fighting has killed more than 5,000 people, making Juarez one of the world’s deadliest cities.”
The losing cartels aren’t expected to give up and the violence is expected to continue. In addition, the drug war is impacting more than Juarez and El Paso. It’s also targeting the U.S. border villages southeast of El Paso known as the Valley of Juarez:
”Most recently, officials and experts believe the cartel is trying to take over of a series of small farming towns east of Juarez. The towns, across the Rio Grande from the Texas farming towns of Fabens and Fort Hancock, had long been under the control of the Juarez cartel and were historically used as staging areas for drug smugglers. But the arrests or killings of local smugglers have left the area vulnerable to attacks by Sinaloa leaders.”
You may remember Fabens from the Ramos-Compean case. Things have gotten so bad there that a Texas school won’t let its team travel to nearby Fort Hancock for sporting events — and if you know Texas, you know how unusual that is. The area is getting more attention from law enforcement on both sides of the border, including the Mexican military:
”The Mexican army and federal police are now heavily guarding the Valley of Juárez after terrorized residents demanded more security.
Officials with the Coordinated Operation Chihuahua confirmed that large contingents of military and federal police were patrolling the stretch of 50 miles southeast of Juárez.
The valley is comprised by rural towns adjacent to Fabens, Tornillo and Fort Hancock. In this area, gang members have burned down homes, businesses and killed more than 50 people in March.
Enrique Torres, spokesman with the Coordinated Operation Chihuahua, said two federal police helicopters have been flying over the farming towns since Thursday.”
… and United States officials:
”U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez said Friday he has asked Texas Gov. Rick Perry to dedicate more homeland security funds to counties on the Mexican border.
The San Antonio Democrat spoke to residents and reporters in the border town of Fort Hancock – where many Mexican families have settled after fleeing drug war violence. Rodriguez’s announcement follows last week’s Associated Press report on the fears created by the drug cartel and subtle intimidation felt in schools and elsewhere in Fort Hancock, a farming community about 50 miles southeast of the violent Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez.
***
Four other congressmen, including Silvestre Reyes of El Paso, also signed the request letter sent to Perry on Thursday.”
Most Texas border counties vote Democratic and thus are represented by Democratic Congressmen such as Rodriguez and Reyes. It would be nice if these Congressmen and their Party’s leader, President Obama, recognized their Constitutional duty to protect border states by sending troops to secure the border. Texas requested federal help over a year ago, and Arizona officials have repeatedly called on the federal government to put troops on the border, especially after the recent murder of an Arizona rancher. Secretary Napolitano’s response was to offer a $25,000 reward.
I guess these Democratic Congressmen know who to call on if they want something done and it isn’t Washington.
— DRJ
I have a great idea: Let’s utilize electronic beams and cameras to create a “virtual fence” along the border. That ought to stop ’em.
JVW (08e86a) — 4/12/2010 @ 9:39 pmI guess these Democratic Congressmen know who to call on if they want something done and it isn’t Washington.
Big Sis?
Barbara Boxer?
Lindsey Graham?
David in San Diego (882a08) — 4/12/2010 @ 9:40 pmMost Texas border counties vote Democratic
Most of Mexico votes in a similar way, votes blindly for their version of the Democrat Party. That knuckle-headed allegience to left-leaning sentiment and politics is a major reason certain societies or cities can so quickly become armpits and remain armpits on an indefinite basis.
Mark (411533) — 4/12/2010 @ 9:51 pmJVW:
That was a funny post. Probably not in the way you meant it, but it was funny.
Ag80 (f67beb) — 4/12/2010 @ 10:02 pmThe slaughter of 5,000 people serves as empirical evidence that (once again) liberal polices increase the suffering and misery of people. Not intended to do so, but the result is nearly always the same.
The military should have been patrolling that border long ago, but the need for low wages and the desire to “help” people has blinded our nation to the need of controlling the border. The deaths will continue unabated as our nation has ceded these border areas to criminal organizations that laugh at our liberal notions of border policy.
The importance of insisting upon real border security is now spelled in blood. Our previous President did nothing effective and our current President is a joke. The only real question is how many more must die before a leadership emerges in this Country that is effective and competent enough to implement solutions to alleviate the slaughter. I pray soon, but fear a high cost in innocent blood must first occur before this current Administration is shamed into performing its Constitutional Duties.
Apparently, the lives of 5,000 Mexicans is still not enough.
Pons Asinorum (a794fb) — 4/12/2010 @ 10:19 pmThey’re only trying to feed their children.
nk (db4a41) — 4/13/2010 @ 5:04 amElections have consequences. If you voted for a liberal and live near the border those consequences can be quite costly. My advice to you, and to anyone else in that area, is to run and hide like a demoncrat or pull your head out of your backside, arm yourself, and fight for your country. Otherwise quit your crying because those who you elected don’t give a rat’s about you or your country. If they did the border would have already been secured by the Marines.
PatriotRider (103218) — 4/13/2010 @ 6:43 amAnd just what did those rocket scientists at FBI think was going to happen when the Cali and Medellin cartels in Columbia were broken up? It was already known that the drug routes were through Mexico. Did they think all those drug lords would just pack up their cocaine and go home to be farmers in Columbia?
I read a federal report two years ago how the drug lieutenants from Columbia just moved into Mexico, using the old drug routes and getting away from the heat being put on them by the Columbia government. El Presidente Vicente Fox certainly was not interested in doing anything about it (with rumors running rampant in Mexico about how Fox could manage to increase his personal wealth so quickly once he took office), so the Columbia cartels, with their top guys out of the way, splintered off into new, and more vicious Mexican cartels, with an ever growing number of peons willing to be mules into the states.
But hey, we can’t piss off the Mexican government by putting our troops on the border. Fox informed Bush that would be an act of agression against Mexico, and we all know what a great neighbor Mexico is, right?
Now we have Lindsay Grahamnesty rearing his ugly head again, wanting to give the druggies a right to be here and a POTUS who will play the “race” card for more votes in ’12.
So the idiots like Rodriquez and Reyes will go whining to Governor Perry, knowing damn well that protecting our borders is the responsibility of the federal government. That way, they can try to make Perry look bad, garner votes for Ron White and give the community organizer in the Oval Office a pass.
And Texans will die. But hey, whats a few dead Americans when there is a whole new crop of voters to be had?
retire05 (2abfb2) — 4/13/2010 @ 7:31 amSome sheriff from the border region told the people of the community to arm themselves if they were going to stay around. He said he would prefer they meet up with 12 in a jury than 6 carrying a casket.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 4/13/2010 @ 12:56 pmRemember the old days in Mexico when the Federales would just line up the bad guys and shoot them? A number of movies, like “Treasure of Sierra Madre,” depicted this as no big deal. Maybe the money is too good to keep the Federales on our side but this is a growing problem that Obama will eventually have to deal with.
Mike K (2cf494) — 4/13/2010 @ 2:01 pm.50 caliber sniper rifles fired from the water tower
on the US side at any cartel soldier carrying an AK would at least move the festivities back 1000 meters from the border towns.
Maybe some drones with hellfire missiles could put a permanent dent in “El Chapo’s” net worth
Steve G (7d4c78) — 4/13/2010 @ 2:13 pmOr station a squadron of Cobra helos fully armed in Douglas, AZ to engage the drug running, murderous scum spilling over onto our sovereign territory.
PatriotRider (483886) — 4/13/2010 @ 8:06 pmand, knowing his incisive mind, his solution will be more gun control in the US.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 4/13/2010 @ 8:42 pmAll they would have to do is call up the “unorganized militia”, and supply them with food and ammo, and blanket authority.
AD - RtR/OS! (f3d22b) — 4/13/2010 @ 9:06 pm