THE ENEMY NEXT DOOR

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

On page B-1 of yesterday's El Paso Times, there was an article on the three major drug cartels that operate on the southern border at El Paso,tx and Las Cruces, NM. These cartels, the Carrillo-Fuentes (Juarez Cartel), Guzman-Loera (Sinaloa Cartel) and the Beltran- Leyva drug trafficking cartel, are just the major crime organizations on this border. There are at least 5 others involved in drug, gun and human smuggling.

The drugs and humans are transported all over the United States. No matter where you live, you own a piece of this problem. Mexico, on our southern border, is totally out of control, with a lawlessness that threatens the very security of each and every American citizen. The Border Patrol leadership admits to having control of only 40% of the US/Mex border.

In 2014, the Border Patrol apprehended and arrested appox 500,000 undocumented aliens. Of this number, one in five had a previous criminal record.

I don't have the solution and the subject can't be discussed without setting aside political correctness, but you are delusional if you think you are not affected by this situation.

 

[shell627]

Amen.My son lives in El Paso his wife was born there.She is now afraid to visit Juarez.I try to stay extra vigilant when I am along the border.I have a friend who grew up running and camping the desert in so cal.He now lives in Az and says a lot of the border area is not safe to travel.

 

[SAFireman]

Build the dang fence already!

 

[PALADIN85020]

My family and I used to live in El Paso, and made frequent trips across the border to Cd. Juarez to visit with church groups, shop and eat at the many fine restaurants there - not to mention that you could get good booze at cheap prices.

You could not drag me kicking and screaming across the border now. Simply put, the police south of the border are NOT in control - things are totally out of hand and very dangerous. I'm not sure I would even want to live in El Paso again because of the proximity to all the madness. You can even hear the gunfire on our side.

Oh, and there are reports that ISIS has set up a training camp in Anapra, just West of El Paso and South of Santa Teresa, NM.

I won't even ask the obvious questions, which would throw this into a political discussion.

John

 

[Calaveras Slim]

Build the dang fence already!

Waste of time and money. Won't work. They just climb over it. Too many politicians in the pocket of people making money from this situation

 

[CoMF]

Waste of time and money. Won't work. They just climb over it. Too many politicians in the pocket of people making money from this situation

Not to mention that proponents of this "great wall" never seem to elaborate on just how exactly we're going to pay for that solution.

 

[PatriotX]

The cartels do indeed affect most of us.

El Chapo's organization (Sinaloa) is said to be responsible for 80% of the hard drugs in Chicago.

An 80% market share is something most multinationals dream about.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Chief, I'm trying to find the link, but a couple weeks ago I saw an FBI report on the cartels and heroin.

Ohio leads the country in heroin deaths. There are five Mexican cartels vying for territory. Cincy, Northern KY, Columbus, Youngstown and Cleveland are being strangled with addicts and heroin/meth related crime.

You could build a wall, a moat and a mine field and it would still find a way in.

It's all about the Benjamins.

 

[hoosierone]

IMO the mine fields would slow them down.

 

[Jessie]

Waste of time and money. Won't work. They just climb over it. Too many politicians in the pocket of people making money from this situation

Electrify the danged thing then. Do SOMETHING!!

 

[kthom]

Waste of time and money. Won't work. They just climb over it. Too many politicians in the pocket of people making money from this situation

Yep, fences are made to be cut through, climbed over, and tunneled under. There are more miles of tunnels across our southern border than most of us can even imagine! And yes, it is about the dollars ... no other motivation to be here or fight among themselves or against authorities here. And the amount of money already spent on fencing along the border is unbelievable, with nothing much to show for it.

 

[eyegots2no]

Yea, and if we did not have the right to own guns----it would not be such a problem.


I feel the real problem is we do not hold the Mex governments foot to the fire.

I think they just lay back and laugh at us.

 

[black1970]

Lived in El Paso in the 70's. Former father-in-law was at Bliss. Learned to build Detroit Diesels at Contractors Equiptment Co. which opened many doors for me when I returned to TN. Went to Wazoo on Sunday's and bought sugar and coffee and had a good time but it was safe then. Even went to a gun show one time there. Shell627 get your boy out of EP before it is too late. EP is like being on the moon anyway. Glad the rope was not cut that I swung out on. JM2CW

 

[Jessie]

So, those who say the fence is useless. What do you propose?

 

[joeintexas]

Years ago we would go into Juarez, spend the day and many times the night and never give safety a second thought. Today you couldn't melt and pour me over there!! Such a shame.

 

[PatriotX]

...I feel the real problem is we do not hold the Mex governments foot to the fire.

I think they just lay back and laugh at us.

You are right that we don't hold them accountable, but I doubt they're laughing much.

The local governments are likely hostage to those who have a vested financial interest in the chaos and corruption - types who would literally hold their feet to a fire.

 

[rcnixon]

Harold Coyle, the author of "Sword Point" and several other books did an analysis of the logistics needed to close the half of the border in Texas. More troops than the US has now in all of the services and reserves, sixty-five thousand truckloads of concertina wire and twelve million mines. That's a lot of pollution.
I won't comment further because I've been a good boy lately and I don't want to spoil that.

Russ

 

[Cyrano]

I first came to El Paso for army training in 1955. I've been here permanently since returning from RVN in 1969. We used to go to Juarez all the time. I've been down dark alleys alone, not too sober, at night that I didn't want to go down when I saw them in the daylight. Never had anyone even look crossseyed at me. I haven't been over there since 2004 and don't plan to go any time soon.

El Paso is one of the safest cities in the US......too quiet. Few crimes, no gang activity. I think the cartels have told the thugs on our side to cool it so they won't interfere with drug shipments. If they comply, they get rewarded; if they don't, they wind up dead in Juarez. A retired EP cop agrees with me on this.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

The Mexican government and its security forces are the bought and paid for property of the cartels. The only hope for the problem is to stop demand. As long as people want the junk someone will sell it, but our security forces are addicted to the government money and confiscation income that drug running brings them. I am not sure that anyone that can impact the situation really wants it to stop.

 

[wrhk33]

I'm for fences, walls whatever will make it harder. Nothing is full proof but you can't give up. Make it bloody, add land mines, electrify it.

When someone breaks into your house do you give up and leave the doors unlocked so the next group can come in and take what they want? When you find a drug dealer you kill them, don't put them in jail.

As for how to pay some have given estimates we spend 70,000 for each person who comes here. It can be done, people don't have the stomach for it. Too worried about dancing with the stars.