Official: Mexican Drug Cartels Pose Threat

Gangs Amount To Biggest Organized Crime Threat In U.S., According To Department Of Homeland Security

(CBS/AP)  A top Homeland Security official told a House panel Thursday that Mexican drug cartels are the biggest organized crime threat to the United States.

Homeland Security official Roger Rufe said a department plan to respond to escalating violence on the southwest border includes as a last resort - deploying military personnel and equipment to the region if homeland security agencies become overwhelmed.

Rufe, echoing comments a day earlier from President Barack Obama, said now is not the time to militarize the southwest border.

"We would take all resources short of DoD and National Guard troops before we reach that tipping point," Rufe told lawmakers. "We very much do not want to militarize our border."

Rufe said military forces would be called in only when homeland security and other government agencies are overwhelmed. He did not specify what circumstances would trigger a call for troops.

The Mexican government has deployed 700 extra federal police to Ciudad Juarez, a city bordering Texas where local police have been overwhelmed by drug violence. Earlier this month, 3,200 federal troops were sent to the city.

Mexican officials say the violence killed 6,290 people last year - and more than 1,000 in the first eight weeks of 2009. Warring drug cartels are blamed for more than 560 kidnappings in Phoenix in 2007 and the first half of 2008, and killings in Atlanta, and Birmingham, Ala.

Rufe said while the violence along the border in Mexico is appalling, violent crimes have not increased in U.S. border cities as a result. He said kidnappings are up, but violent crime is down.

"We're not so concerned, at least at this point, about that violence spilling over into our cities," he said.

Further, the Homeland Security Department's attache to Mexico said the violence in Mexico is not as dangerous to U.S. tourists as has been portrayed.

Alonzo Pena said the violence is in isolated areas of the country and only affects the people involved in criminal activity. He said the violence is not affecting U.S. citizens visiting Mexico and Americans should not cancel their vacations in the country.

Earlier this month, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives warned college students on spring breaks not to travel to parts of northern Mexico because it was too dangerous.

In February, the State Department advised travelers to avoid areas of prostitution and drug-dealing in Mexico.

Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden announced the appointment of Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske as the next drug czar, a post that will be particularly concerned with violence in the Southwest.

As director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Kerlikowske will help develop and put in place a strategy to stem the Southwest border violence, Biden said in introducing the man President Barack Obama wants to coordinate the nation's drug policy.

[rowdy6680]

Oh my another Republicon pi**ed off because old man McCain didn't get elected. Ever think it's your party's fault for putting a guy out there that couldn't be elected??? Quit your whining and live with it for a change. Obama inherited a mess from GW and he's just trying to fix it. I shudder to think how McCain would even begin to address the situation this country is in aside from asking someone to change his Depends. Give it up already.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can't be no worst than communist dictator Obama spending so much money that we'll end up being a third world country. Maybe we can have the cartels manage our government because they do know how to make money and plus they'll fit right in with the other crooks in Washinton. Do you know the difference between the cartel and our crooked politicians????? They didn't get voted in.

[rowdy6680]

That's my issue as well ubrew. I'd much rather smoke than drink. I am addicted to alcohol as well and it is a struggle. If weed was legal, I would definitely drink less and I have stopped smoking for years at a time since I first tried weed. Alcohol is different and it sucks. Just an opinion.
---------------------------------------------------

Me? I haven't smoked weed since I smoked his stuff 30 years ago. But, like most Americans my age, I AM working on a serious addiction to alcohol, thanks to its being legal. I would definitely smoke weed if it were legal, but the Christian Conservative crowd won't be happy until our 'weed' of choice is 24-7 Hosanna's for the Lord!!! Thats not going to happen, so I guess I'll die of a diseased liver like my aunt did.

[rowdy6680]

WHAT? SpongeBob is on? LOL...I'm missing it! As I mentioned before spazzed Yankee...I own and run a successful business and yeah I smoke pot. Perhaps it's not for everyone for sure. Quit your generalizations and your geriatric point of view. I believe alcohol and tobacco is a much more severe problem to the health and welfare of our citizens. You might be surprised that people you may even know well smoke weed....You sound like my 72 year old Dad....
--------------------------------------------------------------
honestabe: I spend most of my day trying to convince teens who have become victims of marijuana use that they should bother to try. Don't tell me that it doesn't effect them. I have seen pre-teens so obsessed with getting high that they can't even begin to learn. You want me to believe that if it's legal they wouldn't have access, it would be 'regulated'. If you believe that the government can successfully regulate the consumption of anything you are a fool. Oh wait, is that getting to personal. But hey why don't you go light up another spliff and enjoy a day of enlightening entertainment - Spongebob anyone?

[rowdy6680]

You totally don't understand,,,you're just one of those people that lump all drugs/narcotics into one category. You are either 50+, or a conservative Republican or both!
--------------------------------
So you just keep pretending that smoking pot doesn't make a difference. That's the biggest problem. Ingesting mind altering substances that sap individual motivation and ambition is socially acceptable. Maybe we should change the national anthem - "Land of the weak and the home of the stoned".

Legalize it and we can watch as our nation becomes even less productive than it is today. Yipee. Dumbazz

[rowdy6680]

I would agree with that! I am 47 years old and have smoked since I was probably 15. I don't smoke much anymore and I do drink as well, but I run my own business and am successful. I'm not a couch potato. Marijuana should be legal and regulated. Let the DEA go after the most deadly drugs and those selling them.

[rowdy6680]

Hehe....I LOVE IT. Nice words Indeptex!
----------------------------------------

i dont think you have th proper faculty to do anything.
Posted by GODSnLIBERALS

Professionally, MoronsnLIberals, you can't hold my jock! I've been working 37 years, starting at age 12 and can work you and most people in the ground. Been doing it professionally now for almost 30 yrs.......................As an aside, I grew up in the church, my grandfather and 3 uncles worked in the pulpit and I can tell you without hesitation that those that wear their religion on their sleeve and on public blogs are the most hypocritical, two-faced, morally inept inbreeders on this planet! Next time you have a mind to comment, take your right hand out of your panties and type your comment with two hands your religious commie pervert.

Whew.................that felt GOOD!

[rowdy6680]

Honestly, considering the highest unemployment rates in decades, I'm sure some Americans would rather have a job than nothing...but then again, many are too lazy to work hard labor jobs. America has lost integrity and many US Citizens feel they are too good to take medial jobs even if it means they have an income. Shameful. I own my own small business and I am doing just fine at this time. If I was in need to hire someone, I surely wouldn't hire a Mexican or some foreigner. I'd hire a US citizen first and pay what they are worth. It's the scumbag business owners that hire illegals to save a few bux an hour in the name of profit. Those business owners should be prosecuted and I also believe that ALL illegal aliens, and their children even if born in the US should be booted back to where they came from. First, they came here illegally, second, just because you had your child in the US does not give your child the right to stay in OUR country if you came in illegally and have no legal right to live in this country!

Not meaning to sound crass but honestly, if we deported all illegal aliens from the country, then who would do the sh*t jobs like harvesting crops and cleaning toilets and all the other work that we Americans feel we are just too good to do? Think about it.

[rowdy6680]

The problem also is a result of American employers who look to find cheap "slave labor" instead of hiring Americans and paying them a fair wage. Latinos/Mexicans are only here because of the unscrupulous employers that are willing to hire illegal aliens and pay them next to nothing just so they can increase their own profits. No different than shipping auto manufacturing to Mexico, Brazil, or outsourcing IT jobs to India. The business owners who hire illegal aliens or outsource their jobs to other countries need to be punished. Some type of a tax burden or other fees to offset what they are saving using cheap labor. Jail as well! Or better yet AMERICAN BUSINESSES NEED TO EMPLOY AMERICANS! Quit trying to save a buck...business owners that hire illegals or outsource (ie. Ford, GM, Dell, etc) should be ashamed, boycotted, and not even considered American businesses. All for a buck huh? No wonder this country is where it's at today.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
We should have an armed border with shoot to kill orders. All Americans should not buy anything made in Mexico etc. The employers in the United States that are using illegal immigrants from any country should have all their assets taken from them & thrown in prison for life. All these illegals are not puting one thing into our country but they are causing job losses, medical losses, cost of education increases, increase in drug & other crimes. They do not come to American to better their lives, they come to ruin our country just as they have ruined theirs. The farmers that hire these people pay below minimum wage with no benefits, so that means they are all on welfare for health, child care, food etc.

[nofoolling]

The biggest organized crime threat to America and it's citizens is the U. S. Government.

[questionstatus]

STOP TAKING OUR RIGHTS AWAY BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF A FEW! STOP USING THESE LAME EXCUSES. LEGALIZE IT ALREADY, AND LET FREE PEOPLE BE FREE!

[otiswestfall]

Militarizing the border with Mexico sounds like a good idea to me. Makes more sense to me than fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on the other side of the world. Lets not do anything to prevent Mexican drug gangs from coming across out border and massacring innocent people for fun. Lets wait til it happens and then think about doing something about it.

[mdalerwill]

show me ONE highly motivated pot smoker.....that DID SOMETHING meaningful WITH HIS/HER LIFE..
Posted by GODSnLIBERALS at 6:32 PM : Mar 12, 2009

I am not sure why every story that has anything to do with drugs or drug cartels has to turn into an argument about pot, but whatever.

Here's my two cents, while living in the UK, where different drugs are classes differently in recognition that pot for instance is not crack, I found to my surprise that lots of people smoke pot fairly regularly and still hold down jobs and lead productive lives. One is the director of information services (6-figure salary) for a very successful publishing company and head of a number of not-for-profit organizations he works for on his off time. Another is a physicist for gosh sakes. Another is an economist (I can never remember if he went to Cambridge or Oxford). Another is a psychologist. Another should be finishing his advanced degree in artificial intelligence soon. Another is a priest! LOL.

I am sure you can make many arguments in opposition to legalizing pot, but this one is based on a stereotype more than reality.

[honestabe8]

dongo: communist dictator? the cartels know how to make money because they have the politicians in their pockets. without prohibition enhanced profits they would not have the power they do.

[honestabe8]

tootall: fidel was/is a pothead? his love of cigars is well known, but ganja?

[honestabe8]

godsnliberals: i lost track. how many olympic gold medals have you won? i guess that pot sure ruined phelps's swimming.

[honestabe8]

damnyankee: allowing society access to marijuana is a bad idea but not to alcohol?

[JoetheDumbass]

show me ONE highly motivated pot smoker.....that DID SOMETHING meaningful WITH HIS/HER LIFE..

Posted by GODSnLIBERALS at 6:32 PM : Mar 12, 2009

Heres three Mr. wanna be just like the talking heads on TV

1)Micheal Phelps. 2)barak obama 3)ME!

[JoetheDumbass]

"Mexican drug cartels are the biggest organized crime threat to the United States. "
A threat to our home grown organized criminal organization, the U.S gov.

[ubrew12]

GODSnLIBERALS said: "show me ONE highly motivated pot smoker.....that DID SOMETHING meaningful WITH HIS/HER LIFE.. "

I knew a pot smoker, a cocaine user, and several alcoholics in college. They ALL had to take time out of college to get over their addictions. One of the alcoholics got over it, thanks to his girlfriend. The other didn't, and died, eventually. The cocaine addict took a year off, but I saw him when he came back to school, and he wasn't right in the head. He soon dropped out again.

The pot smoker had to take a year off to get over his over-consumption. However, he'd learned so much about growing weed in his closet over the years, that when he came back he got a PhD in Plant Propagation and is a university professor to this day. He still smokes weed, he just got it under control.

I'll bet he smokes some premium home-grown stuff.

Me? I haven't smoked weed since I smoked his stuff 30 years ago. But, like most Americans my age, I AM working on a serious addiction to alcohol, thanks to its being legal. I would definitely smoke weed if it were legal, but the Christian Conservative crowd won't be happy until our 'weed' of choice is 24-7 Hosanna's for the Lord!!! Thats not going to happen, so I guess I'll die of a diseased liver like my aunt did.

[ubrew12]

Article: "A top Homeland Security official told a House panel Thursday that Mexican drug cartels are the biggest organized crime threat to the United States."

Legalize weed. Case closed.

Or don't and live with the fallout.