The last 48 hours has seen the killings of 12 police officers, 4 of them killed yesterday in Ciudad Juárez including one from the state Attorney General's Office. The other 3 were Federal Police officers who were gunned down in the hotel where they were billeted. As well, in this time frame, the state of Chihuahua experienced 30 deaths, 18 of which were in Ciudad Juárez alone.
The chief of police of Agualeguas, Nuevo León, and his brother where discovered in an abandoned patrol car, both of whom were decapitated. Written on the patrol car were the initials "CDG" a reference to the Gulf Cartel (Cártel del Golfo). In Nogales, Sonora, a deputy chief of police was found assassinated as was his body guard. And, in the state of Michoacán the chief commandant of the city of Zacapau was found dead after being kidnapped last Wednesday.
Clearly, this sudden rash of deaths of high-level commanders is the narcos sending a message to the police agencies to cooperate or die, a means to demoralize the agencies and ensure that the cartels can operate unmolested. Further, these targeted executions emphasizes the power of the cartels in spite of the efforts waged by Calderón to defeat them, and that the cartels have access to information as to the location and movements of the police. If the upper echelon of police officers can be so easily targeted what hope do the regular, front line officers have?
Well, here's the answer, doncha know:
ReplyDeleteI tried to find a good quote but the entire article is so out of touch it beggars the imagination. But this stands out:
"Of course, the most effective way for Mexico to combat drug violence is to create jobs that will give people an adequate alternative to the cartels."
What is an 'adequate alternative' to being dead? It would seem that all the gov't (along with help from the USA) is providing is targets. There has to be some alternative other than being dead. When the choices are big money or death, what will most people choose? Especially when the big money is offered to anyone who will join?
Years ago, Mario Puzo wrote in 'The Godfather' about the problem of drugs and he was exactly right. The Corleone family didn't want anything to do with drugs but they realized there was just too much money involved so they had to do business if only to attempt to control their own people as much as they could. As long as there are the obscene profits associated with drugs, there will be a never ending supply of people to step up and fill any of the voids in the drug supply chain.
The only way to effectively combat the violence of the cartels is to remove the financial incentive. And the only way to do that is to legalize marijuana.
Tom
Definitely demoralizing.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the killers are also taking whatever munitions they can find. Including badges, radios, uniforms, etc… so they can impersonate officials and listen in on their conversations?
Or are they so brazen they laugh at the cop pea-shooters compared to their guns, and don't think they need to bother dressing up as cops to trick people, or eavesdrop on their conversations?