Drug Cartels Continue to Target Journalists in Mexico

Posted by azdrugrehabctr on March 15, 2015 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News | Comments are off for this article

In order to keep the lucrative drug empires going, Mexican drug cartels use violence and fear. Due to the incredible demand for drugs in the United States, the cartels have used their power to dominate Mexican citizens and the media. With the millions of dollars pouring in from America, the cartels are able to use that money to employ thousands of soldiers who are deployed to kill, kidnap or injure anyone who stands in the way of the incredible profit from the sale of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and illegal guns.

Reporters in Mexico have been a target for the cartels because of their attempts at furnishing Mexican citizens with reports on cartel violence and agendas. As retaliation for publishing stories having to do with the cartels, many editors have been killed, kidnapped or beaten as warnings to stop reporting on the activities of the drug cartels. Due to the treat to life, many editors have determined that it is safer to report “soft” news and stay away from anything that has to do with the illegal drug trade.

“We have been threatened twice. But this time we said yes we are going to publish…and after that, we will have to return to self-censorship. Criminals have taken over the editorial line. They say what to publish and what not to publish, and there are consequences,” explained Hildebrando Deandar, the General Director of El Manana Publishing Group.

After the abduction and beating of Enrique Juarez Torres, editor of the newspaper, the publisher decided to step back from reporting on the activities of the drug cartels altogether. Despite police guards, many people from the newspaper resigned in fear of their lives. The drug cartel’s method of fear worked well in this situation, preventing any more publicity of their activities.

The United States’ role in the drug cartel’s ability to overpower newspapers and wreak havoc on entire towns cannot be overlooked. The demand for drugs in the U.S. is so high that the power given to the cartels often trumps that of the Mexican police forces and government.

While some people believe that legalizing more drugs in our country will reduce the amount of violence associated with trafficking, it is unlikely that that will ever happen. Instead, many substance abuse treatment professionals point out that focusing on reducing the demand

Meth Trafficking Ring Busted in Southern California

Posted by azdrugrehabctr on February 13, 2014 under Addiction Trends | Comments are off for this article

While the overall total of methamphetamine users in the United States is still lower than it was several years ago, recent trafficking information indicates it is on the rise again. A U.S. Attorney in the Southern California area just charged nearly 50 people with trafficking after a year-long investigation. She claimed they prosecuted more than 900 meth cases last year.

The staggering number for just that one area is indicative of the amount of meth being brought into the U.S. from Mexico since laws reduced local small-labs around the country. Total cases are up more than six times from the number just five years ago.

Additionally, officials say that over 12,000 pounds of meth were seized last year crossing into California from Mexico, which is double the amount from just two years earlier. The methamphetamine from this latest investigation was found to be sold from San Diego to as far away as Minnesota.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Southwest Border Initiative (SWBI) has been operating for 20 years. It combines resources and efforts from multiple law enforcement agencies to combat the drug trafficking groups that bring in very large amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States from Mexico. While efforts to reduce the supply may not be completely done in vain, many experts and people throughout the country would prefer to have more funding diverted from drug war operations into drug prevention and treatment programs.