------ Forwarded Message > From: Sardar <sar...@spiritone.com> > Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2010 18:14:36 -0800 > To: Sardar <recon1968br...@yahoo.com> > Subject: CNSNews.com - Mexican Drug Cartels Active Nationwide, Obama > Administration Officials Say > > The suppliers for the drug cartels are the CIA. The CIA uses their drug > money to pay for the CIA black budget. Get rid of the CIA and you will get > rid of the cartels and the drug problem. > Sardar > > Mexican Drug Cartels Active Nationwide, Obama Administration Officials Say > Tuesday, March 02, 2010 > By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer > > > > Some of the cash seized by the DEA in its battle against Mexican drug > cartels. (Image courtest of DEA.) > (CNSNews.com) - A senior Obama administration official said on Monday that > Mexican drug cartels are being targeted inside the United States more than > along the border with Mexico, echoing remarks last week by Homeland Security > Secretary Janet Napolitano that cartels are operating throughout the > country. > > Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement > Affairs David Johnson made the remarks at a State Department press briefing > when CNSNews.com asked if the plan to combat drug trafficking and money > laundering around the world included dealing with Mexican drug cartels in > the United States. > > Johnson said that U.S. law enforcement agencies are in charge of combating > the cartels, but that those agencies have had success targeting those > operations on America soil. > > "Yes, there's a broad impact in the United States of cartel operations that > are based inland from Mexico," Johnson said. "I think that illustrates > another point that bears some exploring. When people think about, quote end > quote, 'spillover,' you tend to think of a glass and things that are > spilling over right at the border. > > "It doesn't tend to be that way," Johnson said. "The spillover, if you will, > is more broadly in the United States, and some of the border communities > would be not nearly as effective than (sic) some of the more inland areas > are." > > Testifying at a Feb. 24 hearing on the Department of Homeland Security 2010 > budget before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs > Committee, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said Mexican drug cartel > operations are widespread in the United States. > > "I was in Mexico City again just last week," Napolitano said. "We must > continue a concerted and sustained effort against these cartels. Ciudad > Juarez, a city of 1.5 million people, is right over a bridge from our > border, and the rule of law has effectively been lost there. > > "The cartels, in essence, have fingertips in the communities across the > United States, and so you will see, in different places in the budget, but > we are very, very concerned about the situation in Mexico, but we are very, > very energized by the effort we are seeing across our federal government and > across the Mexican federal government in that regard," Napolitano said. > > According to a May 2009 Congressional Research Service report, 5,630 people > died in Mexico from drug cartel-related violence in 2008. > > She said that the drug cartels and the violence associated with them are a > threat to U.S. security. > > "These cartels are big. They're organized. They have fingers that reach into > hundreds of American communities," Napolitano said at the hearing. "And > there needs to be a sense of urgency about this if for no other reason than > because the presidency of Mexico will expire in another year and a half and > also because quite frankly people are dying." > > According to an April 2008 National Drug Intelligence Center report, Mexican > drug cartels are operating in 195 U.S. cities. > > "Mexican DTOs [Drug Trafficking Organizations] are the most pervasive > organizational threat to the United States," the report said. "They are > active in every region of the country and dominate the illicit drug trade in > every area except the Northeast. > > "Mexican DTOs are expanding their operations in the Northeast and have > developed cooperative relationships with DTOs in that area in order to gain > a larger share of the northeastern drug market," the report added. > > "Federal, state, and local law enforcement reporting reveals that Mexican > DTOs operate in at least 195 cities throughout the United States," it said. > > Johnson held a press briefing at the State Department on Monday to announce > the release of the 2010 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report. The > annual report is given to Congress as mandated by the Foreign Assistance > Act. > > The report describes the efforts of key countries to attack all aspects of > the international drug trade in calendar year 2009. Volume I covers drug and > chemical control activities. Volume II covers money laundering and financial > crimes. > > The countries named in the report as "major illicit drug producing" are > Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Columbia, Dominican > Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, > Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. > > Of those, three countries were designated by President Barack Obama, > according to the report, as having "failed demonstrably" during the previous > 12 months to adhere to their obligations under international > counternarcotics agreements - Burma, Bolivia and Venezuela. > > The report also praises Mexico for its efforts in fighting drug cartels, > which were responsible for thousands of deaths in the country in 2009. > > > "The road ahead will not be an easy one," the report said. "The drug cartels > in Mexico are entrenched and powerful. The broader institutional changes > needed to modernize and reform the law enforcement and criminal justice > sectors can only take place gradually and over time. > > "Carrying through on these changes will require a long-term commitment from > both the Mexican government and the people of Mexico," the report says. > "Mexico is on the right path, however, and the Government (sic) has laid out > a solid plan for breaking the cartels and protecting public security," it > added. > > "The United States will continue to work closely with Mexico to help > implement this plan," the report said. > > > > > Like this story? Then sign up to receive our free daily E-Brief newsletter > > > > Viewer Comments > http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/62109
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