Posted on 08/05/2006 7:31:12 AM PDT by Flatus I. Maximus
SLIDELL, La. — It was just before dawn when the pickup truck arrived at the two-story house in this middle-class suburb, which was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. But unlike most of the trucks here now, it was not carrying construction supplies.
Federal agents, who were hiding in the bushes, say the truck was bringing 50 kilograms of cocaine, worth $5 million, from Houston to the murderous streets of nearby New Orleans. They also say that the shipment, seized on May 18, was at least five times as large as the typical drug delivery before the storm.
The drug trade in New Orleans is flourishing again, after its dealers, who evacuated to the regional drug hub of Houston, forged closer ties to major suppliers from the Mexican and Colombian cartels. They have since brought back drugs to New Orleans in far larger shipments than before, as the seized truck illustrates, essentially creating violent distribution gangs now spread over a much bigger area.
As a result, law enforcement officials in New Orleans and Houston are struggling to keep up with the changes as the region’s drug trade merges to a greater extent than ever before, adding to the murder rates in both cities.
As the drug-dealing returns, its effects are proving deadly for New Orleans, where the police say that fights over turf for distributing the drugs are the main reason for a spike in killings that threatens the city’s recovery. Even though its population is less than half of what it was before the storm, New Orleans recorded 22 homicides in July, the same number that it averaged each month in the three years before the hurricane.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Who says murder is a higher priority? Is there a federal agency devoted solely to investigating murders as there is for drug crimes?
The more I hear about New Orleans, the less I care. It has reached the point where I almost wish Hurricane Katrina had wiped the city from the face of the earth. Of course the place has problems. Corruption is rampant in city govt. It had a very large population of second and third generation welfare recipiants who will never get off thier asses short of at gunpoint. Except for the French Quarter rebuilding itself (on its own dime) for its tourist value I do not see that city as nothing more than a waste of money and effort. Last but not least, it is about the worst place geographically for a major city to be. My sympathy for New Orleans and its citizens ended a long time ago.
My Gator son referred to 'Nahlins' as something amenable to an enema after going there for a game some years ago...LOL
When you say "legalizing drugs" you mean all drugs, including prescription drugs, to all ages.
Idiotic conclusion. Licensed drug stores would still sell the now legal 'recreational' drugs, just as liquor stores sell booze.
You do realize that any drug not legalized will be sold to all ages by the gangs.
So? - They could and would do this now, if there was a profit; -- that's how black markets operate bobbie.
Legalizing all drugs is not a real high priority for oh, maybe 99% of the American people.
So you prohibitionists hype.
Assuming we did legalize all drugs, gangs would simply get into the exporting business, reversing the current pipeline, illegally exporting our legal drugs to countries where they remain illegal.
Another idiotic conclusion. You're assuming that gangs could get the drugs wholesale from a tightly regulated market. Dream on.
Or they'd get into smuggling cigarettes, people, human organs, guns, whatever. What they will NOT do is get a real job.
Yep, in paulsens delusional world prohibitions on guns, cigarettes, drugs, whatever; -- forces people to get a "real job".
In actuality he's begging the question.
I'm waiting to hear you deny it.
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