Posted on 05/23/2008 1:03:39 PM PDT by XHogPilot
COLUMBUS, N.M. – Talking with officials in this high-desert town, it doesn't take long to understand just how concerned they are over the widespread violence south of the border, which they can't control.
From the American side of the U.S. Port of Entry in Columbus you can actually look down the streets of Palomas, Mexico – the town is that close. The problem is that Palomas, along with other Mexican cities, has fallen victim to a vicious turf war between rival Mexican drug cartels that has claimed about 4,000 lives since the start of last year. Among those assassinated are high-ranking Mexican police officials.
In tiny Palomas, some 40 people have died in drug shootouts so far this year. The residents live in fear of getting caught in the crossfire and spend much of their time indoors. Recently, all of the town's police officers resigned and the police chief sought political asylum in the United States, claiming his life was in danger. Victims shot up in Palomas are often brought to the border in the hope they'll be treated in American hospitals.
Watching all this from Columbus, Luna County Sheriff Raymond Cobos told us he is worried the Mexican drug war could spread. "My big concern, and the concern of most officials here, is that it's going to spill over into the United States, into this community," he said.
The mayor of Columbus, Eddie Espinoza, fears that, in retaliation for recent killings there, even more gunfire could erupt, perhaps on his side of the border.
"I believe it will get much worse than it is now," he said. "I think we haven't seen the boiling point. I think we're still waiting for that to come."
(Excerpt) Read more at fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com ...
The MSM is still celebrating “diversity”..
Well, I told you so. Now what? Just ignore it like some want Turkey to do?
True the volume of killings has not reached the numbers along portions of the Turkey-Iraq border, yet.
Not to worry, our elected representatives are on top of the problem, I think. "What border? Mexico? We got a border with Mexico? What violence? . . . ."
FENCE? We don’t need no stinking FENCE! Let ‘em be CITIZENS.
- Juan McNuts.
Major catastrophe seems to be developing. A couple of weeks ago police and military forces, countrywide ordered by cartels to ‘join’ them or die. The Mexican Army has about, from reports, 25 thousand troops in the south, and now, about 40 thousand troops on the US Border. Several towns not on the border have had all their police officers quit, and the Mexican Army has moved into those towns by request of the citizens. With a search engine, type in e.g. ‘Mexico failed state’...lots of responses....www.blogpulse.com, a neat blog search engine, will search the blogs for many useful bits of info on any topic including this one.
BORDER OFFICIALS FEAR GROWING MEXICAN DRUG WAR..
the lib/dem msm, etc. etc.....are not interested in any war except iraq...and how they can blame jorge bush and eventually juan mccain!!!!
This is a detailed analysis of Mexico approaching failed state status by Willie, August 2007...
http://www.321gold.com/editorials/willie/willie083007.html
“Victims shot up in Palomas are often brought to the border in the hope they’ll be treated in American hospitals.”
Where are the FROBL’s? They can come tell us yet AGAIN how Mexico’s population doesn’t affect us.
“A massive number of illegal alien gang-bangers in US prisons.”
A much more massive number of them taking over every city in this country.
http://towncriernews.blogspot.com/ Check out the graffiti.
Sounds like William Johnstones’ Invasion USA series is coming to pass.
If this isn’t a reason to militarize the US/Mexican border, I can’t think of one.
We don’t need a fence - we need minefields, guard-towers and attack helicopters.
There you go again. Comparing apples and oranges. Comparing the parastate of Turkey with the US.
How much do Muslim Turks pay you for posting that crap?
We all need to remember that other side of the equation - the insatiable demand that drives drug wars. When we get serious about treatment and punishment of users we’ll make progress.
Or just legalize weed, and grow it domestically.
That will cut off easily half of the drug gangs money supply.
Legalizing booze sure cut back the mobs cash flow. It took decades for them to recover. (Some would say they never did.)
That’s much worse than Iraq.
Can we seal the border now?
It’s not just about the gangs or the mobs. It’s about the welfare of our citizens. Adding weed to our list of woes such as alcohol abuse is not a good solution.
A GOOD SOLUTION is to increase the toll for usage ie. the punishment one receives for using and selling the stuff.
“4000 deaths in 17 months.”
Perhaps we should get our media to tell them they are in a “Quagmire” and they should withdraw their troops immediately...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.