Posted on 02/17/2011 10:09:00 AM PST by AuntB
One US immigration and customs agent was killed and a second was wounded in a suspected ambush in Mexico.
Life has become horribly cheap in Mexico's drug wars, but when the victim is an American special agent, the price rises sharply.
Tuesday's shootings have forced US-Mexican relations up Washington's list of priorities, even as the Obama administration responds to the tumultuous events in the Middle East.
"If it turns out that these two agents were directly targeted, it changes everything," says one US law enforcement official.
ICE has about 30 agents in Mexico, and those on permanent assignment are authorised to carry guns. Ice agent Jaime Zapata Jaime Zapata was wounded in the attack and later died from his injuries.
The Obama administration has acknowledged the negative role that the US plays in fuelling drug-related violence - from the demand for illegal drugs by American consumers to the trafficking of US-bought weapons into Mexico.
Fernando Toranzo, San Luis Potosi state governor, said in a radio interview: "There was an attack where drug gang members... tried to kill two US officials on a federal highway."
Someone appears to have tipped them off to the agents' presence.
There is also broad backing for the Obama administration's approach from former Bush officials.
"This administration has rightly made support for Felipe Calderon a high priority," says Julie Myers Wood, who was the head of ICE from 2006-2008.
"And I think they'll commit more to the effort after this. We've got to step up the pressure on the cartels."
But the US law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, is doubtful as to whether the murder of Jaime Zapata will signal a greater commitment from Washington.
"This killing will only be a game-changer if the White House chooses to make it one," he says.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
CBS's lead story was this incident and they repeated the above LIE!
No agents targeted??? Tell that to the famlly of the recently murdered agent...
Its like it never happened: Terry family on agents murder
http://www.kgun9.com/Global/story.asp?S=14046416
More...
Cornyn demands swift justice after attack on ICE agents
(Shoulda demanded THAT a LONG time ago!)
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/cornyn-demands-swift-justice-a.html
‘Life has become horribly cheap in Mexico’s drug wars, but when the victim is an American special agent, the price rises sharply.’
This says it all. Govt employees are worth more, perhaps a lot more. In other words when DEA/ICE/BP/etc agents are shot or killed then something gets done; otherwise its just more lip service. We already knew that its just uncommon to see it so boldly laid out in print.
Until a next President with an honorable core and guts gets in office, things will IMO get worse and worse.
Until a next President with an honorable core and guts gets in office, things will IMO get worse and worse.
How attack on US agents in Mexico may impact relations
___________________________________________
Yeah right. Napolitano might just have to issue a stern warning.
“The Obama administration has acknowledged the negative role that the US plays in fuelling drug-related violence - from the demand for illegal drugs by American consumers to the trafficking of US-bought weapons into Mexico.”
Notice how the smuggling of illegal aliens at the price of $2,000 per head is not mentioned.
In 1996, Congress expanded the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to include violations of federal immigration law.
1 While this expansion may not have received much publicity, it could potentially change the face of U.S. immigration law enforcement. Under the new RICO provisions, a violation of certain provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) meets the definition of racketeering activity, also known as a "predicate offense,"
2 and an entity that engages in a pattern of racketeering activity for financial gain can be held both criminally and civilly liable.
3 Among other things, the INA makes it unlawful to encourage illegal immigration or employ illegal aliens,
4 which violations were included as predicate offenses under RICO.
The 1996 law changes in the INA made hiring illegal aliens a predicate act of racketeering activity under RICO, but illegal hiring wasnt the only violation of the INA made a predicate act. Other INA prohibitions made RICO predicate acts were encouraging or inducing illegal immigration, smuggling, and harboring illegal aliens.10 Together, these additions make the RICO Act potentially a very strong new tool in the hands of private parties against persons and companies that profit by violating U.S. immigration law.
Additionally, the RICO provision regarding the unlawful encouragement of illegal immigration could justify a suit against a private entity, such as a bank, that accepts foreign-issued identification cards that are only needed by illegal aliens. One example of this, of course, is the matricula consular issued by the Mexican consulates in the United States. Since both the supporters of the matricula and those who oppose its acceptance agree that only illegal aliens have need to rely on the card, acceptance of the card knowingly encourages illegal immigration. Part of the legislative intent of the RICO laws in general was to afford private citizens a remedy for lawbreaking when authorities normally charged with such enforcement became derelict in their duties.
For example, in a town in which political corruption and racketeering activity have combined to the detriment of law-abiding citizens and the rule of law, the RICO Act was intended to provide private citizens the ability to initiate court action to compel enforcement and respect for the law.
See also:
Latino Arab American Advisory Committee civil rights training, on Feb. 19
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2674877/posts
In Yorba Linda Sunday February 13th
A wave of 1,500 American Patriots arrived early outside the Community Center in Yorba Linda to express their concern over the Muslim Brotherhood linked ICNA holding a fundraiser. The fundraising event featured two radical Imams as the speakers. Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings. And Amir Abdel Malik-Ali a self professed supporter of Hezbollah. Malik just a month ago gave the closing speech at the MSA Western Conference at UCLA. He ended his speech by asking everyone to rise and join him in the pledge of allegiance. Here is his rendition of the pledge of allegiance which he recited.
* Allah is my Lord
* Islam is my Life
* The Quran is my guide
* The Sunna is my practice
* Jihad is my Spirit
* Righteousness is my Character
* Paradise is my Goal
* I enjoin what is Right
* I forbid what is Wrong
http://towncriernews.blogspot.com/2011/02/muslim-jihad-mexican-way.html
Mexican president Calderon and Ohaha.
I wonder if it really was the “drug cartels”? If I understand correctly, our two ICE agents were meeting with Mexican government officials, and were later stopped by someone who appeared to be military, and who knew when and where to ambush our agents. They also apparently knew how to identify said agents - as in what they looked like and what they were driving. Doesn’t sound like happenstance to me.
“I wonder if it really was the drug cartels? If I understand correctly, our two ICE agents were meeting with Mexican government officials, and were later stopped by someone who appeared to be military, and who knew when and where to ambush our agents......”
THAT is the problem in Mexico, and increasingly in the USA...the Mexican government/law enforcement IS the cartels...bought and paid for. Any $ we send down there (billion and 1/2 last year) goes right to the bad guys.
Oh woe is US...
Wouldnt it just be TOO awful if the Mexicans among the 30,000 000 illegal aliens were to just up and walk out of our mean county ???
Walk out of our mean country?
Yippy——is what I’d say.
:)
Your way off, it is $5599 a head now and going after the drug related stuff is great because the mess the drugs make out of the people taking them is horrible.
2k was probably 7 years ago.
Impact relations?
How’s this. DC does nothing. Ignores the killing of ANOTHER American by the drug gangs. The cartels push the edge again. They already occupy US soil in Arizona in a national park. Isn’t that ironic. Expect more attacks out of the Zetas. The dimrats will not defend this country period. Their priority is to destroy internal political enemies.
It’s sad that those murdered beforehand are disregarded by the elitists in this obvious struggle for sovereignty.
Ping!
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