Last weekend, the New York Times Magazine had a feature article on the ongoing drug war in Mexico. The report follows Genaro Garcia Luna, the top cop in Mexico, as he attempts to battle the drug cartels.
From the NY Times:
What was “surprising” to him, however, was not the firepower or brutality of the traffickers; the [...]
Sean Holstege of the Arizona Republic has a report on the tactics used by Mexican Human Smugglers to divert their cash to prevent apprehension.
From the Arizona Republic:
Mexican human-smuggling rings are sidestepping Arizona’s campaign to choke off their pipeline of illegal cash as they collect billions of dollars for sneaking illegal immigrants into the state.
Arizona investigators [...]
A post in a Los Angeles Times blog is reporting that human smugglers are increasingly transporting people into the United States by boat.
From LA Times blog LA Now:
The number of such illegal ocean crossings is still relatively small, with 11 boats having been seized so far this year. But immigrant smuggling by boat has grown [...]
With the rescue of Ingrid Betancourt from Colombia Guerrillas, the focus now turns on the other hostages held by FARC.
From the NY Times:
Just a few months ago, the FARC sent her a “proof of life,” a short video of Lieutenant Hernández shot somewhere in the Andean jungle. It shows a man with hollowed cheekbones and [...]
The largest amount of black market fossils in history has been returned to Argentina.
From the BBC:
Four tonnes of dinosaur bones and other fossils stolen from Argentina are back home after they were seized while being sold on the US black market.
They were welcomed in Buenos Aires at a formal ceremony attended by senior Argentine military [...]
The New Republic has an article listing 6 reasons why the border fence being created between the US and Mexico won’t work.
Among the reasons:
It doesn’t work. Most experts say that physical fencing would not drastically decrease the number of illegal immigrants entering the country. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that as much as 40-50 percent [...]
The United States Congress approved $400 million to assist Mexico in its ongoing drug war.
From the Washington Post:
A U.S. plan to provide Mexico with a major anti-drug aid package has received congressional approval, following months of negotiations in which Mexico proved itself to be a far more assertive neighbor than in the past, according to current and [...]
Rebels in Afghanistan and Colombia are increasingly controlling land where illegal drugs are being grown, according to the United Nations.
From BBC News:
Afghanistan had a record opium harvest last year and coca leaf production in Colombia increased 27%, according to The World Drug Report 2008.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says most regions where [...]
The border fence between the United States and Mexico will now be able to proceed after the United States Supreme Court declined to hear a case regarding the waiver of environmental impact studies.
From the LA Times:
Three years ago, Congress gave Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff an unusual power to “waive all legal requirements” that could [...]
Drug users in the United States are helping to finance the ongoing drug war in Mexico by continuing to purchase illegal drugs.
From MSNBC:
In seeking more help from the United States, Mexican officials point out that most of the financing for the Mexican traffickers comes from the American users of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin smuggled [...]