The cartel insurgency in Mexico continues unabated. According to the Mexican government the body count as of the end of June is 46,700 plus since just 2006. Most of the dead are cartel members and associates. However, over 1,000 Mexican police, military and political figures have been slaughtered in the course of this insurgency. The number of innocent civilians killed in the crossfire is unavailable from the government.
The Mexican federal police claim as many as 500,000 people, both Mexican nationals and American prison/street gangs, are involved in the crimes and violence. This should illustrate the magnitude of the problem, a problem that is not solely Mexico’s, but also festers within the USA.
The cartels amass billions of dollars from the drug trade, but have also branched out to people smuggling, kidnapping, extortion, plus even the ongoing theft of millions of barrels of oil from Pemex. Just a few examples of how organized crime diversifies. With this enormous money stream the seven major cartels have grown very powerful. So powerful they now ambush police and military units of platoon and company size in broad daylight and in the center of metropolitan centers. The Zeta and Sinaloa cartels have extended their reach into Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. This has opened a huge drug smuggling corridor that originates in Colombia!
The main battle within Mexico is between cartels over control of turf and smuggling routes across Mexico and into the USA. These routes include not only drugs, but illegal immigrants (not only from Mexico but from as far way as Africa and the Middle East) and cash for money-laundering. A variety of other illegal contraband is also shipped via these routes.
Along the US/Mexican border 35 American prison gangs and sub-units, mostly Chicano but also the Afro-American Crips and Bloods , are working with the cartels as paid associates in drug and people smuggling. The networking is expansive and the distribution sites cross the USA. Nevada included. These gangs work for different cartels and as such are enemies who are also focused on controlling smuggling routes, only this time within the USA. An exception is the Barrio Azteca, which operates on both sides of the border for the Juarez cartel and provides muscle and firepower as needed in New Mexico and Texas, as well as Mexico.
To add to this problem we have the incredible fiasco of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) “Fast and Furious” program which includes the ATF, DEA and FBI in the selling of thousands, possibly as many as 3,000, assault and sniper rifles, plus unknown amounts of handguns, to the cartels. (Refer to the latest confidential testimony before a Congressional committee on this 4th of July weekend by the acting head of the ATF). It is my professional opinion that these weapons will be cycled through the cartels, who have many overseas sources for firearms, and many will wind up in the hands of American prison gangs who do their bidding.
Two years ago this author observed up close 3 members of the Nortenos prison gang in Reno. Tourists? I think not. I came across them a dozen times in the same place! This past week I have observed Surenos twice. Both times were also quite close up and more than a bit worrisome to me. This is more than just a passing observation! I have battled these gangs during my law enforcement career. I know what they can and will do!
The Nortenos and the MS-13 have been established in our community for some time, according to major law enforcement gang investigation units in California. Now, apparently, we have added a large, violent gang from the Greater Los Angeles – Southern California area into our backyard. All three groups are associated with different Mexican cartels which are at war with each other! Experience tells me a struggle for control of turf in our community may be developing. Washoe County is a perfect transit hub for drug and illegal alien trafficking due to its location on I-80. The gang/cartel that controls this vital site along a major highway would control an important part of the shipping grid that runs across the USA.
Once these gangs, backed by cartel money, take over a part of our community, it will be a long, difficult, and expensive effort to take back our streets. I suggest the following steps that although expensive will in the long run make our streets safer is a reasonably short amount of time:
1. Station regular military forces, not national guard, at high risk drug and people smuggling sites along the southern border. (We did it in 1915 and we can do it again!) Tactically this is called “channeling.” This would force the cartels into more desolate areas or sites where the Border Patrol could then consolidate its personnel for intervention purposes. Plus it would provide necessary military backup for the BP as the cartels are now quite well armed and organized when their operations cross over our border. Bottom line, this would slow down the smuggling from Mexico and break the border linkage with US prison gangs on our side of the border who make up the major part of the cartel distribution/operations network within the USA.
2. It is time for the DOJ to stop suing the states for trying to control the illegal alien problem, which, according to DEA and border law enforcement, are often the mules who bring the drugs into our nation as payment to the cartels for entering the USA.
3. The federal government needs to utilize state/local law enforcement in combating the smuggling problem. They provide a strong back up within the states. Over 700,000 at last count! Congress needs to give these agencies legal authority to step in and enforce federal laws at the local level. Not merely be the grunts or hand maidens to federal “task forces” seeking headlines! But actually giving them the freedom and resources to attack the problem within their respective jurisdictions based on their awareness of the problem. This places the burden on local LE executives. That would put an end to kissing off the problem as a something ICE or the DOJ is responsible for. It also gives local governments the power to demand results!
4. Locally, Nevada has to form full-time (multi-agency?) prison gang investigation units. The Attorney General of California has overseen some very successful statewide anti-prison gang task forces recently. We can do it here. However, these units should not be made up of detectives sitting in front of computers, but cops in the streets seeking out the gang members who have migrated into our state and are sinking deep roots. Constant surveillance and harassment works. (I bear witness to that.)
Especially useful, dare I say it, is “profiling.” Gang members go to great pains to openly identify themselves! Applying pressure on these violent thugs day or night would include both detectives and uniform personnel. Police saturation of known gang haunts and neighborhoods is a time proven successful tactic that needs to be implemented. Yes, it would take funding, but the DOJ seems to have millions in grant funds available to spread around at their discretion, while local law enforcement agencies are being starved of money and personnel. Perhaps some neutral agency should be placed in charge of LE grants in lieu of the current organization, now embroiled in another major scandal!
5. Lastly, I would recommend the Congress investigate/overhaul the DOJ starting at the highest levels. First it was refusing to prosecute the Black Panthers, then suing states that are trying to protect themselves from illegals & cartels. And last, but for sure not the least, a DOJ that foolishly required gun retailers to sell thousand of firearms that were intended to be smuggled into Mexico, with, as could be predicted, deadly results!
Lawrence Martines
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (Retired)
Former Director of Homeland Security – Nevada