The Southern Border

[Pooky 3,784]

Battle for the Border: Cartel Safe Zones

Reported by: Jordan Williams

Last Update: 11/11 11:35 am

AUSTIN - Two retired generals say the cartels are building safe zones along the Texas-Mexico border. They're going to operate on whichever side offers the best security. The more the Mexican government cracks down, the more cartel will need to operate out of the Rio Grande Valley.

Retired generals Barry McCaffery and Robert Scales say the cartels have a clear plan to build a sanctuary zone one county deep inside the state of Texas. They want safe spots in every Texas border county where they can control operations.

Retired General Robert Scales says the plan it "to use Texas as a launch point into the heartland of America for their distribution of drugs."

Scales says cartels need our territory because of the crackdown south of the border.

"The foot soldiers - we have learned through our research - are criminal gangs, many in Texas prisons, that are essentially throwaway material," says Scales.

Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw thinks this is more than tough talk.

"You look at it from a military standpoint. What you're talking about is a military front," says McCraw, "You cannot have six of the seven Mexican cartels that have butchered over 40,000 people living in Texas and operating command and control networks in border counties, and leveraging the Barrio of Azteca, Mexican Mafia, Texas Syndicate, on both sides of the border and death squads moving back and forth and everything be safe."

The gangs here in Texas are referred to as trans-national. They form in our state and federal prisons but cooperate with the cartels in Mexico.

"I'm quite confident that enough people, if you call it like this is, they'll be action down the road," says McCraw.

People like McCraw and the generals stand by their claims that certain areas of the border are under cartel control.

"It's going to get worse in the coming years," says retired General Barry McCaffery.

McCaffery and Scales wrote in their military analysis, "In a curious twist of irony, the more successful the Mexican military becomes in confronting the cartels, the greater likelihood that the cartels will take the active fight into Texas, as they compete against each other in the battle to control distribution territories and corridors."

Congressman Michael McCaul believes his fellow federal lawmakers are in deep denial.

"Well the idea that these cartels have bought up ranches on the other side of the border, so they can easily pass because they own the property. That's what they do," he says.

They're worried the situation will get worse without federal help. So far, the feds have ignored calls for backup on the border.

The Texas Legislature called for the military report. The Texas Department of Agriculture and Department of Public Safety commissioned the study.

The generals claim their analysis is non-partisan.

KRGV.com (San Antonio ABC Channel 5) link

The idea that Washington's tacit non-pursuit of border security is allowing criminal, foreign-national drug gangs to establish safe havens within the USA simply beggars belief. At some point, having a secure border is going to become an imperative the self-serving politicos in Washington (of both colours) will be unable to ignore.

[TBoneTX 45,286]

No offense to Brother Pooky, but this is yet again more hysteria from Steve McCraw and other mid-level Texas politicians who are being melodramatic for reasons besides altruism. Texas and even the Mexican border cities are largely safe. I've visited most of the Mexican border cities multiple times, following the sensible advice of "stay in the tourist or business areas, during daylight hours, and avoid doing anything stupid." That would make sense in Milwaukee, Detroit, or Omaha, si man.

[Captain Oates 911]

The idea that Washington's tacit non-pursuit of border security is allowing criminal, foreign-national drug gangs to establish safe havens within the USA simply beggars belief. At some point, having a secure border is going to become an imperative the self-serving politicos in Washington (of both colours) will be unable to ignore.

Au Contraire (that's French), Washington State is in crisis because they can't get illegals to pick the apple/pear crop this year.

That is because of more effective border protections

The Congressman Doc Hastings (R - Dachau), is far right of Doctor Goebbels, but even he is asking for a relaxation on enforcing controls because the farmers are frantic

[Pooky 3,784]

No offense to Brother Pooky, but this is yet again more hysteria from Steve McCraw and other mid-level Texas politicians who are being melodramatic for reasons besides altruism. Texas and even the Mexican border cities are largely safe. I've visited most of the Mexican border cities multiple times, following the sensible advice of "stay in the tourist or business areas, during daylight hours, and avoid doing anything stupid." That would make sense in Milwaukee, Detroit, or Omaha, si man.

I'm happy that you feel safe along the Texas border. I'm slightly less than happy that foreign nationals known, or strongly suspected, of involvement in drug trafficking, murder and other serious criminal activity feel that they are safe on the US side of our Southern border.

Au Contraire (that's French), Washington State is in crisis because they can't get illegals to pick the apple/pear crop this year.

That is because of more effective border protections

The Congressman Doc Hastings (R - Dachau), is far right of Doctor Goebbels, but even he is asking for a relaxation on enforcing controls because the farmers are frantic

I know (because you keep telling everyone) that you're getting on in years, but try to stay on subject. Border security isn't just about illegal immigration for the purposes of working for minimal money, for employers who prefer profiteering from employing illegal immigrants rather troubling themselves to go through legal channels. Or do you have murdering drug traffickers picking apples and pears up there in the Pacific North West?

And attempting misdirection, with your National Socialist reference to a Republican Congressman is lame, even for you. Of course he wants to help his constituents make money, he's a Republican. They are no better, or worse, than the Democrats pandering to the illegal immigrant community to secure as many votes from the Hispanic community (how's THAT for racial profiling on a macro scale by a mainstream political party) at the next elections.

Border security is also about preventing terrorists gaining access to this country, and stemming the flow of illegal substances from across the border, among a host of other things. That those allegedly responsible for over 40,000 deaths South of the Border are allowed to feel safe in the USA, in their so-called sanctuary zone, due to the lack of anything close to effective enforcement, is reprehensible on the part of the Washington machine.

[Captain Oates 911]

Disrespecting older people and mocking them because of their age, marks someone as a punk deserving of the Clint Eastwood treatment or worse

Try and avoid appearing as such because your parents (I assume you know them), are also being disrespected at the same time whether your realize it or not

If you want to disrespect me, then do it on the basis of my opinions and not my age. A persons age is not something they can help, any more than they can help their color

You have been on this tack of taunting older people for their age for along time now, and you just make yourself look bad

I don't disrespect Doc Hastings for his age or color, I disrespect him for his hypocrisy in pandering for votes from extreme republicans who hate illegals, while blocking anti-illegal legislation in order to allow cheap illegals in for the profit of his farmer cronies

Edited November 19, 2011 by Ashud Cocoa

[Pooky 3,784]

Disrespecting older people and mocking them because of their age, marks someone as a punk deserving of the Clint Eastwood treatment or worse

Try and avoid appearing as such because your parents (I assume you know them), are also being disrespected at the same time whether your realize it or not

If you want to disrespect me, then do it on the basis of my opinions and not my age. A persons age is not something they can help, any more than they can help their color

You have been on this tack of taunting older people for their age for along time now, and you just make yourself look bad

I don't disrespect Doc Hastings for his age or color, I disrespect him for his hypocrisy in pandering for votes from extreme republicans who hate illegals, while blocking anti-illegal legislation in order to allow cheap illegals in for the profit of his farmer cronies

I disrespected no-one. You're the only one continually mentioning your assumed comparative age. You just have no clue how old others might be and you lack respect for anyone, as your first post made abundantly clear.

And again with the misdirection. Your fixation on illegal immigrant laborers on a thread about the Mexican drug cartels' push into the USA is wearing thin, as is your biased, anti-Republican viewpoint on a cross-part issue such as this.

I don't subscribe to the partisan political viewpoint about border security, illegal immigration, et al. It's a Washington machine problem. Both political parties in Washington would prefer to do nothing to make the border less porous, for their own reasons.

But I don't want foreign national, drug-trafficking murderers to feel that they are safe on the US side of the border. I don't want them to feel safe to push their narcotics and murder into the USA. I want them dealt with, before they threaten lives within the USA. Is that such a bad thing?

Edited November 19, 2011 by Pooky

[Captain Oates 911]

.

This is what you said : It is a direct copy/paste >>>

I know (because you keep telling everyone) that you're getting on in years, but try to stay on subject

Your denial of mocking someone because on grounds of age is transparently untrue.

You sound like Richgrinch who warns people not to quote him as it would be a lie

Of course I am biased against republicans - MORE than half the country is ! I regard the republican ethos as vile and guess what - I am allowed to ! Ain't that a shame ?

If you don't want to hear the Republican ethos disrespected, you would do well not to log onto the politics forum

There is nothing apolitical in this country so don't fool yourself. Sugar in doughnuts is political.

You think your utterances are beyond dispute, self evident and therefore bipartisan.

That's not so

[Pooky 3,784]

This is what you said : It is a direct copy/paste.

I know (because you keep telling everyone) that you're getting on in years, but try to stay on subject

Your denial of mocking someone because on grounds of age is transparently untrue.

You sound like Richgrinch who warns people not to quote him as it would be a lie

Of course I am biased against republicans - MORE than half the country is ! I regard the republican ethos as vile and guess what - I am allowed to ! Ain't that a shame ?

If you don't want to hear the Republican ethos disrespected, you would do well not to log onto the politics forum

There is nothing apolitical in this country so don't fool yourself. Sugar in doughnuts is political.

You think your utterances are beyond dispute, self evident and therefore bipartisan.

That's not so

I don't deny writing it, but any disrespect you might feel is entirely in your own mind. I could be (and generally am) entirely self-deprecating when I post about age, but you wouldn't know that.

And, for your information, more than half of this country is anti-Democrat. However, that fact appears lost on you.

Personally, I disrespect both parties, because they both deserve it, for failing the American people day in and day out, regardless of political affiliation.

Just as they deserve our disrespect when it comes to our Southern border. Neither party in Washington has any intention to effectively secure our Southern border, because both stand to profit, politically and, when it comes to their supporters and backers, financially. As a consequence, the Mexican cartels apparently feel safe on the US side of the border - safe from justice and safe to expand their trade in narcotics and murder into the USA. And that is something no American should put up with, no matter what political colour they might be.

But apparently that means nothing to you.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

The difference between a legal and an illegal immigrant is a signature on a piece of paper. Obviously, there is a demand for modern-age slaves in the U.S., otherwise our fellow humans from south of the border would not be able to make a living in the U.S.

If politicians really wanted to end illegal immigration, all they had to do is impose huge fines on employers who hire them and pull their business licenses in repeat offense cases. Without jobs the "illegals" would self-deport free of charge to the US taxpayers and it would be a win-win situation for all involved.

So why are they not doing this? Because the owners of our congresspeople, the almighty corporations, want the slaves. Badly. A corporation's main objective is to maximize profits, and slave labor is an important component to this.

So all of this is just smoke and mirrors, like accusing Dr. O -- now for the second year Guiness Book of Records entrant for record deportations on planet Earth -- to be "soft" and in support of illegal immigrants because he spends taxpayers' money wisely by deporting criminals first and foremost instead of school children or gardeners trying to make a meager living. Or by using the non-issue of illegal immigration to wind up the beer-gulping, right wing rednecks and the Christian fundamentalist who preach abstinence and would make pre marital sex, birth control, and interracial relations a crime if they could.

Politicians want criminals to be either locked up or deported. But they don't want to get rid of all illegal aliens, not even by a wide shot.

A game, nothing but a game it is.

[peejay 327]

The difference between a legal and an illegal immigrant is a signature on a piece of paper. Obviously, there is a demand for modern-age slaves in the U.S., otherwise our fellow humans from south of the border would not be able to make a living in the U.S.

If politicians really wanted to end illegal immigration, all they had to do is impose huge fines on employers who hire them and pull their business licenses in repeat offense cases. Without jobs the "illegals" would self-deport free of charge to the US taxpayers and it would be a win-win situation for all involved.

So why are they not doing this? Because the owners of our congresspeople, the almighty corporations, want the slaves. Badly. A corporation's main objective is to maximize profits, and slave labor is an important component to this.

So all of this is just smoke and mirrors, like accusing Dr. O -- now for the second year Guiness Book of Records entrant for record deportations on planet Earth -- to be "soft" and in support of illegal immigrants because he spends taxpayers' money wisely by deporting criminals first and foremost instead of school children or gardeners trying to make a meager living. Or by using the non-issue of illegal immigration to wind up the beer-gulping, right wing rednecks and the Christian fundamentalist who preach abstinence and would make pre marital sex, birth control, and interracial relations a crime if they could.

Politicians want criminals to be either locked up or deported. But they don't want to get rid of all illegal aliens, not even by a wide shot.

A game, nothing but a game it is.

While castgating the evil corporations and stereotyped Republican types you conveniently failed to mention the sleazy and corrupt ulterior motives of your hero Dr.O (and his co-conspiritors) who would like nothing more than to turn illegal aliens into voting Democrats for his own selfish political motives. It seems that illegal aliens have more ways to be exploited than for just slave labor. They can be used to circumvent democracy and win elections in the future for your party.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Mr. O. is a puppet of the corporations as well. Why do you think we continue to spend billions of dollars in Afghanistan? Because Mr. O. is a war mongerer by choice?

Nope. We do that because the boss of Mr. O.'s boss has told him one day after he was sworn into office that there are certain things that the President of the United States has to do, whether he wants to or not. Those who disobeyed did not have much chance to enjoy life much longer; President Kennedy being the latest example. He may be the President, but he's not the boss. I truly believe that he envisioned the change he promised; it's just that he did not anticipate that several people would squeeze his balls continuously so that he'd have to walk a narrow path to escape the pain or worse.

Even under the very best of circumstances it would take illegal aliens until 2020 to vote. If comprehensive immigration reform will make it into law in 2013 or 2014, you'd have to add half a year for AoS processing, then another 5 years as a LPR, which brings us to late 2019. The next Presidential elections would be in 2020. By that time will multi-millionaire O. have other interests than votes. He'll be golfing in Hawaii and enjoy the benefits of an early retirement.

[peejay 327]

Mr. O. is a puppet of the corporations as well. Why do you think we continue to spend billions of dollars in Afghanistan? Because Mr. O. is a war mongerer by choice?

Nope. We do that because the boss of Mr. O.'s boss has told him one day after he was sworn into office that there are certain things that the President of the United States has to do, whether he wants to or not. Those who disobeyed did not have much chance to enjoy life much longer; President Kennedy being the latest example. He may be the President, but he's not the boss. I truly believe that he envisioned the change he promised; it's just that he did not anticipate that several people would squeeze his balls continuously so that he'd have to walk a narrow path to escape the pain or worse.

Even under the very best of circumstances it would take illegal aliens until 2020 to vote. If comprehensive immigration reform will make it into law in 2013 or 2014, you'd have to add half a year for AoS processing, then another 5 years as a LPR, which brings us to late 2019. The next Presidential elections would be in 2020. By that time will multi-millionaire O. have other interests than votes. He'll be golfing in Hawaii and enjoy the benefits of an early retirement.

So who is this mysterious "Boss" that really runs America? The Illuminati? The Masons? George Soros? GWB? The Pope? The Mafia?

Come on...give us a clue.

[Captain Oates 911]

While castgating the evil corporations and stereotyped Republican types you conveniently failed to mention the sleazy and corrupt ulterior motives of your hero Dr.O (and his co-conspiritors) who would like nothing more than to turn illegal aliens into voting Democrats for his own selfish political motives. It seems that illegal aliens have more ways to be exploited than for just slave labor. They can be used to circumvent democracy and win elections in the future for your party.

How can a citizen voting be a "circumvention of democracy ?"

The Republicans have always been interested in putting hurdles in front of new or black citizens to stop them voting

That is a circumvention of democracy.

However, the flow of new brown American citizens is increasing faster than the republicans can dream up ways to disfranchise them

I like

Is good

So who is this mysterious "Boss" that really runs America? The Illuminati? The Masons? George Soros? GWB? The Pope? The Mafia?

Come on...give us a clue.

Ok ok I admit it

[Captain Oates 911]

I don't deny writing it, but any disrespect you might feel is entirely in your own mind. I could be (and generally am) entirely self-deprecating when I post about age, but you wouldn't know that.

And, for your information, more than half of this country is anti-Democrat. However, that fact appears lost on you.

Personally, I disrespect both parties, because they both deserve it, for failing the American people day in and day out, regardless of political affiliation.

Just as they deserve our disrespect when it comes to our Southern border. Neither party in Washington has any intention to effectively secure our Southern border, because both stand to profit, politically and, when it comes to their supporters and backers, financially. As a consequence, the Mexican cartels apparently feel safe on the US side of the border - safe from justice and safe to expand their trade in narcotics and murder into the USA. And that is something no American should put up with, no matter what political colour they might be.

But apparently that means nothing to you.

I disrespect the system as it outdated. The American congressional system of consensus has failed and will never return to being effective. 1787 it is not. The US needs to move to a parliamentary system where the winner gets to run the country for 4 years and actually do something. Then the voters decide if they like it and throw em out if they don't.

The present system cannot be changed because of the constitution, parts of which are a mill-stone round the neck of the American public. Arrangements for governance need to change as the world changes - but the feet of the US government are set in concrete forever.

Imagine if the constitution said that only muzzle loading guns could be issued to the US military.

That's the sort of handicap that the US now has as far as its governmental arrangements are concerned.

Shell oil was founded on trading sea shells. Imagine if the company's constitution said that's all they could do

The history of the US is short, but the total fervent worship of that history and it's subsequent fossilization is an impediment. To change it would be like getting the christians to change their symbol, so the stalemate and the hatred and the division are here to stay

Good news for cable TV - bad news for the population

[peejay 327]

How can a citizen voting be a "circumvention of democracy ?"

The Republicans have always been interested in putting hurdles in front of new or black citizens to stop them voting

That is a circumvention of democracy.

However, the flow of new brown American citizens is increasing faster than the republicans can dream up ways to disfranchise them

I like

Is good

Arbitrarily turning illegal foreigners into voting citizens for personal political gain of one party is a circumvention of democracy. It doesn't stop the Democrats from repeatedly trying to do it though.

As far as your comment about Republicans disenfranchising blacks...if you knew anything about American history (which you apparently don't) you would know it was Democrats that were the culprits. I suggest you go to a good public library do some reading.