World

Hezbollah Using Mexican Drug Routes Into U.S.

by Suranee | March 27, 2009 at 06:47 pm

310 views | 29 Recommendations | 8 comments

This does not sound like good news for the United States. Hopefully President Obama and his administration will be able to stop Hezbollah before their network becomes as powerful as the Mexican drug cartels.

Hezbollah is using the same southern narcotics routes that Mexican drug kingpins do to smuggle drugs and people into the United States, reaping money to finance its operations and threatening U.S. national security, current and former U.S. law enforcement, defense and counterterrorism officials say.

The Iran-backed Lebanese group has long been involved in narcotics and human trafficking in South America''s tri-border region of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Increasingly, however, it is relying on Mexican narcotics syndicates that control access to transit routes into the U.S.

Hezbollah relies on "the same criminal weapons smugglers, document traffickers and transportation experts as the drug cartels," said Michael Braun, who just retired as assistant administrator and chief of operations at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

"They work together," said Mr. Braun. "They rely on the same shadow facilitators. One way or another, they are all connected.

"They''ll leverage those relationships to their benefit, to smuggle contraband and humans into the U.S.; in fact, they already are [smuggling]."

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albertacowpoke

at 01:44 on March 28th, 2009

I'n afraid that the border cannot be controlled unless most of South America enjoys the same economical wealth as the rest of North America does. Walls, fences and technology cannot accomplish this. To effectively close and control a border of this immense size would be costly and stretch resources in both technology and humans. The drug industry, which is a multi-billion dollar industry will continue to innovate to move drugs into the the US and Canada as long as there is a demand for it. All one has to do is look at the tunnels that have been used to move drugs and weapons from Mexico to the US.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 19:08 on March 27th, 2009

Suranee, thanks for posting this story!

Roy C

at 21:46 on March 27th, 2009

But the Wall Street-government complex says the border cannot be patrolled and controlled.

René

at 07:17 on March 28th, 2009

Anyone else see the connection between this and the beheadings in Mexico? the 'drug wars' there? the vile cop killings? the killing and abuse of women? the sex slavery trade?

HighPlainsSifter

at 10:44 on March 28th, 2009

I have said it before too, if you want to help the illegal immigration problem, shut down all Western Union money grams to Mexico and South America. 30% of Mexico's economy relies on the money they send home. If they have no way to send the money home, then they have no reason to come up here.

Put troops on the border and I mean the WHOLE border. Nobody in or out, unless they go through a check point. No Drug money/guns for Mexico and no drugs for Americans. This will help prevent Illegal hunting by private citizens and also prevent Mexicans from dying in the desert during the summer months.

A law passed that EVERY company in America must register and use E-Verify for EVERY employee. The Gov wants to spend some money?...then let them subsidize the small businesses for this expense. I believe its $35 a pop, if I remember correctly.

These 3 things would go a long way in correcting our immigration problem. It would also show our more prolific citizens that they do not have to hunt illegals, that our Government cares.

Suranee

at 18:25 on March 28th, 2009

Well said HighPlainSifter. My question is, has your suggestions, anyone of them ever been implemented? If not, why?

You've only mentioned illegal immigration. But what about legal immigration? What do you think about a law that states that foreigners can only come and work/study in the US for a stipulated period of time but has to return back to their country of origin? In this way they can use the knowledge and skills they acquired while in the US to help develop their own country.

Suranee

at 18:41 on March 28th, 2009

Yes, I do see a connection.

Truck drivers are believed to be at risk too. Here's one story I came across on this.

About 5,300 people were slain in drug-related fighting along the U.S.-Mexico border in 2008. The full threat of the drug cartels' operations includes kidnapping, bribery, extortion, money laundering and smuggling weapons from the U.S. into Mexico.

"Truck drivers may face an elevated risk of being a crime victim as their loads represent a potentially easy payoff for criminals," said Don L. Rondeau, director of the Highway Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which also was created by the Homeland Security grant.

"We're strongly urging American trucking companies and owner-operators to exercise extreme caution when making deliveries or pickups along the Mexican border," Mr. Rondeau said.