MICHAEL WEBSTER: INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER. Sunday Oct 19, 2008 at 2:30 PM PDT 

 Drug trafficking and terror has become a way of life in Mexico. U.S. Mexican border cities from Brownsville Texas to San Diego California continue to be most affected by cartel-related violence; other U.S. cities are also being targeted with drug trafficking violence and related terror. Mexican drug cartel gangs and their surrogate’s terror is reaching deep into the states.

The recent home invitation robbery and kidnapping of a young 6 year old American boy in Las Vegas Nevada is a in our face example of what is happening right here in our own neighborhoods. 

The Las Vegas recovered ( lucky to be alive) kidnapped boy’s Grandfather is a known drug dealer and is believed by authorities to be involved with Mexican drug cartels and other underworld figures in a drug trafficking operation that covers the entire Southwestern United States.

 Just recently in El Paso Texas just across the border from Juarez Mexico one of the most dangerous and deadly places on earth several law enforcement agencies led by ATF and the FBI are investigating a “possible car bomb” that injured a woman on Friday morning and rocked a middle-class neighborhood in West El Paso.

Shelby County Alabama in a Birmingham suburb, authorities released few details in the case of five men who were found slain in an apartment. They say the men appear to have been bound with duct tape and their throats were slashed. Very similar to known tactic’s used by Mexican drug cartel gangs and their American gang surrogates. These ruthless drug gangs according to DEA operative who wants to remain anonymous says, “investigators close to the Shelby county murders of five Mexican males was carried out by Mexican drug gangs or their surrogates and is very likely related to drugs and cash.

” DEA agents say that the cartels’ incursions into the United States are spurring more secondary crimes, such as shootings, kidnapping, and murders. These terrorist type assassinations are demonstrating the dangerous reach of the Mexican drug cartels and how it now goes very deep into Middle America and are reported to be killing, robbing, torturing, kidnapping, and threatening Americans and others at an alarming rate. 

These gang members are known to be attacking Americans all over the U.S. Recently it came to light that a gang operation of this type was uncovered operating on the east coast from New York to Florida robbing known drug dealers of both their drugs and cash. These attacks were pulled off all up and down the East Coast, federal investigators said.  Investigators said the suspects used terrorist tactics of simulated drowning techniques (water bordering) as well as pliers applied to the male victim’s genitals to learn where and when millions in cash and drugs shipments were being made.

Police say this type of crime is happening on both sides of the U.S Mexican border. Mexican drug cartels through their segregate organizations control the lucrative methamphetamine trade, as the arrival of purer Mexican ice methamphetamine has replaced locally produced powder meth, according to the US Department of Justice.

 In Florida a horrifying story describes a little girl who, after being taken to the Florida panhandle from Mexico, resisted while being raped, and was subsequently made an example of, by being beheaded in front of other girls who were being held to be raped. The girls then were made to watch by being left in the room with the little girl’s headless body for several hours.

Atlanta has become the latest battleground for Mexican drug cartels. “Their idea is to control the whole economic process of production and distribution,” said Georgina Sanchez, an independent security consultant in Mexico and executive director of a public safety policy institute. In many areas of the United States the cartels have entered into partnerships with local gangs, in others they have directly assumed control of local drug distribution, analysts say. 

Gwinnett County, Georgia, where Atlanta is located is over 1,000 miles from our U.S. – Mexico border. They have already had nine drug-related kidnappings this year. DEA agents raided a home and charged three men, all illegal aliens, with kidnapping and conspiracy to distribute cocaine after finding that they had bound and chained the victim to a wall in a basement in the town of Lilburn and beat him for nearly a week in an effort to collect $300,000 in drug debt.

The biggest worry for U.S. citizens and the big concern for local law enforcement groups is that the cartels bring with them violent methods honed during furious cartel wars in Mexico that have left thousands dead already this year. In recent years, Mexican drug violence has reached new heights, with beheadings, videotaped executions broadcast on the Internet, and the targeting and killings of top Mexican law enforcement officials.

We’re seeing younger individuals being deployed by Mexican cartel leadership up into the United States to work for these cartels. Google or click on: Mexican drug cartels infiltrating colleges and high school campuses in America.

Gwinnett D.A. said this is not a blip. This is significant in what’s going on here. U.S. Attorney for the northern part of Georgia said, we are about to see the extreme violence that is happening south of the border happen here in America. It’s more violent there than it is in Baghdad or Afghanistan. They’re beheading people said Benson.

Mexican cartel Los Zetas paramilitary surrogates allegedly attacked and slaughtered an American in Phoenix Ariz. Police say the attackers were dressed in black military like combat uniforms very similar to known Mexican cartel paramilitary gangs.

Phoenix papers reported that 6 Mexicans killed a Phoenix man who was found dead by police in a local neighborhood home riddled with more than 100 bullets. Google or click on: They’re known as “Los Zetas

“We have seen an increasing amount of these types of violent crimes in the past five months,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Joel Tranter said. “We want the public to realize that these types of crimes will not be tolerated in Phoenix.” These men each wore tactical clothing and Kevlar helmets and other weapons were found in the vehicle. Police believe the hit was drug-related and are looking for three more suspects in the case.

Federal, State and Local law enforcement officers believe there are many more violent crimes being committed here in the states by drug related Mexican drug cartels and their surrogates and Americans are only hearing about a very few. But as a DEA official said recently, “I feel this is but the beginning and that the dangers of the menus [SEC] of the Mexican drug organizations is something America will be dealing with for a long time to come.”

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