The corruption that allowed for “El Chapo Guzman” to again walk free is another devastatingly sad example of a public safety system that is controlled by organized crime and that continues to falter and ruin under the Enrique Peña Nieto administration. Continue Reading
Joaquin Guzman Loera, known as “El Chapo Guzman” and the head of the notorious Sinaloa cartel, easily escaped from a Mexican prison this week in what came as little surprise to law enforcement officials on either side of the border.… Continue Reading
The best manner by which to deal with the issue of legal marijuana is to provide context to the meaning of “legal.” The “legality” of marijuana must be addressed in terms that define the movement of the drug from the source to the street, or in this case, from the land to the lip. Continue Reading
Prescription drug abuse is the nation’s fastest-growing drug problem. Some studies suggest that it has reached epidemic proportions, with prescription drugs being the second-most abused category of drugs after marijuana. Some people experiment with prescription drugs because they think they will help them have more fun, lose weight, fit in, or study better. Continue Reading
The kingpin strategy is a 20-year-old targeting methodology developed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 1992 to target the command and control elements of major drug trafficking organizations. The strategy initially targeted cocaine trafficking organizations operating out of Medellin and Cali, Colombia, with most of the focus placed on the Cali cartel. As the strategy evolved and resulted in important gains, it was adapted as a model by several foreign nations, namely Colombia and Mexico. Components of the kingpin strategy model are still in use today, though it has been further refined and currently operates under the larger Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime as a means by which to disrupt and dismantle any groups that would bring harm to the national security of United States. Continue Reading
I am neither a proponent nor an opponent of the legalization of marijuana. I am, however, a pragmatist who believes that the nationwide legalization of the personal use of marijuana is inevitable. While it has inherent risks associated with prolonged use, the American public is consistently leaning toward the legalization of personal use of marijuana, much as the public’s continued use of alcohol resulted in the repeal of Prohibition. As another case in point, people continue to smoke tobacco at great personal risk to their health.
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Congress recently released a report on the U.S. government’s controversial Fast and Furious “gun-walking” investigation, severely criticizing the Justice Department for allowing criminals to smuggle hundreds of firearms into Mexico. While the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was experimenting with gun-running in Arizona, it concurrently reported that Houston is the No. 1 spot of origin for weapons that have been traced from Mexican organized crime scenes back to the United States. Yet, no federal undercover operations (a la Fast and Furious) have been reported in Texas, a state that makes up two-thirds of the U.S.-Mexico border and that shares numerous bi-directional, land-based ports of entry with Mexico. It’s obvious that we’ve been going about this the wrong way. Continue Reading