Corruption at the Top Levels of the Mexican Drug War
This is the kind of crap weâre subsidizing with our massive financial support of Mexicoâs war on drugs:
If the Mexican drug war were a Fortune 500 company, would you invest in it? Seriously, can anyone prevent our drug war donations from ending up in the hands of the cartels? This is an extraordinary mess, a complete mockery of everything weâre trying to accomplish and we have no clue how deep it goes.
There isnât a single thing happening in Mexico right now that could be construed as progress in the war on drugs. To the contrary, every day that goes by brings new evidence of the fundamental failure of our strategy on every conceivable level.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - A major drug cartel has infiltrated the Mexican attorney general's office, and one cartel worker says he even spied on DEA operations from inside U.S. Embassy, Mexican prosecutors said Monday.
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The revelations of corruption inside the control centers of the U.S.-Mexican anti-drug effort were a major blow to President Felipe Calderon's anti-drug campaign, in which he has sent tens of thousands of troops and federal police across Mexico to combat violent cartels.
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Assistant Attorney General Marisela Morales said two top employees of her organized-crime unit and at least three federal police agents assigned to it may have been passing information on surveillance targets and potential raids for at least four years. [Guardian]
If the Mexican drug war were a Fortune 500 company, would you invest in it? Seriously, can anyone prevent our drug war donations from ending up in the hands of the cartels? This is an extraordinary mess, a complete mockery of everything weâre trying to accomplish and we have no clue how deep it goes.
There isnât a single thing happening in Mexico right now that could be construed as progress in the war on drugs. To the contrary, every day that goes by brings new evidence of the fundamental failure of our strategy on every conceivable level.
Rumors of NYPD Sexually Assaulting a Marijuana Suspect
The New York Post has a horrible story alleging that NYPD officers sodomized a marijuana suspect with a walkie talkie. Sounds pretty bad, but I should note that former cop and current LEAP member Peter Moskos has doubts about the accuracy of the reports.
Even if that story turns out to be false, this one is very true.
Even if that story turns out to be false, this one is very true.
Random Searches in Our Nationâs Capital
Iâve got a post at Flex Your Rights about a new random search program that will supposedly protect Washington, DCâs public transit system from terrorism. Of course, anyone found with contraband will be arrested, and you can bet theyâll be finding a lot more bongs than bombs.
As many of you know, I donât buy into that defeatist "4th Amendment is dead" hyperbole, because that mentality leads people to surrender and start waiving their rights. The greatest threat to the 4th Amendment is the widespread misconception that itâs no longer worth understanding and asserting our rights. People who know their rights get better outcomes during police encounters and that remains true despite anything and everything the wars on drugs and terror have done to undermine our basic freedoms.
So we put together The Citizenâs Guide to Refusing DC Metro Searches. If you live in the DC area, or plan on visiting sometime, youâll want to check this out.
As many of you know, I donât buy into that defeatist "4th Amendment is dead" hyperbole, because that mentality leads people to surrender and start waiving their rights. The greatest threat to the 4th Amendment is the widespread misconception that itâs no longer worth understanding and asserting our rights. People who know their rights get better outcomes during police encounters and that remains true despite anything and everything the wars on drugs and terror have done to undermine our basic freedoms.
So we put together The Citizenâs Guide to Refusing DC Metro Searches. If you live in the DC area, or plan on visiting sometime, youâll want to check this out.