Drug Smuggling & Spring Break

[Mephisto]

I can't believe that anyone in college would be stupid enough to be attracted by this type of "easy money."

Drug Cartels Recruit Students During Spring Break

POSTED: 5:13 pm MST March 8, 2007

March 8, 2007 -- El Paso County attorney's office officials said the recruiting of "drug mules" becomes particularly aggressive during spring break, because many more teens from El Paso take advantage of the off-school period to party in Juarez.

That's why the county attorney's office, with the help of two other agencies, will release two public service announcements that show the direct consequences that teens face when they agree to smuggle drugs across the border.

"I think kids can be reached, but when they see the money they can change their minds," said Facundo Gutierrez, a UTEP student.

Money talks, but the county attorney's office hopes these commercials can influence teens. The number of young people smuggling drugs has been declining, but still every year for almost seven years, more than 20 young people get detained at the ports of entry, according to the El Paso County Juvenile Probation Department.

The county attorney also wants parents to start family dialogues about the issue.

"So, that they can communicate with their sons and daughters about the significance of this issue and what it means in case they get involved," said County Attorney Jose Rodriguez.

Young people might get recruited to run drugs under the false pretense that nothing will happen to them if they're caught, but a lot can happen, such as incarceration, probation and even worse.

The consequences can include being physically abused or even killed by the drug cartel. Some young people said they think these television ads will work.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/11206036/detail.html?subid=22105263&qs=1;bp=t

How dangerous is it? Take a gander at this . . . old news, but still relevant.

The Drug War's Killing Fields Are Exposed

DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 138 December 1, 1999

The Drug War's Killing Fields Are Exposed

The drug war's promotion of murderous violence was highlighted again this week with the discovery of what appear to be mass human graves. The grisly find took place just a few miles south of the U.S. border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Media reports indicate anywhere between 100-200 people, both Mexicans and Americans, could be buried at the site. Those buried are believed to be the victims of a powerful Mexican drug cartel.

Investigators who have found the grave expect to find bodies of many people who have simply vanished from the area in the past few years. Some of the disappeared were part of the drug trade, some were apparently informants cooperating with anti-narcotics agents, while others were just innocent bystanders who may have seen something the cartel didn't want them to see. Reports indicate that corrupt Mexican police officers may have assisted with the killings.

http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0138.html

 

[Mephisto]

Not to keep this subject in the limelight, but there was recently a spat of violent murders in Juarez, Mexico (I couldn't find a link) which included a vicious daytime gun battle and a follow-up killing on a gurney in an emergency room where the survivors were taken.

The most disheartening thing is that these killings involved a smuggling attempt by organized criminals who were also smuggling automatic weapons as well as drugs and the gun battles were between two smuggling factions and NOT authorities.

If any of you have kids planning on spring break in Mexico, I would highly advise you to change their mind.

 

[shuize]

I'm by no means an expert, but what's surprised me is the relatively small amount of money offered the mules in cases I've heard about. Sure, a couple thousand dollars sounds nice. But, as noted above, given the downside could be a decade or more in jail, it is indeed surprising that college kids are dumb enough to take that risk.

 

[Regnad Kcin]

...given the downside could be a decade or more in jail, it is indeed surprising that college kids are dumb enough to take that risk.

The clue is in the 18th word of yours quoted above.