Mexico: Terrorists by any other name

Leave it to a Republican Congressman to place drug traffickers in a position to be defended. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the Homeland Security Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee has introduced a bill that would add Mexico's six dominant cartels to the State Department's foreign terrorist organizations list. The criminal organizations included in the bill are the Arellano Felix organization, Los Zetas, Beltran Leyva, Familia Michoacana, Sinaloa Cartel, and the Gulf Cartel/New Federation.


He is correct when stating:

"the [Mexican] cartels use violence to gain political and economic influence. They have taken control of much of northern Mexico and spillover crime has resulted in the abandonment of property and loss of security on the U.S. side of the border."

But are they terrorists, i.e. al-Qaeda? Are their objectives focused on the collapse of the United States economy? Or are they trying to make a buck, which is the whole point of our existence here in the good old USofA. But they are evil and extremely dangerous douche bags.


But the Dallas Morning News agrees with Congressman McCaul. 

By labeling cartel members as the terrorists they are, American law enforcers gain significant extra powers, and penalties are boosted for anyone who directly aids and abets the criminals. Money launderers and gun smugglers, for example, could face life terms in prison and fines of up to $50,000 per violation.

But such ideas are more misplaced policy objectives that fail to take a comprehensive view of the "problem." Drug trafficking is a consequence of the real problem, which is American society's addiction problem. More jail time and harsher sentences only raise the cost to the American taxpayer. 

And then there is the truism pointed out by Mexican Ambassador to the United States, Arturo Sarukhan, who shot back at the DMW, 

If you label these organizations as terrorist, you will have to start calling drug consumers in the U.S. "financiers of terrorist organizations" and gun dealers "providers of material support to terrorists." 

The ambassador is correct and consequently, I also support McCaul's bill. Once this bill becomes law, the United States should go after all financiers of terrorism regardless of the amount of money they provide for the cartels: from a nickel-bag to an eight-ball, to the big boy and girl dealers on the streets and in our schools. 

And yes, the weapons traffickers should all be arrested, especially those along the U.S./Mexican border at gun shows and in the gun shops in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas especially.