Methamphetamine Cooking in Vehicles Back Seat

Police in Tennessee had an interesting New Year's Day when they found a man passed out in his car at a gas station in Murfreesboro. Not a big deal, unless, you have a batch of methamphetamine cooking in your vehicle's back seat. According to the AP, "Thirty-one-year-old Nathan Beasley is being held on a $15,000 bond on charges of driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license, reckless endangerment and manufacturing meth". What is more interesting is the reports that pretty much all meth is produced in Mexico now, but this case shows that not only are meth labs still in America - they are mobile. Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant and is produced in some of the worst locations often in neighborhoods where children are nearby. The chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine are very explosive and many severe injuries and deaths occur every year from explosions. Thinking about a meth lab at a gas station is unbelievable, to think what kind of catastrophe could have occurred if something went wrong.

The gas station was located 30 miles outside of Nashville, the attendant notified the Police Department because Beasley's car was sitting at the pump for almost an hour on New Year's Day. The police stated that the process of making meth was in progress. Due to the explosive nature of meth making ingredients, the Murfreesboro Assistant Fire Chief Allen Swader told The Daily News Journal that gas pumps were shut off as a precaution. Fortunately, everything went smoothly and nothing bad happened to anyone and that one more methamphetamine cook is going to be back in jail.

The United States has worked very hard to limit the availability of the chemicals needed to produce meth. Unfortunately, they are still many countries without the same restrictions that we have, allowing American drug chemists access to what they need. Major ingredients required for meth production are simple household medicines and chemicals, like Sudafed and Ether (starting fluid); the fact that these substances are easy to come across makes the drug hard to combat. It would be nice to think that meth labs are not all over the country, but, sadly that is not the case.

Financial Aid to Mexico is Delayed

The drug war in Mexico continues between government officials and the cartels - the cartels have the upper hand. Mexico has been virtually taken over by the ruthless and violent cartels fighting for control over distribution and trafficking routes throughout Mexico. The United States continues to promise aid in the way of training, technology, and especially modern weaponry; at least that way Mexican officials would stand a little bit of a chance. With over a 100,000 foot soldiers and billions of dollars to support their cause, the cartels are too powerful to stop with the help of the United States; unfortunately the support needed is not being provided in a timely manner, and the cartels continue tightening their grip around the good people of Mexico. The United States has the most powerful military in the world possessing the best technology and the most modern weapons; during the Bush administration we promised Mexico help when the Merida Initiative was signed, which would give Mexico a $1.3 billion assistance package promised to Mexico. "The initiative funds aircraft and surveillance equipment to track and break up trafficking networks, as well as vehicles that can manage the terrain where cartels sometimes operate. It also provided funds to improve police ranks, weed out corruption and bolster the courts", according to USA Today. Unfortunately, that financial aid to Mexico is delayed by a bureaucratic mess.

Yet to Arrive:

• Up to eight UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters for the air force and federal police.
• Up to four Casa 235 Persuader surveillance airplanes for the navy.
• Up to eight Bell 412 helicopters for the Mexican air force.

The companies that produce these fine pieces of equipment are saying that it will take 12-18 months to manufacture these goods. It is hard to believe that this equipment is only manufactured when there is an order, the U.S. military could certainly part with a few of their own for such an important cause. Nevertheless, until the support arrives in Mexico the cartels will continue to hold on to control. We have to ask ourselves, how long do we want this war to continue?

Zetas Most Powerful Drug Trafficking Organization in the World

The brutal war in Mexico wages on over territory and drug trafficking routes from Mexico into the United States. The Zetas, who number about 4,000 according to U.S. Intelligence, are a cartel of Mexican Army Special Forces soldiers, who have dominated northern Mexico and the United States through murder and intimidation of public officials. It hasn't been proved, but, it is reported that some of the Zetas' members were trained in the United States. The Zetas' have a lot of influence as a result of their size and power; they operate throughout Mexico and the U.S. trafficking large amounts of narcotics and will let nothing stand in their way as is evident from the outrageous death toll. There is very little question that the Zetas are the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world.

"The cartel was founded in the 1970s but emerged in its modern form in the mid-1980s, led by Juan García Abrego (now in a Colorado jail) and thereafter Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, who founded the Zetas and who is now awaiting trial in Houston, Texas. The Zetas are now led by Heriberto Lazcano – "El Lazco" or "Z3" – wanted in both Mexico and the US. It is Lazcano and the Zetas who control the cartel's drug operations and exercise the savagery with which its power is enforced and its terrain expanded", according to the Observer. Mexico's President Felipe Calderon focused the most energy on the Zetas' cartel with very little success. Peace in Mexico is when one cartel has total control over a given area. "The cartel and the Zetas have held their terrain and are broadening it, despite the high-profile arrests of key members of the group such as Jaime González Durán, alias "El Hummer". A spokesman for Calderón, Alejandra de Soto, told the Observer that "the army is proud of what it has achieved in Tamaulipas" – where the Zetas are based – "there is relative peace in the area. It has been brought under control".

Unfortunately, the Mexican government still has very little if any control over the cartel situation. Reports show that cartels like the Zetas are growing and their territory continues to spread with very little impediment. It still seems like there is a whole lot of talk and very little action directed towards the drug war and peoples' lives continue to be affected. Hopefully a solution can be found between the U.S. and Mexico.

Cartels Face Economic Battle With California Pot Growers

In Northern California the growing of Marijuana has been a way of life for many families for a long time. The number of "Mom-and-Pop" grow operations are countless, and the number is becoming larger every day. The Washington Post states, "stiff competition from thousands of mom-and-pop marijuana farmers in the United States threatens the bottom line for powerful Mexican drug organizations in a way that decades of arrests and seizures have not, according to law enforcement officials and pot growers in the United States and Mexico". With more than half of the marijuana smoked in the United States now being grown domestically, it has become a serious burden upon the Mexican cartels. Now, the cartels face an economic battle with Californian pot growers!

The majority of all pot, up until recently, was grown in Mexico and Columbia; this allowed the cartels to maintain dominance of the trade for many years. Now that laws in the United States are becoming more relaxed as we approach potential legalization, the U.S. growers are severely cutting Mexican profits. "While the trafficking of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine is the main focus of U.S. law enforcement, it is marijuana that has long provided most of the revenue for Mexican drug cartels. More than 60 percent of the cartels' revenue -- $8.6 billion out of $13.8 billion in 2006 -- came from U.S. marijuana sales, according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy", reports the Washington Post. Cutting as much as 60 percent of the cartels profit could do great things for the war on drugs. It is yet to be seen if this trend will hold, but, it seems very likely.

Marijuana is an addictive drug and should not be overlooked or even considered a good thing compared to other drugs. However, the war on drugs continues and the death toll keeps rising. If legalizing marijuana is what it takes to fight the cartels, then it should be something everyone in America considers long and hard. In almost half a century we have not been able to come up with any kind of solution that has worked in curbing the cartels in their deadly game. It may be time to consider what is the lesser of two evils; growing and consuming marijuana or countless dead bodies? No matter what, a solution to the drug war needs to be found.

California and Mexico are Testing Grounds for Revolutionary Ideas Regarding Drugs

A shift can be seen in mindsets around the world regarding illegal drugs! As the world nears the end of the first decade of our new millennium, poverty stricken and facing a drug pandemic, a lot of changes in policy and in the way people look at things are happening. California and Mexico are testing grounds for revolutionary ideas regarding drugs, both republics want change despite the fact that it may fail and come back to hurt them in the end. California is on the brink of legalizing Marijuana and Mexico just legalized small amounts of essentially any drug for personal use. It seems as if these two Republics are willing to try anything to counter their ongoing struggles, i.e. California's budget crisis and Mexico's drug war. I neither condemn nor condone their attempts at trying revolutionary tactics in order to enact change. Something had to give, old ideas and mentalities are not cutting it, and so drastic measures appear to be in order.

All of this change may appear to be surrender on Mexico's part and a form of cynicism on California's, which may be the case; however, there may be room for success with regards to legalization issues and these changes could possibly do more good than harm. It has been clear for a very long time that prison does very little, if any, to help the addict and if anything it only slows the addict's progression but does nothing to curb the disease. Without proper education by way of drug treatment people who have had drug convictions stand very little chance of not returning to the drugs upon release. In Mexico, under previous laws, possession could lead to long jail terms. Mexico now views drug abuse as a "social and public-health problem rather than a law-enforcement issue", which will open up space in prisons and leave available resources to pursue the drug cartels - according to Mexican officials. According to government statistics, the number of addicts in Mexico has risen by more than 50 percent in six years; Mexico who has supplied the United States with drugs for a long time is just now seeing their own domestic drug problem and treatment seems to be more effective than prison.

In the California arena the problem crisis at hand has more to do with the budget and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano proposes full legalization of marijuana with regulation and taxation. A proposed tax of $50 per ounce is estimated to raise $1.3 billion annually. "According to one poll, 56 percent of California voters support such a plan. There also are three initiative efforts in California to put marijuana-legalization measures before voters in November 2010.", reports the Arizona Republic. People will smoke marijuana regardless of the fact that it is illegal, that being said, perhaps the argument for legalization is sound.

It is impossible to predict the direction all this new legislation will take us. Certainly, both Mexico and California are sailing into uncharted waters with failure lurking on the horizon. Drastic times call for drastic measures, time will tell if this shift in policy will be the lesser of two evils. Mexico needs to lower the murder rate and California needs to boost the economy, it will be interesting to see the results of their efforts. A lot of questions and very few answers at this point!

Mexico Legalizing Drug Possession

A new law was passed on Thursday, August, 20, 2009, decriminalizing small amounts of drugs for personal use in Mexico. The drugs that fall under this new act include: marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and even LSD; the only requirement is that the amounts be under a certain weight that has been agreed upon by the Mexican government. According to the Associated Press "Mexican authorities said the change only recognized the longstanding practice here of not prosecuting people caught with small amounts of drugs". If a person is caught with drug amounts falling under the set limit they will be encouraged by authorities to seek treatment; however if caught a third time treatment will then be mandatory even though Mexico has not stated any penalties for noncompliance. Mexico legalizing drug possession raises some very serious questions considering that they are currently in the grips of a serious drug war as we speak. If the government is supposedly trying to stop the cartels from producing and distributing drugs, it seems counterproductive that they would legalize the cartels main source of income.

The new drug law went into effect on Friday, August 21, 2009, and will set "the maximum amount of marijuana considered to be for “personal use” under the new law at 5 grams — the equivalent of about four marijuana cigarettes. Other limits are half a gram of cocaine, 50 milligrams of heroin, 40 milligrams for methamphetamine and 0.015 milligrams of LSD". It took several months before before President Felipe Calderón would approve this new law. What kind of message is he trying to send to the world by doing this? A mixed message certainly, and one that can only have a devastating effect on Mexicans as well as Americans who travel to Mexico. If they could not enforce laws before they became legal how do they propose to do it after the fact? There is no way that this new law that sets limits on the amount one can be caught with will have any sway on the mind of a drug addict.

Mexican Crystal Meth is America's Problem

Methamphetamine production has crossed over borders and become industrialized with the advent of Super-Labs. With so much heat on the production of Meth in America as well as the ability to acquire mass amounts of Pseudoephedrine (the main ingredient in the manufacturing of the drug) being lessened, it is no surprise that other countries like Mexico have taken upon themselves to pick up where the U.S. manufacturers left off. Mexican Crystal Meth is America's problem considering U.S. citizens are Mexico's number one customer. "Mexico now has some massive and very sophisticated operations. We call them super labs," said the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Elizabeth Kempshall, special agent in charge of the Phoenix Division. Kempshall, whose jurisdiction is in Arizona, keeps a close watch on Meth production in Mexico due to her state being one of the major trafficking routes.

The Mexican Crystal Meth market has become a multi-billion dollar industry in what seems like over night. Drug production in Mexico looks a lot different from what we saw in America with trunk and trailer-park operations. Mexican cartels have honed their production skills and created labs that can produce unthinkable amounts of this 'death dealer'. In June police and military discovered the biggest laboratory yet in the municipality of Badiraguato, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. According to the Global Post, "It is estimated to have produced 40 metric tons of Meth, worth some $1.4 billion on American streets, in just two months before it was shut down — making it the largest operation of its kind to be exposed in the continent." Numbers like that can't help but make you feel that an epidemic is taking place given the fact that the majority of those 40 tons without a doubt crossed our border.

The DEA states that Meth is now the most popular hard drug in America’s Midwest and West, ahead of cocaine and heroin. Consumption and addiction rates will undoubtedly continue to rise as long as factories like the ones above continue to thrive. The bust in Badiraguato had to have been a major blow for the cartels, but, when you take out one weed another will pop up somewhere else with the same devastating ability. How can we keep the onslaught of Methamphetamine away? If Americans keep buying the drug, someone will always be there to make a profit. Personally, America's history of being able to curb the flow of traffic from other countries has been less than satisfactory; it seems unlikely that their tract record will change with regard to the most dangerous drug ever invented. If we can't keep Meth out of America then the least we can do is better educate people on the matter. I, like so many others, am at a loss in terms of the best solution; please let me hear your thoughts on this subject.