In order to fight Mexico’s criminal drug cartels, Drug Enforcement Administration officials are themselves becoming criminals.
Millions of dollars of drug proceeds have been laundered or smuggled by undercover American narcotics agents in an attempt to gain information on the tactics of the cartels. The D.E.A has shipped illegal cash across borders to find out how gangs move their cash and who their leadership is.
The illicit activity – specifically sanctioned as Attorney General Exempt Operations – may violate Mexican sovereignty, facilitate additional criminal activity on the part of the drug cartels, and may be lamentably counterproductive, especially in the shadow of the failed gun-running operation Fast and Furious.
One anonymous former agency official told the New York Times of his experience with such operations: “My rule was that if we are going to launder money, we better show results. Otherwise, the D.E.A. could wind up being the largest money launderer in the business, and that money results in violence and deaths.”
Why should anybody be surprised at Prohibition's innate ability to corrupt entire government agencies?
It's more than fairly evident, and especially to those of us whose survival doesn't depend on the continuation of Prohibition, that even if we could afford to put Narcs on every single corner, it is extremely likely that at least half of them would very soon become dealers themselves. So it begs the question: Why on God's green earth do we continue as a nation to foolishly shoot ourselves in both feet?
An appeal to all Prohibitionists:
Most of us are aware by now that individuals who use illegal drugs are going to get high, 'no matter what.' So why do you not prefer they acquire them in stores that check IDs and pay taxes? Gifting the market in narcotics to ruthless criminals, foreign terrorists and corrupt law enforcement officials is seriously compromising our future. If you remotely believe that people will one day quit using any of these 'at present' illegal drugs, then you are exhibiting a degree of naivety parallel only with those poor deluded wretches who voluntarily drank the poisoned Kool-Aid in Jonestown.
Even if you cannot stand the thought of people using drugs, there is absolutely nothing you, or any government, can do to stop them. We have spent 40 years and over a trillion dollars on this dangerous farce. Practically everybody is now aware that Prohibition will not suddenly and miraculously start showing different results. So why do you wish to continue with a policy that has proven itself to be a poison in the veins of our once so proud & free nation? Do you actually think you may have something to lose If we were to start basing drug policy on science & logic instead of ignorance, hate and lies?
Maybe you're a police officer, a prison guard or a local politician. Possibly you're scared of losing employment, overtime-pay, the many kick-backs and those regular fat bribes. But what good will any of that do you once our society has followed Mexico over the dystopian abyss of dismembered bodies, vats of acid and marauding thugs carrying gold-plated AK-47s with leopard-skinned gunstocks?
Kindly allow us to forgo the next level of your sycophantic prohibition-engendered mayhem.
Prohibition Prevents Regulation : Legalize, Regulate and Tax!
Thumbs-up for the anti-Prohibitionist appeal. However, the last two items in your action list will nullify the first.
Any of the laundered money missing?
The "war on drugs" is as stupid and crazy as "the war on alcohol" prohibition was. They never learn.
But much like the Prohibition, take a look at how many multi-millionaires it's yielding.
Prohibition lets bad people get very rich. That seems to be the only result.
Again, who didn't know about this? The USG provides the guns, takes the drugs, launders the money. What else is new?