Friends of Ours

Spillover Violence: Mexican Cartel Hitman Confesses To 30 U.S. Killings

A self-described collector for an unidentified Mexican cartel has confessed to killing more than 30 people across the United States according to Detective TJ Watts with the sheriff's office in Marion County, FL as reported by the Bradenton Herald:  "'he had information that only the killer would know and after he confessed to it, he said it was time for him to pay up for all the bad things he’s done throughout his life,' Watts said."

Further reading that may be of interest:

President Obama Cedes Border To Drug Cartels

Narco Insurgents Expand U.S. Markets

The Mexican cartels have launched a recruiting drive at U.S. prisons to expand their ranks as reported by Seth Ferranti for the Daily Beast:

Mexican cartels are identifying and recruiting talent in American prisons, seeking "free agents" to connect on their release with their south-of-the-border counterparts in the ever-expanding drug job market. Think of it as a jailhouse draft, where the year's crop of coming releases can showcase their skills to multinational drug conglomerates in need of bodies and criminal talent.

The Mexican cartels move $50 billion in bulk product and bundled cash across the border each year, and have established supply lines, distribution networks and operational cells in hundreds of communties throughout the United States.

The U.S. government clearly lacks the ability to act against the Mexican cartels. 

Although the Obama Administration insists that there is no spillover violence from rival drug cartels for control over smuggling routes the dead bodies on the north side of the border -- including rancher Rob Krentz and border patrol agent Brian Terry -- stubbornly belie the President's absurd claim.  Earlier this month border patrol agents discovered five bodies which were buried in the Arizona desert along a smuggling corridor.

Meanwhile, on the south side of the border, the cartels control vast regions including the western state of Michoacan according to one exacerbated official as reported by Tracy Wilkinson for the Los Angeles Times:  "There is no government here. There is no state. There is no law."  The collapse of government in Michoacan has resulted in citizens arming themselves for protection against the cartels, and some fear an outbreak of civil war.

Further reading that may be of interest:

President Obama Cedes Border To Drug Cartels

Mexican Citizens Arm Against Drug Cartels

Drug Cartels Set Sights On Mexico City

The drug cartels control vast regions of Mexico and are engaged in turf wars for control over smuggling routes into the United States but some are now concerned that the narco insurgents are staking claims to the capital given the recent uptick of violent crime in Mexico City as reported by Rachel Levin for Al Jazeera.

14 Marines Charged In Crime Ring

US News | Weird News | More ABC News Videos

Apparently an unfortunate thread of thug life continues to run through the U.S. military.

Fourteen "active and former U.S. Marines were among 64 alleged perpetrators of an illicit military weapons and drug trafficking ring" which operated out of Camp Pendleton in San Diego, CA as reported by Colleen Curry for ABC.

The armed forces increasingly have been plagued by recruits who are working on behalf of street gangs and drug cartels as reported by Angela Kocherga for WFAA: 

"We have enough isolated cases of U.S. military personal being engaged with these gangs and cartels to indicate that it's a troubling trend that's developing," said Fred Burton with Stratfor Global Intelligence. "It's certainly something the U.S. military needs to keep an eye on."

Of course, perhaps the most infamous incident of organized crime within the U.S. military was during World War II when the U.S. Army in Italy inexcusably formed an alliance with Vito Genovese who meanwhile was stealing its supplies to sell on the black market.

Los Zetas Imposes Border Tax

The Mexican army rescued 165 immigrants from Central America who were held captive for ransom by an armed gang in the northern state of Tamaulipas which is controlled by drug cartel Los Zetas as reported by Tracy Wilkinson for the Los Angeles Times:

It is the increasingly typical plight of Central Americans attempting to traverse Mexico to the United States. Mexico's national human rights commission estimates about 10,000 migrants have gone missing each year since 2008 — kidnapped for ransom, shanghaied into forced labor for drug traffickers or killed. Many are killed when their families can't pay ransoms.

Mexican Cartels Supply Western Michigan

Nine men have been sentenced on drug convictions for their roles in a trafficking ring in Western Michigan which was supplied by the Sinaloa cartel as reported by Tom Hillen for WOOD:  "the arrests were a surprise for many in the neighborhood who would never have expected anyone in their area to be connected to a dangerous drug cartel."

9 arrests linked to violent drug cartel