We are entering scary times, my friends. There is a scandal erupting here in Arizona involving cocaine trafficking through the U.S. Border that has already nabbed 16 law enforcement officers and soldiers. The sting operation that has lasted for 3 1/2 years is “expected to bring more arrests and involve people from additional agencies.”
Update [2005-5-13 10:35:10 by Man Eegee]: Eleven of the 16 defendants appeared in court yesterday (5/12/05). The remaining five will appear over the next few days. They all pleaded guilty and were released on their own recognizance. The Az Daily Star has a breakdown of the specific allegations for the eleven.
In the comments below, BooTribber rba linked to an article by Common Dreams regarding journalist Gary Webb’s extensive work on the subject. He died from an apparent suicide last December.
Regarding media coverage, the AP article has gotten mileage across the country’s papers, including the NY Times, USA Today & Washington Post. The WaPo also had their own analysis of the sting operation. (free registration required)
More below the fold…
Those charged include a former Immigration and Naturalization Service inspector, a former Army sergeant, a former federal prison guard, seven members of the Arizona Army National Guard, five members of the Arizona Department of Corrections and a police officer, officials said.
All 16 agreed to plead guilty to being part of a bribery and corruption conspiracy and were scheduled to enter pleas Thursday in federal court, said Noel Hillman, a Justice Department official.
::snip::
Hillman said the defendants drove cocaine shipments past checkpoints manned by the government while they wore official uniforms, carried identification and used official vehicles.
“Many individuals charged were sworn personnel having the task of protecting society and securing America’s borders,” Monroe said. “The importance of these tasks cannot be overstated and we cannot tolerate, nor can the American people afford, this type of corruption.” [emphasis mine]
This scandal has the potential to blow the lid off the border/immigration debate. I will do some investigating here locally and give you updates as I find them.
Good. Nothing like a former INS inspector to head up a drugmule operation.
The U.S. caught a Canadian border guard bringing in a load of BC bud last week.
Great catch – one question, could you elaborate on how you feel this will blow the lid off the current border/ immigration debate?
Call me a hopeless cynic, but I see this being attributed to a few “bad apples”, not getting much press and the Minute Men continuing as usual… ;(
Please do keep us updated as developments unfold!
It could be me seeing this situation through local eyes, but I have always thought that it would take the border states to really make a stink about immigration reform. In the past few months, Arizona has played host to the Minutemen Project, a visit from Michael Chertoff to the area, and now Az Senator McCain, Rep. Flake & Rep. Kolbe have introduced a guest-worker bill.
All of the issues so far have been about the “others” who cross here illegally. This adds a twist to the broken border argument because now it involves illegal activity by American law enforcement agencies–further proof that Homeland Security is a farce. Even some Republicans agree with that.
So those are my thoughts, I would’ve elaborated earlier but had to run out. I wonder how it will be presented on the evening news?
Perfect, thanks for the additional perspective… and I suspect you are right about the border states and immigration reform.
No issue is ever black or white/ good or evil and it’s about time people recognized that.
Great catch Egee! Was this at the Nogales area? Keep us posted. Do we know what party they belong to?
As far as I can tell, it’s centered at the Nogales entry. The local newspaper in Tucsonhas an article that mentions that the Nogales Police Department is involved. My guess is it’s the police officer referenced in the main entry above.
How ya gonna keep ’em down on the farm, after they’ve seen …. suitcases full of cash.
Picture the daily grind: bust mules on foot, in vehicles, and below-radar aircraft. Because of the amount of cash involved, they are either sacrificed by the organization, or released on bail. 24/7, 365. The great revolving door of money and drugs. I wonder how many times these people can play “catch & release” before they burnout.
The article says the investigation lasted three and half years. No doubt a coordinated effort of DEA, INS, FBI, and State Police. So many people, so much time, so little effect. Gary Webb found out how the system worked, tried to get people to listen, and they crushed him.
These people will probably do some serious time, but the drugs will keep coming as long as people are willing to pay. As long as we remain locked into spending huge amounts of money on the supply chain, and piddling amounts on reducing demand.
Hard choice for these guys. A hundred grand a month, or a paycheck? Supply-side economics, and a broken moral compass. You can’t touch that.
Between the law eforcement and soldiers in the AZ sting to the soldeiers in Colombia charged with smuggling cocaine? And the American sorldiers who are arms smugglers, too? A sort of “snowy triangle”?
I’m always amazed when I read articles like this saying it took 3 years, etc or however long to find this kind of info out.
Anyone who knows anything at all about drugs can tell you in a few minutes usually where to go or who to talk to about getting drugs or whose selling to who.
Drug enforcement seems to be one of the biggest money rip-offs this country and taxpayers are paying for, to no end whatsoever.
As everyone else has said, keep us informed.
The articles I have read so far mentioned that the FBI received their first tip in December 2001, not too long after 9/11. With all of the various agencies involved, and more arrests promised, it will be scary to see how far this web stretches.
Drug enforcement seems to be one of the biggest money rip-offs this country and taxpayers are paying for, to no end whatsoever.
Agreed. The inflow will not stop, it will only be diverted temporarily. I wonder what those 3 1/2 years cost.
Anymore I think of it as drug profiteering by the government and as a way to keep some higher ups in jobs who oversee this expensive con game.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t do something about drugs but for the no doubt TRILLIONS of Dollars the government has spent in the last 30 years ….nothing substantial has been accomplished that I know of.