CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Weeding Out Crime: Amsterdam Closing Many Pot Cafes!

LibertySugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:30:00 -0800

Amsterdam wants to be known for its tolerant spirit, not as a haven for organized criminals. Thus, the city has plans to close troublesome brothels, sex shops, and marijuana cafes, while also spending millions to build cultural attractions like art galleries and restaurants.

One city council member explains that:

"[Amsterdam] will be a place with 200 windows (for prostitutes) and 30 coffee shops, which you can't find anywhere else in the world — very exciting, but also with cultural attractions. And you won't have to be embarrassed to say you came."

Perhaps the new plan to shut down some pot cafes shows the wisdom of decriminalization, not the folly of it. Officials can step in and shut down the shops that cause problems, without pushing everyone that uses marijuana into a criminal network.

Do you think criminalization or legalization is the best way to deal with drug related crime?

Source

Parents Hire Drug-Sniffing Dogs to Check Up on Their Kids

CitizenSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:03:58 -0700

Apparently cheeky or cheesy PSAs are no longer enough ammo in helping parents keep their kids off of drugs: they're resorting to hiring K-9 units of their own. A New Jersey company called Sniff Dogs rents out retired, trained drug-sniffing dogs to parents suspicious that their kids might be involved in drugs.

The dogs rent for $200 an hour and can detect heroin, cocaine, meth, and ecstasy — not to mention pot-residue on clothes even if the drug was smoked two nights before. That knowledge alone might be enough to spark sparking up teens into doing their own laundry.

To see the conflict behind the good intentions,

A Model For Other Courts? Addicts Get Treatment Over Jail

LibertySugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:30:08 -0700

Drug diversion courts around the country offer offenders a chance for redemption, rather than recidivism. After acknowledging guilt for crimes like low-level dealing or stealing to support addictions, addicts can volunteer for nine to 18 months of urine testing, group therapy, mandatory sobriety meetings, intensely supervised by a judge. Those that don't make it through, can end up in jail. But if the program is completed, the offender transforms from a criminal to a drug court graduate, supported by invested judges, and congratulated by a supportive courtroom.

Today's New York Times weighed the pros and cons of the program. Proponents of that drug court say that not only is treatment more compassionate than prison, but it saves taxpayers money! To see how, and for some arguments against the practice

France Wants Lance to Prove He Was Clean — Should He?

LibertySugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:00:16 -0700

Lance Armstrong announced that he's coming back to the Tour de France next year, and he plans on mixing in some charity work on behalf of the Clinton Global Initiative while he's in Paris. Well France's anti-doping chief wants to add something else to Lance's agenda: clearing his name. Here's the challenge: Lance should agree to retesting his 1999 urine samples, in order to disprove reports that they contained traces of banned endurance enhancers. A positive test from 1999, the year Lance won his first of seven titles, couldn't result in disciplinary action as too much time has passed. The urine samples are currently kept frozen in a French lab. Should Lance take France up on its challenge?
Source

France Wants Lance to Prove He Was Clean — Should He?

Yes! He could silence his critics, and bring back faith in cycling.

Yup. The public and his competition deserve to know if he cheated.

No! They're on a witch hunt, and he'll prove them wrong this time by winning clean.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Front Page: Biden Says Higher Taxes Patriotic, Stocks Tumble Despite Bailout, 175 Arrests in Drug Ring

CitizenSugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:00:30 -0700

Biden: Higher Taxes Patriotic:
Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden said today that paying higher taxes is a patriotic thing for wealthy Americans to do. Acknowledging the plan for a higher tax rate for those making over $250,000, Biden said on Good Morning America, "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut."

Stocks Tumble Despite Bailout:
US stocks hit a three-year low despite the $85 billion government bailout of insurance giant AIG. Acknowledging continuing concern, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said, "Our economy has the strength to be able to deal with these shocks." President Bush has canceled a trip today to focus on the economy. He's expected to speak at 10:15 ET.

175 Arrests in Drug Ring:
US officials announced arrests of 175 people in connection with Mexico's largest drug ring. The arrests took place this week after 15 months of investigation into the Gulf Cartel, a group which plays a major part in the levels of violence in Mexico. A DEA spokesperson said, “We successfully completed a hard-hitting, coordinated and massive assault on the powerful and extremely violent Gulf Cartel."

Source

US Department of the Interior: Sex, Drugs, and Oil

LibertySugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

The Interior Department, which controls oil and gas collected from US taxpayer-owned coastal waters, has been plagued with shocking ethical abuses, according to a government investigation. Violations range from giving contracts to a retired employee instead of allowing for competitive bidding to substance abuse and promiscuity.

The report states that officials “frequently consumed alcohol at (oil) industry functions, used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives.” Officials also allegedly accepted gifts from energy companies that exceed ethics rules, such as golf, meals and drinks, and tickets to a Toby Keith concert. In addition, oil companies were allowed to purchase oil and gas at a lowered price, after they had won contracts.

The alleged ethics mayhem took place in the Mineral Management Service (MMS) and Royalty In Kind Programs. The MMS brings in $10 billion for the federal government each year. It's the second biggest revenue maker after taxes. To find out what the investigation recommends now,

Missouri County Posts Meth Lab Locations Online: Good Idea?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:45:51 -0700

If you're looking to move, chances are you suss out a neighborhood first: schools, crime rates, sex offenders nearby, and the like. If you live in Jefferson County, MO, you can add another criteria to your info gathering: whether a meth lab is located nearby. Not limited to hardcore crack houses, the sheriff's department is listing places where it's seized any materials tied to meth production that indicate a past presence of a secret drug lab in the past two years. Real estate agents are thrilled by the new development though schools and house size still top the list of important area details. With the release of the info however, nearby homeowners might worry that the released info could wreak havoc on their own home's value. The sheriff says, "We keep raising the bar on awareness. You either do something about it, or you stick your head in the sand." Jefferson County has one of the worst meth problems in the United States. The state of Missouri recorded 770 meth-lab incidents in the first six months of this year. Is their criteria too broad? Should a house be listed as a meth lab just for having evidence gathered? Is privacy at stake or is this progressive crime fighting?Source

Missouri County Posts Meth Lab Locations Online: Good Idea?

Privacy's at stake. Crime details shouldn't be on the web, it's a threat to the area.

Progressive crime fighting! Good for them for getting the info in the open and accessible.

Other. I'll tell you my opinion in the comments.

California Cracking Down on Pot Clubs High on Profits

LibertySugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:03:54 -0700

He may have been Governor Moonbeam in the '70s, but today California Attorney General Jerry Brown has cracked down on the state's pot clubs. When California legalized medical marijuana 10 years ago, medical dispensaries started popping up, only to see profits as high as a kite.

AG Brown said, "The voters wanted medical marijuana dispensaries to be used for seriously ill patients and their caregivers — not as million-dollar businesses."

Brown may be correct, but couldn't he apply his logic to other pharmaceutical companies? Pot wouldn't be the first drug to help businesspeople get rich. Even so, Brown has a new set of rules for these medical dispensaries. To see what they are,

Judge Orders Company to Give Test Drug to Dying Teen

LibertySugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:00:22 -0700

Doctors aren't the only ones who can write prescriptions in the US. Yesterday, a federal judge ordered a research group to provide experimental drugs to a terminally ill teen suffering from a fatal type of muscular dystrophy.

The family of Jacob Gunvalson sued PTC Therapeutics alleging that the company led them to believe that Jacob could participate in a trial of the drug necessary for his survival. The company says it denied Jacob because it worried that unsafe results could taint the reputation of the new drug and hold back research. Since Jacob wasn't part of the preliminary trial, he did not qualify for the second round of the drug trial.

PTC maintains that it never promised Jacob an exception. The company's lawyers also argued that terminally ill patients do not have a legal right to unapproved drugs. But Jacob isn't just any terminally ill American. The judge said this case was different because PTC has a particularly close relationship with Jacob and his family, who even stayed overnight once at the company's VP's home.

Should we just take away the need for a lawsuit all together, and allow access to any terminally-ill patient willing to pay for experimental treatment?

Source

$1 Million on Syrian Hookah Use Amid Depression-Era Bailout?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:30:14 -0700

Hookah pipes and the housing crisis? Oh yep, just stuff Congress is spending money on. I'm going to wager you probably don't remember the Great Depression — but Congress gave us a little romp through nostalgia this weekend by passing the biggest rescue package since FDR sat in the Oval Office. We might not be on the same page if we're saying "recession" but no matter. We're funding it like it's the big D.

The bailout gives the treasury big authority to prop up the mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by raising the ceiling on the national debt to $800 billion. The hope is by raising the country's credit limit, another wave of foreclosures can be stopped. More than 740,000 homes fell into foreclosure in the second quarter of this year.

Think that's depressing? To get a load of the other pipe Congress is smoking,

Everyday Canadians Get High on Marijuana Profits

LibertySugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:30:43 -0700

A booming business in Canada's British Columbia allows entrepreneurs to rake in $80,000 a year tax-free while keeping their day jobs. So what's the magic product? Marijuana, of course!

Owners of British Columbia's 20,000 illegal cannabis grow-ops, set up in residential homes, collect high profits, but unlike typical organized-crime marijuana growers, BC's middle class wants in too.

Just like Mary-Louise Parker's character in Weeds, the extra cash helps these otherwise normal people maintain a middle-class life style. Cultivators spend the cannabis cash on college tuition, second homes, cars, or a vacation. Not surprisingly these criminals want Canada to legalize marijuana.

Opponents say the drug is dangerous, especially for youth. Either way, it seems the pot is here to stay — the profitable industry is far too expansive for BC authorities to seriously stop it. Perhaps this is the way laws change — the people assert their right, making authorities impotent. If the drug does become legal, BC's neighbor, American law enforcement, will surely stare angrily at the border. But I bet others wouldn't mind a North American Amsterdam!

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On the Newsstand: What Happens to Seized Drug Money?

LibertySugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:00:57 -0700

As part of the War on Drugs US federal and local authorities seize cash made from drug trafficking. The practice takes away an incentive for smuggling, and gives the agents an incentive to catch traffickers. The guideline for how that money can be spent, according to most local laws, is the vague standard of "for law-enforcement purposes."

This week's Economist itemized what can be considered law enforcement for spending purposes. Seized assets have been used for the following:

One Texas county used it on a margarita machine.
A Texas district attorney took his whole staff to Hawaii for a training seminar.
Another Texan DA spent thousands of dollars on his re-election campaign.
In Indiana money goes to a general school fund. (A good idea.)
A Georgia sheriff bought a $90,000 sports car, used to advertise an anti-drug program. (Don't tell the kids drugs paid for the car!)

Unfortunately, many state laws give authorities wide discretion to seize assets even without any verdict. And with such an incentive to get the restriction-free money, sometimes they get it wrong. Does it matter to you what happens to drug money?

Source

What's Too Much? Are Safety Kits For Drug Users Worth It?

CitizenSugar — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:00:26 -0700

The back page of New York magazine every week is the Artifact feature, where they archive a tidbit of the city — this week was an annotated picture of the kit given by the city to drug users to ensure the safe usage of their substance of choice. I was more than surprised by its. . . thoroughness? I mean I have hobbies, but no government agency has ever given me a kit that contains not only every thing I need to accomplish said extracurricular — down to a nine-step info card of how to do so, but that's just me.

I honestly don't know where to stand on this conundrum, but I have some questions:

If someone is a habitual drug user, what are the chances that they will actually use all of these items as they're intended? The kit contains 10 different doodads, including capsules of sterilized water for mixing the drugs (see, I had no idea this was necessary) itsy-bitsy cotton balls to trap dirt and debris from getting in the syringe, a bottle of bleach, and an empty bottle to use to clean the needles in. Oh, and the needles come from a whole different location. Will the complexity stop these goods from actually getting put to use?
At what point is the line between encouraging drug use by making it so much safer, easier, and government-sanctioned? If drug users aren't exposed as easily to diseases and live longer as addicts, what kind of future societal health problem could we be creating?

I'm just getting started — we haven't even considered money yet. To see the rest,

Is the War on Drugs Being Waged From the Wrong Battlefront?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:51:03 -0700

Just consider me Mary Poppins this morning: a little sweet Prince William to help the War on Drugs go down. The Prince is on the front lines of the battle — the warship the Prince is serving on just seized $80 million worth (almost two tons) of cocaine from a speedboat just north of Barbados.

William's ship is patrolling the waters of the West Indies looking for drug runners, and this score came early on in their mission. The ship's commanding officer said, "to have had a direct impact on the flow of cocaine into Europe just four days after we arrived in theatre shows the benefit the Royal Navy can have in the area of maritime security and counter drug operations."

Sounds like Prince William is saving the world from drugs, right? Well, the war is a little more complicated than that — and we may be focusing efforts at the wrong stage of drug production to make any difference. To see what I mean,

Vigilante Drug Arrests Clean Up MO Town — Under Fake Badge

CitizenSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:56:56 -0700

It was a small town overrun by meth, until a new sheriff came to town — a federal agent who immediately started ransacking houses, cuffing people and naming names. It seemed like the town of Gerald, MO, known as "a meth capital of the United States" was getting a big makeover of the law and order variety. Except for one tiny problem: the "law" part of that equation wasn't exactly legal.

Known by the locals as "Sergeant Bill," the new officer assured residents that no search warrants were needed because he worked for the Feds. After the local weekly paper made a couple of inquiries into the matter, the reign of justice by Sergeant Bill, crumbled. The Sergeant wasn't any kind of federal agent — Bill, it seems, is actually Bill A. Jakob, an unemployed trucking company owner from a few towns over. To see the rest of Sergeant Bill's story,

San Francisco Giving Crack-Dealing Immigrants Free Airfare

CitizenSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:45:36 -0700

What do you get when you enter the US illegally, sell crack, and then claim to be a juvenile? If you're in San Francisco, you get free airfare home. Citing the city's status as a sanctuary city, juvenile probation officials are protecting Hondurans caught selling crack from federal deportation by giving them a city-paid flight home with no restrictions on returning.

The practice has prompted a federal criminal investigation to see if San Francisco has been systematically circumventing US immigration law. A spokesman for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says, "our job is to uphold the nation's immigration laws. Although San Francisco is a sanctuary city, it's a problem whenever someone attempts to evade the law. . . . Our law does not allow us to turn a blind eye to any individual who has come into this country illegally." To see how SF has become a travel agency,

United Nations: Iran a Model of Drug Addiction Treatment

LibertySugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:00:00 -0700

While the UN isn't sanctioning Iran, it's praising the country for its successful efforts to treat drug addiction. The UN Office on Drugs and Crimes says Iran has been more supportive of drug treatment than any other government in the Islamic world.

One to 10 million Iranians (depending who you ask) battle addiction. Abandoning strict punishment a while back, the theocratic government takes the drug problem head on, generously financing numerous treatment centers, providing those not ready to quit with services like free needles, and encouraging citizens to think of addiction as a disease, according to the New York Times.

Even though they don't treat addicts like criminals, Iranians aren't ready to stop all the blaming. To see why Iran thinks America is slowing down their treatment efforts,

$20 Billion Raised in One Day For Afghanistan

LibertySugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:45:00 -0700

Global donors pledged $20 billion in aid to Afghanistan today. In Paris, 80 countries met to discuss the current crises facing the rebuilding nation. They demanded that Afghanistan do its part to end corruption and address rising levels of criminal violence and opium harvests. In addition to the fresh dose of $20 billion, Afghanistan has received $15 billion since 2001.

Hoping to stimulate otherwise stunted progress, the donors will attempt to coordinate their aid efforts, while putting pressure on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to raise living standards and make Afghanistan's government self-sufficient. Many Afghanis live without proper sanitation and 80 percent have no electricity. The $1.6 billion spent on technical assistance has not been successful in helping Afghanistan stand on its own.

In Paris today, Afghanistan, whose domestic revenues are about $1 billion, reminded wealthy countries how much it needs them. Are you happy to see that the world hasn't forgotten about Afghanistan? Will money solve the country's problems?

Source

Sailor Prince William Headed to Caribbean to Take on Drugs!

LibertySugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:00:06 -0700

Prince William will be summering in the Caribbean! His next assignment with the Royal Navy will have him taking on drug traffickers in the Caribbean aboard the HMS Iron Duke . . . not exactly a vacation. The ship will sail on August 1.

Before he leaves, he'll have to undergo some basic sea safety training. The future king will learn how to navigate the sea, fight fires, and survive at sea during a catastrophe.

So what will life be like on this Royal Cruise? William will most likely be searching boats suspected of carrying cocaine. Navy officials admit that the days will be exhausting and austere. He'll even have to use a communal bathroom! Serious mission aside, the Love Boat duds are quite fetching. Ahoy matey, indeed!

Source

Drugs For Sale! Prescription Slogans Meet the News. . .

CitizenSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 03:00:45 -0700

Last week we heard that the GOP's new slogan — The change you deserve — is the same as the antidepressant Effexor. Hey! The homeless guy on my corner says the same thing, except he substitutes “I” for “you.” Well it got me thinking. Pharmaceuticals, the government, and current affairs are nothing if not bedfellows. Yes. I know that’s three and crowded and possibly not legal in some states. But what if I matched up drug slogans with recent news stories? Well, I did — and lemme tell you, it answers the question, "what do Midol and the election have in common?" Here goes! Source

TV Drug Ads Might Have to Highlight Hairy Side Effects

CitizenSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:00:12 -0700

Regulators are considering a proposal today that would require potentially gnarly and dangerous side effects be touted as loudly as their miracle cures in pharmaceutical promotions. The FDA is considering requiring TV drug advertisements to also display a number where patients can report serious problems with their medication.

TV advertising has created a culture of savvy drug consumers who think they can prescribe drugs more adroitly than their physicians — ads have become a cornerstone of the pharmaceutical business since regulators allowed them ten years ago. Companies spent roughly $3.5 billion on spots last year. To see if consumers are capable of getting the message,

Drug Traffickers Blow by the US, Head for Euros

LibertySugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:15:47 -0700

Drug traffickers now join rappers and models who have been ditching the dollar for the more exquisite euro.

White House drug officials announced this week that cocaine is being rerouted from the US and heading through Venezuela to West Africa eventually reaching its final destination — Europe.

With such a weak dollar, drug dealers have more to make by hustling in the Old World. Meanwhile, reports of cocaine use are up in Europe, and down in the US. Sounds like there will be some major blowouts in the discothèques this summer.

Of course drug enforcement officials credit the US war on drugs. Bush's drug policy director says successful control of US-bound routes in Mexico and Columbia are squeezing suppliers into Venezuela. The US alleges that Venezuela, a political adversary, acts as a cocaine safe haven, and is doing nothing to stop the drug trade.

Can Europe be more successful in convincing Venezuela to come down hard on the drug trade? Is a drop in cocaine use a benefit of a weak dollar and economy in general?

Source

Lighten Up: Colbert Gets the Munchies With Pot Lobbyist

LibertySugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:00:09 -0700

Celebrities glamorize them. Marxist rebels tax them. Vending machines sell them. And we all disagree about whether or not the government should legalize them. I'm talking about illegal drugs!

Check out this side-splitting video of Stephen Colbert masterfully smoking a top illegal-drug lobbyist.

Need to Know: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

LibertySugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:00:00 -0800

Yesterday, the Organization of American States (OAS) declared last weekend's Colombian raid in Ecuador a violation of sovereignty. The US was the only state to support Colombia's decision to enter Ecuador and kill 24 rebels, including a top commander of the insurgency group FARC. So what's the deal with FARC?

FARC is the world's largest, and richest insurgency group, currently waging war with the Colombian government. A Marxist group, its mission is the redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor, and the end of foreign influence by multinational corporations, and the US government.

Taxes levied on drug-traffickers give FARC $300 million in revenue each year. Of course, drug use among the 10,000 - 15,000 rebels is forbidden. Ransom collected from FARC's 3,000 plus kidnappings a year, also bankrolls the group. FARC, which pulls most of its support from rural areas, was founded in 1964, as the military wing of Colombia's Communist Party.

Colombia, with the full support of the US, maintains that Venezuela and Ecuador are assisting the rebels. Colombia is an important US ally, receiving $600 million a year in aid. Leftist countries in the region see the government in Colombia as nothing more than a US puppet.

For more informative background resources,

United Nations Says Stop Being Soft on Celebrity Drug Users

LibertySugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:30:28 -0800

It's common knowledge that drug use often goes hand in hand with the celebrity lifestyle. Countless famous abusers check in to rehab, or even sing about it. Pictures of celebrity junkies using drugs are widely available in magazines or on the internet. But, is public airing of celebrities' habits too small a price to pay for breaking the law?

The UN's International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) thinks celebrity abusers are getting off too easily when it comes to criminal sentencing. In its annual report, the INCB maintains that when celebrities glamorize a drug-related lifestyle, it influences the youth, a group most vulnerable to celebrity culture.

The INCB is warning countries against disproportionately targeting low-level offenders. Instead, countries should go after high-profile users, as well as the criminal gangs fueling the drug trade.

Do you think that celebrities get soft treatment from the criminal justice system? Should we expect them to be role models, and therefore make examples of them when they violate the law?

Source

Seven Year Old Caught With Crack Cocaine. Are You Shocked?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:00:28 -0800

In Trenton, NJ, yesterday police said a 7-year-old boy brought 2.5 ounces of crack cocaine to school. The boy and his 10-year-old sister both attend Parker Elementary School. The children are now in the care of the Office of the Division of Youth and Family Services. The parents, along with two of the children's uncles were arrested immediately.

Seven Year Old Caught With Crack Cocaine. Are You Shocked?

Who wouldn't be? This is a tragic, disgusting story.

We wouldn't have heard this if not for the drug detail. Sadly, kids are abused all the time.

The bigger story here is how the drug trade is ruining our country.

Other. It's very complicated. I'll explain in the comments.

Hot Button: Legalize Marijuana?

LibertySugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:02:48 -0800

Dispensing medical marijuana in vending machines may be legal in California, but should we legalize marijuana all together? While some states support medical marijuana, no state has moved for a general legalization despite widespread use and general ambivalence. Even politicians fess up to smoking pot like it's no big deal. So why does the US government take such a zero-tolerance stance on marijuana?

Common arguments made by the different sides of the debate include:

For legalization:

Marijuana is not more harmful than alcohol.
Legalization would lower drug prices and thus reduce crime.
Drug dealers would lose business.
Drug busts trap people in a system that turns them into lifelong criminals.

For arguments against,

Check This: Pot Vending Machines

LibertySugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 06:00:35 -0800

No, this is not a story about Amsterdam. California vending machines will soon dispense medical marijuana. According to the UK's Guardian, which reported on the latest thing to hit the golden state, two Los Angeles medical marijuana centers plan on installing the machines.

The vending machines will provide a safe way for registered customers to secure medicinal highs after hours. The Herbal Nutrition Center explained that its clients will have to slide a card, greet a security guard, provide a finger print, and take a picture.

In California, along with ten other states, marijuana is legal for medical purposes. However, that's not exactly the case, as it is still illegal under federal law, which has supremacy. Thus, dispensaries escape prosecution in state court, but are still subject to federal criminal penalties if apprehended.

So are pot vending machines a little dangerous, or just another version of a 24-hour pharmacy?

Source

Headline: Mexican Officials Capture Top Drug Suspect

LibertySugar — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:04:31 -0800

Mexican special forces have arrested Alfredo Beltran Leyva, an alleged cocaine smuggler and senior member of the Sinaloa drug cartel. The forces captured Leyva, along with three others. They were carrying $900,000 in cash and several weapons.

Mexico is fighting its drug cartel with increased ferocity. According to the International Herald Tribune:

The onslaught has broken up a longstanding system in which the local police looked the other way for a bribe and cartel leaders went about their business.

Even so, midlevel mobsters have fought back with tenacious resistance. More than 20 Mexican police officers have been killed this year. Last Saturday, suspected drug smugglers killed Luis Aguilar, an American border-patrol agent.

While the capture of Leyva demonstrates a victory for the Mexican government, it is unclear whether President Felipe Calderón's efforts will accomplish long-term change. With the help of local police, Mexican drug leaders continue to withstand federal forces.
Source