Saturday, June 2, 2007

Tijuana Police Involved in Drug Traffic - No Way ?!

“The entire police force in the Mexican city of Tijuana is to be investigated on suspicion of being involved in drug trafficking and organised crime.” (http://www.bbc.com/). Even the title of this article is ridiculous to anyone who has ever visited the boarder city of Tijuana, Mexico. Upon entering the city you become instantly aware of the limits of the suspension your vehicle has. As you weave the maze of potholes, assorted house items such as sinks and homeless dogs you realize that you should be paying attention to the other maze weavers as well. Oh and by the way, you have California license plates, shiny sparkly white plates with blue letters; a bull’s eye for and “federal” that has not had lunch or needs a few extra dollars.

As the police officer comes to your window he asks for your license and proof of insurance. Why? I honestly have no idea. I personally think this guy has probably lived in the US and could not handle actually working for a living. This guy in the US no position of any sort of authority and refused to work to achieve one so he settles for harpooning California Plates out of traffic. So he prefers to simply rob others as they come to TJ for business of pleasure. He explains the gravity of your self preserving weaving and then lets you know that he is a nice guy. That he is willing to settle the debt right here and now; a favor that he will graciously extend to you because he is just that nice of a guy. However it has to be done on his terms. He will not openly take the money from you because that would be bribery and that’s not right. He instead will ask you in one of two ways. Grab the cash and wrap it tightly and then place it in his hand; or he will open his ticket book you act like you are signing the ticket…slip the bills inside and thank you have a nice day officer.

Now you mean to tell me this story which has happened to me and even predates my parents barely set off alarms in 2006? Of course drug trafficking is directly tied with law enforcement in Tijuana Mexico. Are you kidding me? I was at La Presa Rodriguez one day down by the water. I saw a home that looked over the lake that looked straight out of South Beach, FL or Newport Beach. It was something ridiculous. It was so lavish surrounded by such inferior houses I could not help but think, is that a hotel? Along the stroll along the side of the lake we saw a police officer painting a sign that had been vandalized by local thugs. I asked the police officer if the building in the distance was a hotel or if it was a home. He said that it was a home said to be of the Arellano family. It took him all of two seconds to respond. The drug dealer’s whereabouts are common knowledge for cops in Tijuana, why, because they had better stay away or they will be shot, killed, maimed, or murdered; simple as that.

Know the governor of Tijuana a member of the PRI party, Jorge Hank Rhon, according to the BBC article felt pressure from the local business who threatened to move away if the situation with the Baja California cartel did not improve. So what does he do? Well as we know he cannot get burned or take the heat himself because he is probably on the payroll. No I am not making a formal accusation but come on. He dishes it to the federal government to do an investigation. The investigation is going to take some time to begin and it’s the opposing party so he will be free of guilt regardless of what happens. “In the words of Tijuana's mayor, Jorge Hank Rhon, everyone from the policeman on the street to the state superintendent will be the subject of this extraordinary investigation.” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5415018.stm) He left someone out of this statement? Can you guess who it is? Biggest boarder with the biggest consumer of drugs in the world and no one ever gets caught and until now you figure out that the local “law” enforcement may be involved?

I am willing to bet they are going to hang a few dirty low level cops and that fat cats are going to get away, as usual. Another interesting point is that this investigation is begun after the US Senate agrees to a wall to be built along the US-Mexico boarder. Does Baja California need to protect its legitimate sources of income at this point? I think so. The US is placing a lot of attention in the coming elections the immigration issue. The US seeks to protect its boarders and republicans will have to show results and/ or some indications that there is a lot of danger there so we get scared into voting for them again. Democrats are going to have to show that they are not scared to tackle the big issues like drug trafficking and homeland security. So with all of that attention and a state that is run by the drug dealers its not surprising the mayor of Baja California tapped out and requested fed help. So if the Mexican government cannot produce results and business move away as they threatened too…US-Mexico relations will be damaged to the economic point that the next race for president of Mexico will be an ace in the hole…not bad huh? Dam politicians.

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