U.S. funds to help California agencies fight Mexico drug war

U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. today announced $8.7 million in grants of federal Recovery Act funds to law enforcement agencies to help fight drug trafficking along the California-Mexico border.

An additional $30 million in such grants for California and other states will be announced soon, he said.

Holder, visiting Los Angeles today, said the grants would help promote cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies as they fight Mexican drug cartels.

The money will go to expand anti-drug task forces in San Diego County and purchase a system that will allow agencies to share information in Northern California.

Holder called the grants “an investment” that will “ensure that our fight against the cartels is … tough.”

-- Sam Quinones

Photo: U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. during a news conference at DEA offices in Los Angeles. Credit: Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Dean Corso]

Lets see...$500 billion wasted in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan yet we can spare only $8.7 million to protect our immediate borders. If this isn't a poignant illustration as to just how far astray American priorities are, then nothing is. One day this drug war will end up killing American school children caught in the crossfire of a Mexican drug gangs shootout and stupid Americans who sit idly by in the ignorant haze of indifference and apathy, will be the loudest voice whining and asking "How could this happen in America?" Because you let it. You the people.

[pk-in-the-mesa]

Why are we even brothering with the mexico border drug, that is a waste of money. The drugs will make there way to US regardless, sorry but I don't give a crap about Mexico I know they don't care about me.

So ____ them

[brad]

so another 38.7 million dollars thrown in the fire. the money is wasted, because ultimately the war on drugs CANNOT be won. Everyone with common sense realizes this. Chicago prohibition era gangsters were not defeated by elliot ness, but by ending prohibition. The more money we waste on this failed war, the worse the problem becomes. A common sense strategy is to end prohibition, we could stand to stay hundreds of billions of dollars in wasted drug-war funding and make bring in huge tax revenues to fund all everything from education to securing our border to improving roads.

[bouldercreekgreg]

I may well be wrong and misinformed but I believe we wasted WAY MORE than $500 million in Iraq, not to mention a lot of lives, bodies, and minds of our troops.
We were diverted from our mission in Afghanistan, and Osama is still a free range chicken.
Yes, we must do a lot more to help against the power of the drug cartels in Mexico. Those cartels are already coming up here, growing pot and making "shards " methamphetamine out on our State Park forest lands.
This is not the time to be cutting back on our Park Rangers.
And, what is very, very, very important is to reduce the cause of the consumption of imported illicit substances.
Decriminalizing and taxing pot may be an answer and a revenue source for State Parks and Border Patrol.

[Ben]

Americans' insatiable desire for drugs is what perpetuates this war. Television, the media, this poor excuse for journalism newspaper all contribute to the antagonizing of Mexico and it's people. Let's get to the root of the problem, folks. There is no supply without demand (Econ 101). The drug problem is not going away. The U.S. is just reaping what it has sown over the centuries. Just notice how paranoid Americans act (based on previous posts). Mexico has supplied drugs to the US for decades. But, now that Mexico, finally, has a president that has the cajones to wage war against the cartels, things are getting a little too close for comfort. I think that is exactly what the US needs. They must wake up, face its own history, and take a little more responsibility in its role in the Mexican drug problem. Perhaps we can stop passing the buck, and begin to call it the North American drug problem. A measly 8 million to solve the problem won't cut it.

[Paradise Lost]

AG Holder's conflicted messages on drugs are wearing thin. On the one hand he ignores the right of Congress to make the law and the Supreme Courts vindication of that law. Specifically marijuana has no medical purpose, is a federal crime, but Holder in concert with the secretary of Health may reschedule it to allow for medical purposes. Conversely, Holder seems to think he makes the law by refusing to enforce it (as opposed to a particular case.) Thus on a day when California is counting the blood money taxing marijuana would make and includes a fee to treat the addiction useage enatils, the AG is out vowing to defeat the cartels. From the point of view here this is the very definition of duplicity.

[Reality]

A drop in the bucket. Legalize...

[steve rodriguez]

It will most likely be wasted money! Like all the money we gave to improve LAUSD!!!!!

[sailbyme]

You gotta be kidding? I understand we don't do enough for these people. (that was sarcasm BTW) We can't win a war on drugs. Monumental waste of money. If you give me the money I promise not to do drugs, and I'll put it to better use. We are not only on track to third world status, but we will be the laughing stock of the third world countries. I'm ashamed of my governments foreign policy. Please no more mexicans.

[H Hilborn]

Drugs are generally not good for people, but the most serious drug problem is the money. You're going to have drugs, folks. Will you have them with, or without, corruption and violence?

[John in PH]

Call it what it is.... a Prohibition War, not a drug war. Drugs are merely the medium of exchange. It might just as well be a tobacco war or a diamond war.