It sounds like Ecuador is becoming Mexico South. Don't worry, the U.S. won't be left out. We've already got Mexican cartels infiltrated and spread all over the U.S. I'm at a nexus of them - three cells withing driving distance of where I sit. 3 different ones. What do you suppose will happen around here if they spark a turf war?
There is one to the east, around Roanoke and Southside VA, one a bit closer, to the west, in southeastern Kentucky, and one around 2 hours south, i8n upper east Tennessee.
One had set up an outpost on this very road about 6 or 8 months ago, but they, were, uh, made to feel unwelcome, and I reckon it must have hurt their feelings, because they've not been seen for around 6 months now. They did leave a car sitting there, though. I reckon it was some kind of donation to the community.
Here, they are hiring locals to do the running and dealing, and you seldom see a cartelista around. They're trying to keep a low profile to avoid attention. When they do draw attention, and the law shuts a shop down, a replacement shop opens up within about 48 hours, and they just keep on truckin'. With that M.O., the cops are just playing whack-a-mole, and not really getting anything lasting done. I suspect it's the same way in Mexico and Ecuador - when you can find a cop shop willing to do anything down there.
The difference is, down there they own large segments of government, so government is reluctant to act anyhow... but we're catching up. I've heard in the wind that Pelosi led a delegation of congress critters to Mexico a couple of years ago, and they came back somewhat richer. That's just in the wind, nothing I've been able to verify, but honestly it really wouldn't surprise me with the politicians we have running the show these days.
There IS a solution, but it's not one the U.S. is willing to take a run at just yet, and it doesn't involve getting any OK's from the politicians, who may be bought and paid for. It's more of a covert, small-scale, and locally based solution, and that's just where I'll leave that thought.
But, yeah, the same thing will be coming to a neighborhood near you, if it's not there already. It's just a matter of time, and all it takes is for folks to be distracted and complacent.
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There is one to the east, around Roanoke and Southside VA, one a bit closer, to the west, in southeastern Kentucky, and one around 2 hours south, i8n upper east Tennessee.
One had set up an outpost on this very road about 6 or 8 months ago, but they, were, uh, made to feel unwelcome, and I reckon it must have hurt their feelings, because they've not been seen for around 6 months now. They did leave a car sitting there, though. I reckon it was some kind of donation to the community.
Here, they are hiring locals to do the running and dealing, and you seldom see a cartelista around. They're trying to keep a low profile to avoid attention. When they do draw attention, and the law shuts a shop down, a replacement shop opens up within about 48 hours, and they just keep on truckin'. With that M.O., the cops are just playing whack-a-mole, and not really getting anything lasting done. I suspect it's the same way in Mexico and Ecuador - when you can find a cop shop willing to do anything down there.
The difference is, down there they own large segments of government, so government is reluctant to act anyhow... but we're catching up. I've heard in the wind that Pelosi led a delegation of congress critters to Mexico a couple of years ago, and they came back somewhat richer. That's just in the wind, nothing I've been able to verify, but honestly it really wouldn't surprise me with the politicians we have running the show these days.
There IS a solution, but it's not one the U.S. is willing to take a run at just yet, and it doesn't involve getting any OK's from the politicians, who may be bought and paid for. It's more of a covert, small-scale, and locally based solution, and that's just where I'll leave that thought.
But, yeah, the same thing will be coming to a neighborhood near you, if it's not there already. It's just a matter of time, and all it takes is for folks to be distracted and complacent.
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