Sylvia Longmire's Blog: Mexico's Drug War, page 4

BOOK REVIEW: "Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know," by Jonathan P. Caulkins, Angela Hawken, Beau Kilmer, and Mark A. R. Kleiman

I'm going to start out by saying if you have any interest whatsoever in the drug legalization debate, then run - don't walk - to your local or online bookstore and get this book.

I kind of knew before I started reading it that I would probably have this reaction. Earlier this year, I read Drugs and Drug Policy: Everything You Need to Know by three of the same authors. It was such an eye-opening book, and one of the reasons I loved it so much is that I was no closer to making up...

"Bin Laden-like SEAL Team Raid Could Take Down Mexican Drug Kingpin."

Here is an excerpt from Seth Cline's article in US News:

"The Pentagon may send Navy SEALs into Mexico to take out drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in a raid mirroring the one that took out Osama bin Laden, Proceso magazine reports. Guzman, who presides over an estimated $1 billion drug empire as head of the Sinaloa cartel, has repeatedly escaped capture since breaking out of prison in 2001. His continued elusion of Mexican authorities has apparently frus...

BOOK REVIEW: "Drug War Mexico," by Peter Watt and Roberto Zepeda

A couple of months ago, the publicity folks at ZedBooks emailed me and asked if I'd be interested in reading and writing a review for Drug War Mexico prior to its publication. Well, never one to turn down a free book, and especially one on my subject of choice, I agreed.

The book is available now, and here's the publisher's summary:

"Mexico is a country in crisis.  Capitalizing on weakened public institutions, widespread unemployment, a state of lawlessness, and the st...

"The 'Los Zetas' Cartel is Divided"

Here is a translated excerpt from the Mexican news magazine Proceso:

"Mexican Federal Security Sources confirm what some narcobanners hung in northern states suggested since early last month: Los Zetas, the extremely violent group of thugs who became a drug cartel, faces a break in the dome. Its two main leaders, [Miguel] El Z-40 [Treviño Morales] and [Heriberto] El Lazca [Lazcano Lazcano] apparently are engaged in a complicated web of betrayals. Experts predict new and more...

BOOK REVIEW: "The Executioner's Men," by Dr George Grayson and Sam Logan

I was very excited to get started on this book for several different reasons. First, it was written by two colleagues of mine, professor and TCO expert Dr. George Grayson from the College of William & Mary, and journalist and author of This Is For The Mara Salvatrucha, Sam Logan. I've read most of the material written by both authors, so I knew it would contain a lot of good information.

Second, this is the first authoritative book ever written solely about Los Zetas, the most vicious...

"'Flood' of drugs from Mexico linked to Atlanta area abductions."

Here is an excerpt from Mary Lou Pickel's article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"A recent increase in drug-related kidnappings in Gwinnett County has put a spotlight on drug violence in Georgia, federal agents say. About nine drug-related kidnappings have occurred in Gwinnett this year. The latest involved a man bound and chained in a basement in Lilburn whom federal agents rescued earlier this month. Mexican drug cartels are moving large amounts of cocaine, metham...

"Forensics of Recovered Weapons from Piedras Negras Tactical Engagement Between Los Zetas and GATE."

Here are excerpts from a BorderlandBeat.com blog post and analysis from Small Wars Journal:

"Chaos and panic erupted last night in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, the Mexican city that shares the border with Eagle Pass Texas. Around 8PM twitterers and libre network users began reporting that shootouts were occurring in various sectors of the city in what media sources are calling a 'narco rebellion.' In the aftermath Sergio Sisbeles, a spokesman for security affairs of Coahuila,...

"Militias in Arizona thrive despite lack of authorizing law."

Here is an excerpt from Tim Steller's article in The Arizona Daily Star:

"Lawmakers killed a bill that would have created a state-sanctioned border militia, but that didn't squelch the Minuteman impulse in Arizona... People in the cause remain committed to patrolling spots near the Arizona-Mexico border to stop what they see as an invasion by smugglers or illegal immigrants, said participants, their supporters and their critics. Some may be even more motivated now that thei...

"Mexican army captures 'El Loco,' suspect in murder of 49 in Cadereyta, Nuevo León."

Here is the translated excerpt of Ignacio Alzaga's story on Milenio.com:

"In the town of Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, elements of the Army captured Daniel 'El Loco' Elizondo, a member of the Gulf cartel and alleged perpetrator of the execution of 49 people found in the town of Cadereyta. The Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) reported that, 'After the discovery of 49 bodies, military personnel conducted ground surveys and other specific actions to identify, locat...

"Nuevo Laredo heats up as Sinaloa-Zetas conflict leaves 23 dead."

Normally I provide an excerpt from just one news story, but due to the significance and gravity of incidents on Friday - as well as some disparate details - I'm excerpting three different articles:

"At least 23 people killed in Mexican border city as victims hanged, decapitate," FOX News (via Associated Press) - 

"The bodies of 23 people were found hanging from a bridge or decapitated and dumped near city hall Friday in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, where drug cart...