80 Percent of US Border Patrol Busts Involve US Citizens

hmmmm....

So isn't this the exact opposite of what many have been led to believe? Those big bad Mexicans bringing in all those drugs, destroying the moral fabric of good honest US Citizens? Is it Mexico's fault that there are so many users in the US? No. It's supply and demand.

This doesn't surprise me actually. Of course the users are going to be bringing it in themselves because it's cheaper in the end and even just people wanting to make extra cash would do the same.

But I do realize the term 'US Citizen' could also mean citizens of Mexican heritage because the vid doesn't distinguish the actual Nationalities involved but that still leaves a lot of room to question doesn't it?

Anyways, not digging for reactions but rather just sharing an interesting number.

80%...4 out of 5.

The real issue here is how much higher will this go with the economy in the tank?



Peace

reply to post by jude11


This doesn't surprise me, because yes you are right the U.S. has users of these infamous drugs, and it is supply and demand, but also I'm sure these busts also count for people who get drunk in Tijuana lose their wallets and try to get back into the states. Or maybe a US citizen is into trafficking immigrants into the U.S. illegally. This story is filled with hypocrisy its not even funny.

Good Thread S&F

You nailed it...

Just another arm of LE.

There is no revenue from picking up illegals. They gave up years ago.

Now they set up in American Cities and operate with impunity.

Originally posted by KonquestAbySS
reply to post by jude11

 

This doesn't surprise me, because yes you are right the U.S. has users of these infamous drugs, and it is supply and demand, but also I'm sure these busts also count for people who get drunk in Tijuana lose their wallets and try to get back into the states. Or maybe a US citizen is into trafficking immigrants into the U.S. illegally. This story is filled with hypocrisy its not even funny.

Good Thread S&F

Yup,

It doesn't state clearly what all the busts are about but of course many are going to be drug related. Steroids, etc

I'm curious as to how many would be the night on the town folks who lost their wallets. That's just funny as hell. I've heard of it but how many can it be really?

Peace

Peace

Originally posted by whyamIhere
You nailed it...

Just another arm of LE.

There is no revenue from picking up illegals. They gave up years ago.

Now they set up in American Cities and operate with impunity.

It's always about the drugs isn't it?

True. More money in confiscations than illegals.

Peace

reply to post by jude11

I'm curious as to how many would be the night on the town folks who lost their wallets. That's just funny as hell. I've heard of it but how many can it be really?

Possibly the remaining 20% who can't be identified because they in fact have no identification that claims they are U.S. citizens to begin with.

Originally posted by KonquestAbySS
reply to post by jude11

 

I'm curious as to how many would be the night on the town folks who lost their wallets. That's just funny as hell. I've heard of it but how many can it be really?

Possibly the remaining 20% who can't be identified because they in fact have no identification that claims they are U.S. citizens to begin with.

"One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila...FLOOR!"



Peace

The number of Mexicans or people of any other nationality seeking to enter America has dropped off a cliff in recent times. This is due to the fact that America sucks now.

Soon the border patrol will be stopping Mexicans from leaving the United States just like that South Park episode. Why on earth would anyone want to end up in America? What a nightmare that would be.

Originally posted by wemustbreakyou
The number of Mexicans or people of any other nationality seeking to enter America has dropped off a cliff in recent times. This is due to the fact that America sucks now.

Soon the border patrol will be stopping Mexicans from leaving the United States just like that South Park episode. Why on earth would anyone want to end up in America? What a nightmare that would be.

I know that I for one would rather live in Mexico than the US.

But that's just me.

Peace

It's a bit of a shame that the OP doesn't want reactions, so I suppose I'll just post portions of an article on the same story.

According to the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR), U.S. citizens comprise the overwhelming amount of drug-related arrests in recent years by the Border Patrol. They’re about 80 percent of the total, according to arrest data acquired by the group.

Authors Andrew Becker, George Schultz and Tia Ghose don’t dispute that Mexican drug cartels are in control of the drug smuggling trade. “But the public message that the Border Patrol has trumpeted for much of the last decade, mainly through press releases about its seizures, has emphasized Mexican drug couriers, or mules, as those largely responsible for transporting drugs,” they write.

This impression was reinforced by Customs and Border Protection spokesman William Brooks, who told the CIR that the “majority of people involved in smuggling drugs are citizens of Mexico.” Thirty-eight percent of the time, press releases from the agency announcing an arrest notes a Mexican nationality, according to the authors. When it’s a U.S. citizen, the number drops to 30 percent.

The authors refuted the Border Patrol’s claims by sifting through the agency’s own data. For the 40,000 drug arrests counted by the Border Patrol between 2005 and 2011, “at least one U.S. citizen was involved 80 percent of the time,” according to CIR, citing data acquired from the border watchers through the Freedom of Information Act.

When the data is selected to include just arrests for drug trafficking — or large amounts of drugs intended for re-sale — instead of simple possession, U.S. citizens make up two-thirds of the total.

So some U.S. citizens arrested at the border for drugs, like Snoop Lion and Willie Nelson, are simply being busted with their personal stash. Leave out marijuana and include only hard drugs like coc aine and methamphetamine, the number drops to 60 percent.

Though the authors note the data isn’t comprehensive. The total number of drug seizures is double the total number of arrests. Many drug seizures are reported after a suspect fled and escaped, with no arrests counted.

As for why Americans are turning to drug smuggling (the share of U.S. citizens is increasing, according to the report) the authors believe it’s due to a combination of factors. There’s the Walter White scenario from Breaking Bad: being driven into the illicit drug trade by economic desperation. But few have the fictional White’s experience and street smarts, and are often caught the same day or week they’re hired.

The CIR interviewed one former trafficker who said the cartels seek out U.S. citizens — particularly of middle-age — because they’re less likely to draw suspicion. Police officials believe the cartels are hiring more drivers to smuggle smaller loads instead of big ones, reducing the chance of a major bust but requiring more people. It’s also an easy trade to get into. Friends and relatives might do it, or classmates or coworkers. In sum, it amounts to a kind of de facto social safety net for many people living along the border.

This isn’t to deny that the cartels are seriously bad, and perhaps the drug smugglers from Mexico are simply escaping capture. U.S. citizens have fewer places to run than a Mexican citizen who can more easily flee across the border. On the other hand, at these rates, the cartels likely wouldn’t be as powerful as they are without the growing number of Americans who willingly work for them.

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