9 Headless Bodies Found In Mexican Border City

TIJUANA, Mexico — The bodies of nine decapitated men were found in a vacant lot in Tijuana Sunday, part of a wave of violence that claimed at least 23 lives over the weekend in this border city plagued by warring traffickers, authorities said.

The heads were discovered in plastic bags near the bodies in a poor neighborhood of Tijuana, across from San Diego, Baja California state police said in a statement. Three police identification cards were also found at the site.

The statement gave no motive for the killings, but they came as Mexico's drug cartels wage a bloody fight for smuggling routes and against government forces, dumping beheaded bodies onto streets, carrying out massacres and even tossing grenades into a crowd of Independence Day revelers _ an attack that killed eight people in September.

More than 4,000 people have died so far this year in drug-related violence in Mexico.

Across Tijuana on Sunday, attacks by gunmen killed five people in addition to the nine beheaded bodies.

State police said nine more people were killed in attacks on Saturday. In one, gunmen killed a 4-year-old child in an attack on a grocery store.

Baja California has suffered a rising wave of homicides, which officials blame on a struggle between rival cells of the Arellano-Felix drug cartel.

The Arellano Felix cartel emerged in the 1980s as a drug trafficking powerhouse across the U.S. border from San Diego, but has been weakened in recent years as leaders were killed or captured.

Last month, police arrested Eduardo Arellano Felix, the alleged leader of the cartel. Authorities say his nephew, Luis Fernando Sanchez Arellano, has taken over the cartel's operations and is fighting contenders.

President Felipe Calderon on Sunday vowed his government would never negotiate with drug lords no matter how much the violence escalates.

Since taking office on Dec. 1, 2006, Calderon has sent more than 20,000 soldiers to battle drug trafficking across Mexico, helping to seize of 70 tons of cocaine and 3,700 tons of marijuana, he said.

"We know that the results are far from what society demands, but that's why we'll keep fighting these criminals across the country," Calderon told a meeting on Sunday marking his first two years in office.

Comments

[preemptivelove]

decriminalize marijuana and this will stop. treat hard drug offenders with TREATMENT instead of incarceration and this will go away. it's a no-brainer (no pun intended with respect to the 9 headless people).

[mexglx]

Lemme see, most of those saying legalize drugs are probably anti-gun. But why do we have so much gun violence if legalizing makes things so good? Alcohol is legal but MADD says that an estimated 2 mil repeat drunk drivers will be on the road for the holidays with us. Hmm legalizing things may not always be the answer. How about a mandatory month in jail for every drug possession charge. A joint or dime bag of anything = a month. Just enough to reek havoc on your finances, get your dumb ass in trouble at work, put pressure on your marriage etc. Get you to quit in other words without keeping you in jail living on the public's taxes forever. Then when most people quit drugs there will be no demand. Maybe we even allow you to buy out of your jail time for 10% of your net worth. You worth a $mil your fine is $100K to get out of jail. You have less than $5K you must do the month. I think cutting our demand is the answer not increasing the supply. Also if you think the cartels will not push meth, coke, heroin etc even harder to make up for the lost weed sales you are naive. Finally, turning food crops to weed or poppie crops makes food costs rise as drug prices fall. Lung cancer rates will rise, so health costs go up. Lets promote responsibility and restraint not legalize drug use.

[Phalanxman]

I hate to tell you this, but you've pretty much described the approach the criminal justice system has taken for the last 8 decades. You could look it up. And what have we got to show for it? So your answer is to continue to pour money and effort into a policy which is a proven failure. Brilliant.

[stargazer13]

mexglx

may I remind you to take a good long look at history when you out law any thing the use of that thing goes up history is what people like you need to read

simple history of coffee when out law ed use of coffee went though the roof demand went up

now you need to ask your self why that would happen repeatedly over and over the last 1000 years

[bbridges1962]

You should quit drinking coffee, tea, or anything with caffeine in it. You should stop smoking, chewing or snorting any tobacco products. If not, we will send you to prison until you do.

[CindyKay]

No One is Anti-Gun , We Are Anti-Assault Weapons. There is a Major Difference between Hand Guns for protection or Rifles for Hunting. Assault Weapons are just Killing Machines.

[dphilip]

They are both used for protection just in different situations Cindy.
First of all, "Assault Weapons" are simply semi-automatic rifles with higer capacity clips. I own one. There are some gun owners that might be willing to discuss "some" restrictions on this type weapon if they knew the "gun grab" would end there. But we know that the ultimate goal of the anti gun movement is a total ban and incrimentalism is their Trojan Horse. I am reassured that you are open to gun ownership for protection however since so many refuse to acknowledge that.
You seem to be a reasonable person. So I'm sure you would agree that gun owners have a difficult time understanding why illegal possession and use by criminals of this type weapon results in the legal possession and use by law abiding citizens to be jeopardized?

[bbridges1962]

It don't matter if guns are outlawed, because then only outlaws will have them.

[RationalDubSteppa]

LOL, what a g00f!! First of all, it would be a huge tax burden on the American people to start incarcerating everyone for a month. Who is going to pay for all of those legal fees and jail time, etc.

Second, prohibition has never worked, looked at the prohibition of alcohol; all it did was create an industry of bootleggers making people like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone millionaires.

Third, With the exception of capitol cases, our bail system is not based on who has more money. If you get caught with a joint in most places in america(like large metropolis) it's a misdemeanor offense which means no bail. Incarcerating and rasing bail on folks based on how much the make for a misdemeanor offense smells like cru.el and unusual punishment to me.

Fourth, In a state like california where the number one cash crop is marijuana meaning millions of dollars of revenue are being lost each yeart. Fact is if that revenue could be taxed then part of the proceeds could go to drug prevention and treatment programs warning people about the dangers of drugs like Meth(which by the way is homegrown so don't blame the Mexicans for that)

Fifth, Smoking cigarettes provides a far greater risk for cancer than smoking marijuana.­.. look it up it's in almost every medical journal you can find. If health risk is an argument for prohibition then you must ban all forms of smoking.

Please educate yourself.

[jefflorida]

more law enforcement -- how's that working so far? can't keep it out of maximum security prisons you say hmmm maybe something else will have to be tried. and its "wreak havoc" and "poppy crops".

[harriettubman]

And to all the senseless people who support illegal immigration from Mexico this is the kinds of crimes they're bringing to us. In GA they're moving into upscale neighborhooods and assimilating into their neighborhoods. Their neighbors unwittingly believe they're middle class and work hard yet all the while they're committing crimes out of those middle class homes.

One wealthy area they infiltrated, my friend said they are just shocked!

I read today where over 1 million will leave (around Christmas) the U.S due to the economy. This is a great time to strengthen those borders.

[bbridges1962]

They are still packing in to North Carolina..­.by the van loads. If one million leave...tw­o million will be coming the other way. No matter how bad it is here in the United States...i­t is worse in Mexico.

[harriettubman]

A Mexican friend of mine said Mexico City is so dangerous now that even she's afraid to go thru there. SMH....

[Twinkie]

A hidden side of the drug problem is the environmental destruction it causes. Pot and Coca crops are grown in protected and sensitive areas with no controls over chemical use. The amazon gets hurt by drugs as much as by land clearing for farms and timber extraction.

Is legalization the answer though? I don't mind non-active versions of pot being legal, but I've been to Amsterdam and the place is like a zoo full of losers.

[bbridges1962]

Have you been to Los Angeles or New York lately??

[jefflorida]

imagine one small country in the world where alcohol was legal. now you see what we're talking about. eighty seven years of prohibition have obviously not worked -- it's even funding terrists in afghanistan and columbia. get a grip -- the world is not perfect and humans will "sin". one has to formulate policies that make for the least destruction. laws against murder make sense but anti-intoxication laws that themselves cause murders (and lots of them -- plenty of innocents too) do not.

[OCaptainMercaptan]

My mother, a doctor, medical ethicist, and all-around goodie-two-shoes thinks marijuana should be legalized.

She would make a far more compelling spokesperson than Woodie.

[CarmanK]

Legalize marijuana, there is no taxation or control, it is a weed and can grow any where. Medical Marijuana seems reasonable. Other drugs, just like prescription drugs are harmful and if used without medical supervision can be harmful to individuals and society. I don't see the indiscriminate drug use comparable to consumption of alcohol. Which by the way, even though legal and taxed -kills thousands each year-including drinkers and innocents. ENFORCING THE LAW, might help. If society tolerates illegal activities, THeN THE criminals rule. My community of 6,000 had conspicuous drug use accomapnied by home intrusions, burgularies, lude behavior on our streets. The community worked with the police to stop the "criminal" behaviors,- we reclaimed our streets. Our children were not exposed to lude public behavior and people could once again: play, jog, and leave their homes without worrying about being attacked, robbed or beaten. You don't realize what a plague, illegal drug activities can be on children and families, until you stand by and let the "criminals" rule. A law is only as good as the society that "enforces" it. Mexico and the Catholic Church stood by while the criminals took over the country by murder, mayhem and kidnapping. The drug cartels are the terrorists running wild in Mexico. The people of Mexico have to decide what it is they want . It is all about POWER and it belongs to the people/government or the thugs. It is their choice.

[jefflorida]

a "lude" is just more drug. the word you want is 'lewd'. don't you think the police look like they are trying to enforce the law? thousands get murdered each year too don't they? enforce the law! enough already. most of the attacked, robbed and beaten are economic crimes for purchase money. this goes away with cheap prices. winos are not robbing for the $3 to get drunk. your "community of 6,000" may be doing dandy now but the current system is not doing well in most places. many mistakes can be placed at the door of the catholic church but not the narco-terrorism of mexico. that's the way intoxication prohibitions always work.

[orangecountyprogressive]

A very easy solution: LEGALIZE!
What is going on in Mexico is absolutely horrendous. I know people in the border state of Chihuahua across from Texas and people don't go out at night because every day people turn up dead in the streets. They're not all involved in drugs either. People either find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time or they happen to be with someone involved in drugs which they have no knowledge about. Just think if your hometown paper reported every morning that 14 bodies were found shot in the head in various places around town. You'd freak out. That is what's happening in Mexico. The fact that wages in Mexico are so low doesn't help either. I don't do drugs, I've never done drugs but I fully support complete legalization. It would immediately eliminate thousands of deaths and violence in Mexico and the U.S.A as well.

[richsmith]

Can it be that Sunni Mujihadeen have taken up residence right here across the border in Tijuana and are bringing the battle right to the back steps of the great Satan? Or are the decapitators a bunch of barbaric feel good drug peddlers looking to provide their goods to a receptive US market? Either way, it would be a lot cheaper to deal with terrorist cocaine and cannabis merchants here in close proximity or the "Homeland" than the opium dealers of Waziristan.

[jefflorida]

truthfully, what is your point? what is satire, what straight. i can't tell.

[darthdarcy]

If we legalized even only marijuana we would immediately cut away from these murderers and criminal thugs at least 1/2 of their income...!

If only we really wanted to fight crime...

[Agent420]

The solution is simple. Take the profit out of the drug trade. Legalize and tax.

[chronic]

Exactly!!

[dtwoodson8]

What would that solve. People would just buy moonshine drugs.

[preemptivelove]

moonshine means black market. LEGALIZE drugs and sell them the way liquor is sold in this country. hefty taxes and hefty control. look what happened during prohibition. it is the criminalization that breeds criminal activity, not the substance being outlawed.

LEGALIZE.

[bbridges1962]

They are already buying moonshine drugs. If it grows on it's own, it should be legal. If it has to be fabricated in a bath tub, it should be banned. Take the war to the CRACK heads and the METH heads....t­hat is were the danger and death is instituted.

[jefflorida]

how much of the market for alcohol is "moonshine"? apparently not enough to keep busch from buying those expensive superbowl commercials.

[jigen]

Politicians shouldn't be making drug policy, scientists should. Those who study the effects of drugs know more than those who are afraid of losing their seats because of a vocal pack of right-wing nanny-state busybodies.

I don't give a damn if my neighbors smoke, snort or inject themselves to death. Or if they continue to enjoy their drug fun which affects no one but themselves.

We're pumping too many billions into a stupid "war" on drugs that is unwinnable. Why not have a war on jealousy? Or, why not let freedom enter the equation?

Anyone who is anti-drug is anti-American. That's not to say pro-drug = pro-American, but pro-freedom = pro-American. If you don't want drugs, don't do them. Don't legislate so your neighbor cannot do them.

I know more people who take drugs than those who don't. Those who do are productive millionair­es... funny. Sort of kills the anti-drug/­anti-freed­om argument.

Read here for a rational view: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/30/drugs-david-mitchell

[chronic]

AMEN!!

[EminentGrise]

Your logic is the usual liberal fuzzy thinking. One solution creates other problems. It has nothing to do with morality, but with human nature. Gambling is a good example. Now that it has been legalized, the down sides are showing up. The other fallacy is that if drug profits weren't around all the criminals would turn into law abiding citizens. But in fact they would just concentrate on other crimes. More kidnappings, more murders, more robberies. More criminals will also show up in the US where they can count on a warm welcome.

[preemptivelove]

your logic is the usual ridiculous circular logic of a conservative. it's the typical phony and false dichotomies. and it's the same old fallacies.

the "war on drugs" is an abject failure and everyone knows it. look what happened during prohibition in this country. alcohol being criminalized just created a vast network of crime around alcohol. now look at it. whether you are a drinker or not, and whether you approve of alcohol or not, there is a an entire government agency devoted to regulating its sale and production and distribution. alcohol sales contribute mightily to our economy. why is that legal and profitable, but pot is somehow dangerous and 'CRIMINAL'?

criminals would do whatever they feel they need to do. maybe some would rob banks or hold up liquor stores, or whatever. but if you decriminalize pot you won't have people cutting off heads trying to keep their chain of supply moving. it's not that complicated. why you right wing people always defy logic is something i'll never understand.

[EminentGrise]

Sounds like the rationalization of an alchoholic. It's absurd to say alcohol contributes mightily to our economy. automobile deaths attributed to alcohol almost match the murder rate. Alcoholics can be abusive to their sposes and children. Alcoholics make up the majority of homeless people, die far younger than the average person and fritter away their money on drinks while ignoring the needs of their families. Heavy drinkers aren't much better. Alcohol is much worse than marijuana. And I fail to see how profitablity is much of a reccomendation. The same argument could be made for war profiteers. The negative social consequences far outway any benefits. And fianally, I didn't in any way imply I support the war on drugs.

[jefflorida]

you are right. one solution does create other problems. but the point is these other problems are not as bad as the ones solved by the first solution. got it now?

[Oldbuck]

If we don't help Mexico get a handle on these drug cartels it is going to spill over on this side of the border. There is already some activities going on in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. This could get out of control very quickly.

[bbridges1962]

I watched a special on the activity last night on TV. They are here already, in every major city. One of the gangs is called "Zeta"...a­nd there are others. Their main mission is to kill. Trust me...they are already here. Legalization of marijuana is probably the smartest option, but not cocaine or man made drugs...su­ch as Meth, which is made very dangerously and is very corrosive to the human body.

[realpolitic]

I saw that epsiode of Gangland. I am surprised that Zeta group let themselves be filmed at all. If I was a prodcer of the show I would not want any contact with that group. They seem totally unpredictable and remarkably violent.

[bbridges1962]

Those Gangland shows are spooky, huh?

[jefflorida]

no no no. you don't get to pick which drugs you legalize based on which ones you want to do or on which addicts you want to hang out with, etc. once legal, the problem of outlaw meth labs goes away because the price is undercut (not to mention the product is better). by the way, much of the deleterious physical effects of cocaine and heroin are based on illegality (impurities, uncertain strength, dirty needles, etc.). alcohol and tobacco are still the unchallenged leaders in the death race.

[bbridges1962]

yes, yes, yes...you can pick which drugs can be legalized. Meth has no medicinal value...ma­rijuana does. It has nothing to do with who hangs out together, smarty pants.

[Phalanxman]

4,000 dead, and that is just in Mexico this year. Many more in the U.S. Why? So the U.S. can pursue its anti-drug policies. Not only is this policy contributing to the death toll, but it is costing the U.S. taxpayers millions -- no, hundreds of millions -- no, billions of dollars every year, and we can ill afford it.

The allure of drug trafficking is the high profit. The high profit is guaranteed by the U.S. anti-drug policy. Every hear of prohibition?

My answer:

Make adult use of drugs legal, but controlled. No driving, operating heavy machinery, etc., while on drugs. Make drug buyers register. Grow and make the drugs here at home, creating millions of jobs, and replacing tax liabilities with new tax revenues.

However, if a person uses drugs to the point that they cannot work, get sick, or become a drag on society, then:

1) No welfare of any kind (food stamps, health care, subsidized housing, etc.);
2) Take away any kids they have;
3) Any crime committed while on drugs, or because of them carries a very long sentence.

My guess is that would end the allure to the drug cartels, save us gazillions, and probably cut the demand for drugs as well.

My guess is also that the "law enforcement lobby," which depends on the drug war for full employment of its members, will never allow such an enlightened policy to be adopted.

[jefflorida]

signs of progress here. but why the distinction between "drugs" and alcohol. if you had to "register" to get a beer mightn't you be more tempted to try "moonshine"? your 1), 2), 3) make sense only to the degree that alcohol is similarly treated. else where is the justice (not to mention opening yourself up to defeat via cruel and unusual punishment)? but something of this nature may be needed if this solution is ever to cease to be a libertarian fantasy and become oh so needed reality.

[mozeovr]

Legalize it all. Make them controlled substances. As long as people want the drugs, there will be people willing to supply them at any cost.

[chronic]

......and there will be people that will k!ll, steal and l!e at any cost to use them.


LEGALIZE NOW!!

[preemptivelove]

i'm sorry to nitpick, but a "controlled substance" is what they are now. it means that it's illegal. controlled substances are illegal. that's not what you mean; you mean legalize all of it, and make the production, sale and use out in the open and controlled like alcohol is controlled, right?

[ajm8127]

I see the war on drugs is really keeping people safe. There would be a significant decline in black market activity if the United States had a reasonable policy concerning drugs.