Caitlin Adams
6:00 pm 10/22/09
'Family values' of Mexico drug gang
This article discusses the “Familia” cartel which is Mexico’s main contradictory enemy in terms of defeating organized crime. “La Familia” is not just a “maverick gang,” they are a part of their society reports say. This particular cartel involves drug trafficking and is the coalition between marijuana and opium farmers. Today, “La Familia” is in control of key entry points for cocaine. Research is was done and found that about 85% of legitimate businesses in their area have links to La Familia since they took over a local pirate DVD business and set up a brutal debt collection service. This group has been known to found school, drainage projects, and churches with this money. They even follow quasi-religious ideology. Surprisingly, member of La Familia look down on the use of drugs and alcohol.
It seems like this group has a lot of power in Mexico which is why tracking and stopping their drug crime is hard. They are very intimidating to those not involved and their efforts to intimidate others have grown in the past couple of years. La Familia has also been known to use their economic power to buy political power. This is scary to me. I realize La Familia has been around for a long time and people are just used to it but I feel the government is not doing its job in protecting its country. Although La Familia has been known to do some charitable things in Mexico, they are still participating in criminal activity and authority is not stopping it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8319924.stm
1 comment:
Joy Weems
It's funny how gangs can use their economic power to gain political power and influence. This further more helps me realize that monmey really does talk, and sometimes its not about who you know but what you know. I agree that the government needs to step up and take control of their country. Of course with a gang such as this one efforts will be tough but they have to began somewhere.
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