A former director of the Drug Enforcement Administration warned federal officials shortly after the September 11 attacks that violent drug cartels from Mexico were teaming with Muslim gangs to fund terrorist organizations overseas. (Washington Times, Tuesday)
Mexico and the United States are holding intensive talks to develop a plan for the United States to provide billions of dollars to Mexico to support its fight against drug cartels, but the negotiations are not likely to produce an agreement before next week’s trilateral meeting with Canada, officials from both countries said. Both sides are trying to keep the details of the talks secret, but officials with knowledge of the issue said the aid would include money and training for the Mexican police, as well as advanced eavesdropping, surveillance and other spying technology. Mexican officials insisted that any agreement would not involve operations by the United States military or drug enforcement agents on Mexican soil, as has happened in Colombia and Peru. (New York Times, Tuesday)
A twofer: ending drug prohibition would destroy the cartels and defund terrorism.
FEE Timely Classic
The Re-legalization of Drugs by Tibor R. Machan and Mark Thornton