Pubdate: Thu, 07 Oct 2010 Source: El Paso Times (TX) Copyright: 2010 Pete Porter Contact: http://www.elpasotimes.com/townhall/ci_14227323 Website: http://www.elpasotimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/829 Author: Pete Porter DRUG CARTEL It is a known fact that many Mexican politicians have links to Mexican drug cartels. This also is true of Mexican army officers and police officials. Mexico is now a de facto narco-state and no longer exists as a sovereign country. Inasmuch as the drug cartels have extended their tentacles into the United States (Phoenix, Atlanta, and other U.S. cities have documented cases of Mexican cartel-related crime), it is likely that in the future the U.S. will have to sever ties with Mexico, unless the U.S. wants to deal with Mexican politicians who are nothing but "front men" for drug lords. Mexico has a culture of corruption that rewards dishonesty and its pervasive criminal element would love nothing better than to infiltrate the United States and it has financial wherewithal to do it. Could there be employees of the city of El Paso or city representatives with ties to Mexican drug cartels? If we deny the very real possibility of this and treat it as a joke, the joke may very well be on us! Pete Porter West El Paso - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D