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Originally Posted by Tegyrius
Speaking of hazards in southern Arizona, Rae, what's your take on the cartel situation down there?
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We don't really hear much about cartel activities here in SAZ. There's not much cartel-related violence on this side of the border or, if there is, it's not being reported by the media. Until recently, my rec-league soccer team was about 60% FBI, and I never heard any of them mention anything about MDCs (to be fair, they were pretty good about not discussing work-related stuff with the non-agents on the team). Border Patrol and ICE busts traffickers trying to smuggle pot and/or people across the wilderness areas between the various ports of entry. From time to time, they'll bust a rig or other vehicle trying to sneak drugs directly through the border crossings. Highway Patrol or local law enforcement will, from time to time, snag an SUV laden with drugs on its way up the I-10 to Phoenix. There're also a couple of freelance militia groups that operate in the border area that "help out" the feds with border security, and a pretty sweet Native American tracking unit that works the corridors that pass through the reservations that border Mexico. Still, the drugs keep on coming. The people that get busted are usually just pawns, paid peanuts to smuggle product over the border. All in all, my impression is that the cartels aren't active on this side of the border or, if they are, they're keeping a very low profile.