Slightly OT: Mexican Militias

[Raellus]

Apparently, the Mexican government, which only spends about 0.6% of its GDP on its military, is now cooperating with local militias currently doing battle with a drug cartel in SW Mexico.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/natio...ssStory1402947

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...57b_story.html

I wonder where this militia is getting its assault weapons, being as all firearm ownership is highly restricted in Mexico. Is the government supplying them, or is a rival cartel?

I imagine that militias like these would become fairly common in most parts of the world during the later stages of the Twilight War. The second article alludes to how easily many of these civilian self-defense forces turn into gun-gangs ("marauders" in T2K parlance) after tasting a little power. Mexico may be heading the way of 1990s Colombia.

[stormlion1]

Its pretty scary how quickly these guys armed and have begun to make a difference. The question is how long until the cartels declare Total War against them and turn Northern Mexico into a warzone.

[Rockwolf66]

Originally Posted by stormlion1

Its pretty scary how quickly these guys armed and have begun to make a difference. The question is how long until the cartels declare Total War against them and turn Northern Mexico into a warzone.

I guess you haven't been paying attention as Northern Mexico is Already a Warzone. I have Relatives down there and there are places they don't go. Heck the closest Major Mexican City to them is so violent it's been nicknamed "Murder City".

[Targan]

So where are the Mexican drug cartels sourcing their weapons from?

[Tegyrius]

Originally Posted by Targan

So where are the Mexican drug cartels sourcing their weapons from?

Mexican and other South American nations' armories. Oh, and BATFE.

- C.

[headquarters]

I hear a lot of guns sold in the US end up in Mexican gangs either through :

theft from legitimate gun owners and subsequent sales to smugglers

or through unlawful purchases through front men or straw corporations that in turn smuggle firearms south.
What do the official numbers say when weapons are traced after capture?

[rcaf_777]

Originally Posted by Raellus

I wonder where this militia is getting its assault weapons

I am thinking here

[Raellus]

The question is, though, who's paying for all of those guns? The militia members profiled in the articles I've read aren't the types who could afford to purchase their own assault rifles, and it would take quite a bit of planning and organization to acquire hundreds of such guns through straw purchasers in the States. This all leads me to believe that there are bigger forces behind this self-styled "grassroots" movement.

[Brother in Arms]

In the U.S. Private sale isn't illegal except in certain shitty states...But most of america you can sell your firearm to another resident of the state you live in as long as they aren't under age or a felon.

But lets face it when you have millions of American dollars in Dope money you can pretty much do what you want were ever you want. And in my opinion government wants these illegal drugs and the associated crime that goes with it in the country for there own reasons. A well as illegal aliens (which amounts to legal slavery, but slaves that pay taxes!!!) also human sex trafficking. It all adds up to a lot of money, bribes, extortion and increased budgets for government types. I think everyone is on the take.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Brother in Arms

But lets face it when you have millions of American dollars in Dope money you can pretty much do what you want were ever you want. And in my opinion government wants these illegal drugs and the associated crime that goes with it in the country for there own reasons. A well as illegal aliens (which amounts to legal slavery, but slaves that pay taxes!!!) also human sex trafficking. It all adds up to a lot of money, bribes, extortion and increased budgets for government types. I think everyone is on the take.

Surely it would be better to legalise (under tight regulation) some of the currently illegal drugs, tax the hell out of them, treat the inevitable addiction problems as a health issue rather than a criminal issue, and use some of the resulting massive revenue stream to help enforce the system and greatly improve accessibility to the healthcare system?

I mean, that might seem like crazy lefty talk, but is the system in place now working very well? I would say that very clearly it's not.

[weswood]

Originally Posted by Targan

Surely it would be better to legalise (under tight regulation) some of the currently illegal drugs, tax the hell out of them, treat the inevitable addiction problems as a health issue rather than a criminal issue, and use some of the resulting massive revenue stream to help enforce the system and greatly improve accessibility to the healthcare system?

I mean, that might seem like crazy lefty talk, but is the system in place now working very well? I would say that very clearly it's not.

I think most of the right agrees with you. I consider myself conservatived and listen to conservative talk radio daily and most of the hosts and callers I hear agree.