LatinaLista — Quiz question: What city in the world has the second most kidnappings?
If right now you’re thinking that Mexico City has the unique distinction of being the #1 city in the world for kidnappings, you’re right. But the city that has the second most kidnappings may surprise you — Phoenix, Arizona.
Phoenix kidnapping victim suffers torture until rescued by police.
(Source: ABC News)
Even with Sheriff Joe Arpaio prowling the streets, Phoenix had over 370 kidnappings last year alone.
According to ABC News, the kidnappings are a result of the Mexican drug cartel violence that has seeped across the border and even some local copycat criminals.
But what’s really scary is that all these kidnappings were happening when the nation’s new Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, was governor of Arizona.
On the one hand, now that Sec. Napolitano is in Washington, hopefully she will be able to push for a special department that deals only with Mexico and Mexican-origin crime committed in the United States as it pertains to the drug cartels.
On the other hand, that Sec. Napolitano failed to do anything against the escalating crime that occurred under her watch in her home state doesn’t bode well for the nation.
News that Phoenix rivals only Mexico City in the amount of kidnappings is not just a red flag that the United States needs a special department to handle Mexican crime affairs but a whole, as they say, freakin fireworks display.
There was a reason why kidnappings were not common crimes — the punishment was harsh. Yet, Mexican criminals who find easy money and a power trip from intimidating their kidnap victims and little to worry about from their own government, are feeling empowered to bring their own brand of crime to this side of the border.
These criminals are attacking each other and innocent undocumented immigrants. In the process, the border is being breached by real criminals that are much more immediate threats than Al Queda.
While it’s necessary for Obama to focus on Al Queda, unfortunately, it’s also necessary to acknowledge the real threat posed by the Mexican drug cartels.
It’s imperative that Obama and his team set up a separate departmental agency dealing with not only helping Mexico rid their country of these drug cartels but also firmly putting a stop to them committing crimes on this side of the border.
We’ve already seen where the ethics of some border law enforcement officials have been compromised by cartel bribes. New laws must be enacted to impose harsh punishments on those U.S. citizens who choose to help Mexican organized crime. The laws must be severe enough that no amount of money is worth the risk.
It will be a long and dangerous battle to regain control from these cartels but the longer the United States waits to react to this threat, the longer it will take to subdue it.
Comment(18)
Horace
Actually, the fact that Pheonix has become a victim of Mexico’s chaos has been in the news for sometime now. Lou Dobbs reported this some months ago.
Fencing to keep Mexicans out and greater enforcement of our immigration laws are the only solutions to this problem in the U.S.
Since Mexico will not permit U.S. forces on its territory, only Mexico, a sovereign nation, can solve Mexico’s problems.
Maybe the Mexican government will finally enforce its tax code and the rich and large numbers of middle class Mexican tax evaders will open up their wallets and pay their share for increased law enforcement. American citizens should not foot the bill for Mexico just because they have a corrupt government that refuses to make its citizens pay their taxes. Again, Marisa would have you, the American taxpayer transfer your wealth through foreign aid to solve Mexico’s problems.
No amount of U.S. help to a corrupt government in Mexico City will solve the drug cartel problem.
Texano78704
Well, it appears Sheriff Arpaio isn’t quite as effective as he thinks he is as a lawman.
Fencing to keep Mexicans out and greater enforcement of our immigration laws will do nothing to stem the drug trade; the laws of supply and demand dictate what happens in the US black market for illegal drugs.
Thanks to a Bush administration initiative, the Merida Initiative to be precise, US taxpayers are footing a $1.4 billion effort. I suspect that it will be no more successful than the $6 billion that was spent on Plan Colombia.
Irma
This problem IS Mexico’s problem – but the fence is not the solution. Fences dont work-
ask the Israelis.
What the US should do if offer a work permit (green card) in exchange for verifiable/useful
information in combatting the Mexican
drug cartel’s efforts. Recipients of those green cards should also be allowed to
bring their families. I am certain that the drug cartel would soon be a thing of the past.
Horace
“Fences dont work-ask the Israelis.”
Actually, fences work fine, resulting in marked reductions of tens of thousands of would-be crossers to a trickle. I suspect that the realistic expectations of Israelis fell were far short of 100%. The Berlin wall and fence between East and West Germany worked fine for decades, with only a few hundred people reaching the West, and we’ve had great technological advancements since it was built. The argument that fences don’t work, i.e. aren’t 100% effective, is something that ethnocentist propagandists pathetically love to use as an argument against it. Make blanket unsubstantiated discouraging propaganda and hope that the idiots in Congress don’t bother looking at the problem realistically, and in light of scientific advancement. Personally, I’ll be greatful if it worked to keep 75% out. It’ll make it easier and cheaper to round up those who succeed.
adriana
I also think that maybe it is time to discuss legalizing marijuana. Look at how few dismissed the Michael Phelps’ bong photo. If some of these drugs were legalized, we would have more professional delivery systems. Prohibition created a lot of crime, kidnapping, etc.
Sandra
Horace, thanks for speaking the truth. We all know why the ethnocentric, racists don’t want the fence. It isn’t because it won’t work it is because IT WILL.
Irma
Fences dont work. Anyone who is determined will figure out another way to come. The easiest way of course is to
“travel” to the US and then never return
to the home country. This is how illegal
immigrants from Europe and elsewhere do it. Of course in the end it is certainly a more expensive than simply crossing the US border, but a lot simpler than crossing
a fence and dodging the border patrol.
liquidmicro
Fences area a deterrent, they are not designed to keep 100% from attempting, rather they are designed to keep the honest, well, honest. A cow will test a fence and look for its weak link, when found it will get across it, that does not mean that all the cows in the field will follow, which is the point. Where the wide open space is, all will go, when there is a fence, only those truly wanting to get to the other side will go.
Horace
Irma, as usual, is the master of the obvious. Irma, that’s not proof that fences don’t work. That’s just an argument that fences don’t work for some circumstances. Obviously (at least obvious to people with common sense) fences don’t work for visa overstayers. Duh!
Moreover, it’s obvious that you aren’t being honest, as you open border advocates are in open opposition to them.
Irma
Horace,
Fences will never keep the determined out.
The drug cartel is destroying Mexico and is terrifying the Mexicans. There is no choice but to leave the country- or risk
getting kidnapped for a few pesos.
Unfortunately, the fence will simply result
in the needless deaths of people trying to escape an intolerable life.
The US needs to deal with the Mexican
drug cartel before the” fence” is expanded
in its width. Thats right – the situation could get so bad, the government may have to start confiscating private US land
to widen the fence.
Sandra
Irma, the fence of which you speak of has only a few more miles to be built. It isn’t being built just to keep out the drug cartels. It is being built to help deter illegal entry from anyone for any reason. It has been very effective. It makes the BP job much easier.
Most illegal aliens aren’t coming here escaping the drug cartels. They are coming here to take jobs and benefits from Americans.
The fence is a necessary evil to discourage anyone from entering our country without permission. Mexico has forced our hand on this. They need to clean up THEIR act.
Irma
Sandra,
What makes you think that you know why
Mexicans are fleeing Mexico?
My grandparents left in the 1920s because there were no jobs. They came and worked picking cotton and found few
“Americans” doing those jobs even then.
The drug cartels ARE having an effect on the Mexican economy. So, you are ill informed if you think that this has no
bearing on the portion illegal immigrant problem in the US that is due to Mexicans.
I agree that Mexico should clean up their act, but the realist in me KNOWs that they won’t. Since the US has the resources has to assist Mexico in dealing with this problem, it would be
prudent for the US to do this. Think about it this way, if you knew that
the kid next door was dying because
their parents wouldnt feed them, wouldnt you do something EVEN if
it wasnt your responsibility. The kid would benefit and so would your
conscience.
I am tired of Americans talk about the US being the leader of the free world and at the same time be a proponent of
letting 3rd world countries fend for themselves. The hypocrisy of this attitude is truly appalling.
Horace
Irma said: “I agree that Mexico should clean up their act, but the realist in me KNOWs that they won’t. Since the US has the resources has to assist Mexico in dealing with this problem, it would be
prudent for the US to do this. Think about it this way, if you knew that
the kid next door was dying because
their parents wouldnt feed them, wouldnt you do something EVEN if
it wasnt your responsibility. The kid would benefit and so would your
conscience.”
Actually, this is charity and the people of the U.S. should not be coerced into doing anything for a democracy whose leadership tends to let its rich off the hook and use people like you to force the rest of us into enabling further corruption. You would make our nation a patsy for the rich and greedy of Mexico who prefer not to give their share. This effectively transfers the burden to me and the rest of Americans. Why should I continue to pay taxes and adopt millions of illiterate who I’ll have to pay to bring them up to the U.S. standard of living?
“I am tired of Americans talk about the US being the leader of the free world and at the same time be a proponent of
letting 3rd world countries fend for themselves. The hypocrisy of this attitude is truly appalling.”
Then move to Mexico if you’re inclined to protect their interest over ours. You equate being the leader of the free world as taking on the responsibility of bailing it out from their own failings. Use your own money to do this, but don’t ask me to contribute. I’m tired of people like you sending my money overseas to people who are perfectly capable of fending for themselves.
Sandra
Irma, the thing is that we have to limit how much we can help other countries or we will be hurting our own citizens. Especially when such country’s governments aren’t doing anything to help their own citizens.
As for your next door neighbor’s kid scenario. Yes, I would give him food but that would not include taking him into my own home and allowing him to live with me. I would contact the authorities and force the parent’s to become responsible for their own kid.
Our country is the most generous country on the face of the earth but we do have to put limits on our generosity. Our generosity should not include allowing immigrants in, in unlimited numbers or we would be committing national suicide.
Sandra
Irma, if a great number of these illegal aliens were coming here to escape the drug cartels, we would be hearing about it on the news. Most come for jobs and benefits and it is not related to the drug cartel problem per se.
Irma
Sandra,
Obviously you dont know any illegal aliens.
they are not going to tell anyone why they are here. Those that do will surely get caught and get sent back. They just want to blend into the woodwork.
How do I know this? I am the descendant of an illegal alien who never had to return.
After 20 plus years, he turned himself in and was granted permanent residency.
I believe the US immigration office said something like “anybody smart enough to evade us for that long, we want to keep.”
Horace
Irma said: “I believe the US immigration office said something like “anybody smart enough to evade us for that long, we want to keep.”
What did he do, hide under a rock? I hope that you’re proud of your sneaky relative. Most people would be ashamed of their dishonest relatives.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present Irma, the poster child product and advocate of illegal aliens. Her relative’s contempt for our laws has been passed down through generations, and she’s proud of it. She is precisely the reason why we should deport every illegal alien in the country. Accepting them as citizens just encourages further illegal immigration and puts their progeny in positions to make this a never ending problem.
Sandra
Thank you Horace for telling it like it is. Anyone who is proud of their relatives for being law breakers is just plain sick in the head. There are far too many Hispanic citizens who feel that way. Is it the culture? Is it any wonder that we want the border secured and those of their ethnic kind deported with that kind of mindset?
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