FBI Runs for the Border

In a move that further militarizes a bloody drug war that left 6,300 people dead in 2008 alone, the White House is sending FBI agents and equipment to the U.S.-Mexico border to defend against the “spillover” of drug violence. The relocation of federal agents to the U.S. Southwest follows the dispatching of thousands of Mexican soldiers to combat drug cartels earlier this year.

The Guardian:

Following a move by Mexican president Felipe Calderon to dispatch 45,000 troops to combat drug violence in the northern parts of the country, the White House announced it will be sending FBI agents to the U.S.-Mexico border, targeting cartels in fear of drug violence spilling over into the U.S.

The White House [Tuesday] revealed plans for a crime-fighting operation targeting Mexican drug cartels on a scale not seen since the battles against the US mafia.

Washington is dispatching more federal agents and equipment to its south-western border with Mexico to target the cartels. Among them are a newly formed FBI unit, to deal with the ringleaders, and treasury officials who will track drug money. An extra 100 customs officers are to be sent to the border within the next 45 days.

The moves reflect growing concern in Washington that the carnage in Mexico involving the cartels is in danger of spilling over the border. A White House statement said: “The president is concerned by the increased level of violence, particularly in Ciudad Juárez and Tijuana, and the impact that it is having on the communities on both sides of the border.”

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