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Re: FORCOMMENT- Cartels and Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Released on 2012-10-12 10:00 GMT
Email-ID | 2257650 |
Date | 2011-10-28 04:06:50 |
From | firstname.lastname@example.com |
To | email@example.com |
List-Name | firstname.lastname@example.com |
pieces are published. I also understand the interaction between the
operations Center and the Analysts and the heads of Tactical and Strategic
Intelligence. My concern with this piece has nothing to do with whether
Operations Center requested a piece. It has to do with the intellectual
and analytical content. A 10 minute search through the literature has
brought several hundred additional articles to the ones I append below,
but overall, what they show is that the points we are making are not new,
and in some ways we are presenting even less detail than is already in the
MSM. In particular, the key points we raise as to our uniqueness (the
change in US border operations being a trigger, that cartels are more
engaged in this now than in the past, that it supplements their revenues)
are and have been the key elements of previous media reports (and topics
of at least two publicly available congressional hearings). We do not need
to be unique for the sake of being unique, but we do need to be sure that
we are bringing something insightful to the table, and that we are
following the intelligence processes, which includes being sure we are
exhaustive in our search through the open source, as well as our work with
insight. This is even more important when we are building out framing
pieces, ones that are not necessary quick reactions to breaking events,
but rather are thuroughly-researched studies that frame our analysis. Yes,
we pull from the Open Source, and it forms a heavy portion of our
information. So we need to be aware what value we are adding. In this
case, the key points are not even hidden in minor regional papers or in
quiet comments by some un-listened-to law enforcement official, but are
the central topics of CNN, LA Times, Investors Business Daily, etc. In
other words, it is very common knowledge. That does not mean it is not an
important issue. But to add value, we need to go beyond what is already
been written on, and with more detail (like how much money it involves,
Drug cartels raise the stakes on human smuggling
Exploitation of illegal immigrants has become worse, officials say, and
the failure of U.S. agencies to work together has hindered efforts to stop
the organizations.
LA Times March 23, 2009|Josh Meyer
WASHINGTON * Mexican drug cartels and their vast network of associates
have branched out from their traditional business of narcotics trafficking
and are now playing a central role in the multibillion-dollar-a-year
business of illegal immigrant smuggling, U.S. law enforcement officials
and other experts say.
The business of smuggling humans across the Mexican border has always been
brisk, with many thousands coming across every year.
But smugglers affiliated with the drug cartels have taken the enterprise
to a new level -- and made it more violent -- by commandeering much of the
operation from independent coyotes, according to these officials and
recent congressional testimonies.
U.S. efforts to stop the cartels have been stymied by a shortage of funds
and the failure of federal law enforcement agencies to collaborate
effectively with one another, their local and state counterparts and the
Mexican government, officials say.
U.S. authorities have long focused their efforts on the cartels'
trafficking of cocaine, marijuana, heroin and methamphetamines, which has
left a trail of violence and corruption.
Many of those officials now say that the toll from smuggling illegal
immigrants is often far worse.
The cartels often further exploit the illegal immigrants by forcing them
into economic bondage or prostitution, U.S. officials say. In recent
years, illegal immigrants have been forced to pay even more exorbitant
fees for being smuggled into the U.S. by the cartel's well-coordinated
networks of transportation, communications, logistics and financial
operatives, according to officials.
Many more illegal immigrants are raped, killed or physically and
emotionally scarred along the way, authorities say. Organized smuggling
groups are stealing entire safe houses from rivals and trucks full of
"chickens" -- their term for their human cargo -- to resell them or
exploit them further, according to these officials and documents.
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) said greed and opportunity had
prompted the cartels to move into illegal immigrant smuggling.
"Drugs are only sold once," Sanchez, the chairwoman of the House Homeland
Security border subcommittee, said in an interview. "But people can be
sold over and over. And they use these people over and over until they are
too broken to be used anymore."
The cartels began moving into human smuggling in the late 1990s, initially
by taxing the coyotes as they led bands of a few dozen people across
cartel-controlled turf near the border.
After U.S. officials stepped up border enforcement after the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks, the price of passage increased and the cartels got more
directly involved, using the routes they have long used for smuggling
drugs north and cash and weapons south, authorities said.
Sometimes they loaded up their human cargo with backpacks full of
marijuana. In many cases, they smuggled illegal immigrants between the two
marijuana-growing seasons, authorities said.
Kumar Kibble, deputy director of the Department of Homeland Security's
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's office of operations, said the
cartels made money by taxing coyotes and engaging in the business
"Diversification has served them well," Kibble said.
Unlike the drug-trafficking problem, the cartels' involvement in human
smuggling has received scant attention in Washington.
That is the case even as the Obama administration and Congress
increasingly focus their attention on Mexico, fearing that its government
is losing ground in a battle against the cartels that has resulted in the
deaths of more than 7,000 people since the beginning of 2008.
At one of many congressional hearings on the subject last week, Sen.
Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) unveiled a chart that he said described the
cartels' profit centers: drugs, weapons and money laundering.
"I would add one thing, senator," said Arizona Atty. Gen. Terry Goddard,
who then described to Durbin his concerns about the cartels' movement into
illegal immigrant smuggling. "It is really a four-part trade, and it has
caused crime throughout the United States."
Arizona has become the gateway not only for drugs, but also illegal
immigrants. Fights over the valuable commodity have triggered a spate of
shootings, kidnappings and killings, Goddard and one of his chief deputies
said in interviews.
In Arizona, the cartels grossed an estimated $2 billion last year on
smuggling humans, Goddard said.
Senior officials from various federal law enforcement agencies confirmed
that they were extremely concerned about the cartels' human smuggling
In recent years, the U.S. government has taken significant steps to go
after illegal immigrant smugglers on a global scale, setting up task
forces, launching public awareness campaigns and creating a Human
Smuggling and Trafficking Center to fuse intelligence from various
Drug War's Illegal Fuel
Investor's Business Daily May 20, 2010 Thursday
SECTION: Issues & Insights; Pg. A10
Diplomacy: President Felipe Calderon, on his first state visit Wednesday,
diverted talk from Mexico's narco war to worries about Arizona's
immigration law. Time for a reality check: Illegal migration stokes
Mexico's war.
Mexico's president, an otherwise admirable leader, has a real blind spot
about the role illegal immigration plays in the awful war his country is
now fighting on drug cartels.
Speaking at a White House garden press conference with President Obama,
Calderon made fine pledges of cooperation with the U.S. to fight illicit
trafficking: "We agreed upon the urgency to reinforce the actions to stop
the flow of drugs, weapons and cash."
But placed with his other statements criticizing Arizona's immigration
law, he left the matter of halting illegal immigration from his country
completely out of the picture. That might be good politics in Mexico, but
it's an awful strategy, given that illegal immigration is a major part of
drug cartel operations today.
Up until the mid-1990 s, people-smuggling by "coyotes" was a small
operation run by freelancers who came and went.
That changed in the past decade with increased U.S. border control
measures, which put them out of business.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Special Agent Joe Romero told the San
Francisco Chronicle in 2008 that the drug traffickers and people smugglers
have now completely merged.
"The drug cartels have determined this is big business," he said from El
Paso. Drug cartels "control these corridors. . . . It used to be, "Get
across the fence and run.' Now it's a lot more organized."
The cartels -- which had vast networks of smugglers, document forgers,
safe house operators, drivers, and officials on the take -- had resources
to evade border checks and to rake in money.
Texas' border crackdown in recent years sealed a key entry point, so
Arizona has become the new gateway.
Mexico has now shipped between 6 million and 12 million illegal immigrants
to the U.S., with most paying the cartels to enter.
So every illegal immigrant, so romanticized by political leaders, is also
someone who's paid $2,500 or so to cartels.
With millions making it to the U.S., it amounts to $6 billion in earnings
for the smugglers -- compared with Mexico's drug trade, which brings in
$10 billion to $20 billion a year.
So it's not just Hollywood cocaine snorters who are fueling these cartels.
It's also cash from Mexican illegals, who are often forced to double as
drug smugglers or work in slave conditions for the cartels to pay off
their debts.
Lawmen say that the cartel takeover of human smuggling operations also is
responsible for the incredible violence and ruthless abandonment of
immigrants in the desert, which thus far has been blamed on the U.S.
The reality is, it's human smugglers -- the same people who shoot up
Mexican restaurants, kill U.S. consular employees, attack Mexican military
bases, kidnap, massacre schoolchildren and "disappear" political leaders,
as happened to a prominent member of Calderon's own political party in
just the past week.
Fact is, drug cartels are financed by cash, and much of that cash is
coming from a nonstop stream of illegal immigrants -- who, incredibly
enough, are being encouraged to immigrate to the U.S. by the Mexican
government itself as a convenient means of relieving themselves of the
pressure of creating jobs and investing in education.
Unfortunately, this is now being ignored in the wartime strategy to defeat
Mexico's violent cartels.
It makes zero sense. Until cartels start losing the billions in cash flow
they get from illegal immigrant smuggling operations, it won't matter how
many drug operations are won.
The Obama administration talks a good game about a comprehensive
immigration strategy but what he and his Mexican counterpart must really
talk about is a comprehensive victory strategy.
Ending illegal immigration is as much a part of it as beating the cartels.
In fact, the immigration issue isn't separate from the Mexican war. It's
the same war.
Human trafficking second only to drugs in Mexico
CNN.com August 26, 2010 Thursday 8:14 AM EST
BYLINE: By Arthur Brice, CNN
Mario Santos likely never made it to the United States.
The 18-year-old set out 10 years ago from his native El Salvador in search
of opportunity and a better way of life. But he had to travel north
through Mexico first.
A short while after leaving, he called his parents to tell them he had
been beaten and robbed in Mexico, left penniless and without shoes or
clothes. It was the last they heard from him.
While it's not certain that Santos is dead, he probably suffered the same
fate as 72 migrants from Central and South America whose bodies were found
this week in a ranch in northern Mexico, just 90 miles from the U.S.
border. Officials are investigating whether they were the victims of human
traffickers or drug cartels that prey on migrants.
It's a fate that officials say befalls thousands of Central and South
Americans every year.
"It's brutal," says Peter Hakim, president emeritus of the Inter-American
Dialogue, a non-partisan Washington policy institute. "This is very big
business. It's very brutal."
It is indeed big business. Human trafficking is one of the most lucrative
forms of crime worldwide after drug and arms trafficking, the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said in April.
In Mexico, it is a $15 billion- to $20 billion-a-year endeavor, second
only to drug trafficking, said Samuel Logan, founding director of Southern
Pulse, an online information network focused on Latin America.
"And that may be a conservative estimate," Logan said.
That money, which used to go mostly to smugglers, now also flows into the
hands of drug cartel members.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan,
nonprofit policy institute based in Washington, noted in an August report
that human smuggling and other illegal activities are playing an
increasingly important role as narcotraffickers diversify their
"The drug cartels have not confined themselves to selling narcotics," the
report said. "They engage in kidnapping for ransom, extortion, human
smuggling and other crimes to augment their incomes."
Some cartels have come to rely more in recent years on human smuggling.
"For the Zetas, it's been one of their main revenue streams for years,"
Logan said about the vicious cartel, which operates mostly in northeastern
Cartel involvement has increased the risk for migrants crossing through
Mexico to get to the United States, said Mexico's National Commission for
Human Rights. An investigation by the commission showed that 9,758
migrants were abducted from September 2008 to February 2009, or about
1,600 per month.
No one knows exactly how many people try to make the passage every year.
The human rights organization Amnesty International estimates it as tens
of thousands. More than 90 percent of them are Central Americans, mostly
from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, Amnesty International
said in a report this year. And the vast majority of these migrants, the
rights group said, are headed for the United States.
"Their journey is one of the most dangerous in the world," Amnesty
International said.
"Every year, thousands of migrants are kidnapped, threatened or assaulted
by members of criminal gangs," the rights group said. "Extortion and
sexual violence are widespread and many migrants go missing or are killed.
Few of these abuses are reported and in most cases those responsible are
never held to account."
An indication of how many people attempt the trip can be found in
statistics compiled by Mexico's National Migration Service, which tracks
how many migrants are detained and returned to their countries of origin
each year. Experts note that these are only the migrants who get caught,
and that many -- even most -- are not apprehended.
Nonetheless, the Mexican agency said it detained 64,061 migrants last
year, 60,383 of whom were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and
Nicaragua. About 20 percent of them were females and about 8 percent were
under the age of 18. Some were under 10.
Officials in El Salvador, where the teen-aged Santos started his trip,
estimate that about 10,000 Central American migrants suffered some kind of
abuse in 2009.
"The vast majority has been committed by these organized crime gangs, such
as the Zetas for example, in the route along the Gulf (of Mexico), which
is where they operate most frequently," said Juan Jose Garcia, the
Salvadoran vice minister for citizens living abroad.
"But we also have found events in which (Mexican) authorities have
participated," Garcia said.
The Salvadoran Foreign Ministry estimates up to 150 citizens leave each
day for Mexico. Some analysts put that figure at closer to 300.
For most Central Americans, that journey begins with a human smuggler,
commonly called a "pollero." In the United States, the smugglers are
better known as "coyotes."
For a set fee, usually ranging from $850 to $5,000 a head, a smuggler will
deliver a migrant to the border of the United States or even offer passage
Problems often arise when smugglers and migrants approach the border and
organized crime organizations get involved.
"This is where things get complicated," said Logan, who is writing a book
on the Zetas and is the author of "This is for the Mara Salvatrucha:
Inside the MS-13 America's Most Violent Gang."
The drug-trafficking organizations charge the "polleros" a price per
person for the right to cross over their territory, a practice called
"derecho de piso," or right of passage.
Or they will abduct the migrants and hold them for ransom from their
relatives and friends in the United States or family back home.
Often times, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said, migrants
who are abducted are subjected to sexual or labor exploitation.
If the migrants are being held for ransom and the money is not paid in
time, the situation can get ugly.
"Sometimes the Mexican organized crime group says, 'The hell with it.
We're not going to deal with these people,' and they kill them all," Logan
That's what may have happened, Logan said, to the 72 people whose bodies
were found Tuesday in a ranch building in Tamaulipas state, about 14 miles
(22 kilometers) from the town of San Fernando, near the border with Texas.
Or the migrants may have refused to work for the cartel, which is one
possibility that has been mentioned in news accounts.
A bloody turf war between the Zetas and the Gulf cartels also may have
complicated matters because the smugglers may not have known who to pay or
may have paid one group and angered the other.
"In Tamaulipas, it's very hard for a pollero to know who is who," Logan
said. "The Zetas and Gulf cartels were once allied and now have split."
At any rate, the involvement of the drug cartels has changed the dynamics
of human smuggling in Mexico, said Andrew Selee, director of the Woodrow
Wilson Center's Mexico Institute.
Selee remembers living in northern Mexico a few years back and knowing
that a father-son duo who lived on his block were "polleros."
"That's gone," Selee said, noting that the costs of having to pay cartels
for the right to cross their territory has driven out small-time
"They now have to be big enough to handle those costs," Selee said.
Selee and the Inter-American Dialogue's Hakim point out that increased
border security and interdiction by the United States also has led to
cartel involvement because of the level of sophistication and complexity
now often involved in getting someone across the border. The cartels
already have the routes and other facilities in place they use for
smuggling drugs.
"We're no longer talking about a simple process that involves one or two
individuals," Selee said. "This has become much more dangerous."
As always, profit is the motive.
"The smuggling became profitable the more the United States began to build
barriers to immigration," Hakim said.
On Thursday, Amnesty International called on the Mexican government to
take swift action about the slayings of the 72 people in Tamaulipas.
"Amnesty International issued a report in April highlighting the failure
of Mexican federal and state authorities to implement effective measures
to prevent and punish thousands of kidnappings, killings and rape of
irregular migrants at the hands of criminal gangs, who often operate with
the complicity or acquiescence of public officials," the rights group said
in a release.
"This case once again demonstrates the extreme dangers faced by migrants
and the apparent inability of both federal and state authorities to reduce
the attacks that migrants face. The response of the authorities to this
case will be a test."
It's too late for the families of the victims.
For the parents of Mario Santos, the Salvadoran who disappeared 10 years
ago, much of the anguish lies in not knowing what happened.
"If only he would call me on the telephone and I would know he is alive,
even if I never saw him again, that would satisfy me," said his father,
Daniel Santos.
For thousands of Central American families, the phone does not ring.
Interview with U.S. Marshal David Gonzalez
Fox News Network June 15, 2010 Tuesday
BYLINE: Greta Van Susteren
GUESTS: David Gonzalez
VAN SUSTEREN: We're live in Phoenix, Arizona. And it is the no secret some
of the most deadliest violence in the world has jumped across the Arizona
border in Mexico, and it is a constant fight to stop that violence from
bleeding into the United States.
United States Marshal David Gonzalez faces the violence everyday with his
team. Good evening sir.
DAVID GONZALEZ, U.S. MARSHAL, ARIZONA DISTRICT: Welcome to Phoenix.
VAN SUSTEREN: It is beautiful, a little toasty, but beautiful. These are
weapons used by the drug cartels, right?
GONZALEZ: These are standard weapons used by cartels, ATF and other state
and local agencies on a daily basis, purchased primarily in the United
States, which is a huge problem, because, as you know, we have drugs and
money going south and people and dope coming north.
And dealing with those two issues creates a lot of violence and issues
throughout the country.
VAN SUSTEREN: It is extraordinary the amount of firepower. We've been to
Mexico. What we've heard is the firepower of the drug cartel exceeds what
we give our ATF for instance. We don't have necessarily the same firepower
we use back at them.
GONZALEZ: There's no question. U.S. law enforcement, state and local U.S.
law enforcement, and Mexican law enforcement, you cannot compete with
firepower like this, no way.
VAN SUSTEREN: What do you need? If President Obama were watching tonight
and the head of the marshal service in Washington, what can help you?
GONZALEZ: It is a very complicated process. You have intertwined drug
smuggling and human smuggling. And when you have that much money involved
it is very difficult to take head-on.
But I think if there was something we could do as a country to help stem
the tide of a lot of these issues, I think we need to really concentrate
on where the primary issues are, in this case, guns going south and money
going south, identify who the main players are in these organizes and take
them out, similar to what happened in Colombia.
And that is why we are dealing with the situations we are dealing with
this Arizona, because the Mexican cartels took over for the Colombian
cartels who were split up and the Mexican cartels have become so strong
and so wealthy that to deal with them we need to break up those cartels so
we can manage them.
So I think that is our primary responsibility and an issue we need to deal
VAN SUSTEREN: Since you are on the border this gets pushed in this state's
face every single day, the risk, the scare.
The thing I thought was extraordinary, the one that catches my attention
is the former rangers, the Mexican army that have gone rogue. They are
special forces. And they are so well trained and so violent, and they went
rogue. There's almost no way to stop them.
GONZALEZ: There are seven main cartels. The Zeta's started off as
enforcers and then became a cartel. But just 180 miles from where we stand
now, that area is controlled by a federation of cartels. And that is
called "the federation." It's a group of two or three different cartels
that have formed to control the distribution routes.
And this is what all the violence is about in Mexico now bleeding over
into the U.S. It is control of lucrative drug and human smuggling
distribution routes. That is the bottom line.
VAN SUSTEREN: We have the drug smuggling, gun smuggling, and violence. But
the human trafficking is terrible too.
GONZALEZ: Phoenix is number two in kidnapping in the United States. Number
one is Mexico City. Arizona, the Phoenix area here has five million people
and Mexico city about 25 million, and we're number two in the world we it
comes to kidnapping, and that's all connected to human smuggling which is
connected to the money. That seems to be the root.
VAN SUSTEREN: It seems as though, until recently, that people have not
listened to Arizona, that people have not listened as to how big a problem
it is here. Is that your sense, that fallen a little off the radar screen
for other issues?
GONZALEZ: It has been frustrating being a law enforcement officer here. I
think that's why 1070 was passed. I think there was a lot of frustration
that more needed to be done on our border.
We have 365 miles of border with Mexico, and it is the busiest sector in
the country. And 48 percent of all illegal immigrants that come into the
U.S. come through the Tucson sector. About 48 percent also of all drugs
that come into the U.S., like marijuana, come in through the Tucson
sector. And they are all controlled by the Mexican cartels.
VAN SUSTEREN: I don't mean to be gruesome, but the article that sticks
with me they are trying to intimidate people in a club, they beheaded five
people and rolled the heads across the dance floor, or where they opened
up the chest and take the hearts out. The violence, it's like a horror
GONZALEZ: Exactly. And the 12 policemen killed yesterday --
VAN SUSTEREN: I forgot the 12 policemen yesterday.
GONZALEZ: Greta, that's to send a message to the locals, to the government
that they are here to stay, and they are not intimidated. And we're here
to the very end. You are not going to scare us off. So we are in for a
long battle.
VAN SUSTEREN: How many deputies you have?
GONZALEZ: In Arizona about 220 deputies. Working fugitives, sex offenders
work closely with the Mexican government bringing fugitives out of Mexico,
which is a huge problem because a lot of fugitives wanted in the U.S. flee
to Mexico we work closely with the Mexican government to get our fugitives
out of there.
VAN SUSTEREN: I know your deputies are tough, but I hate to them put at
GONZALEZ: When you to deal with this, what can you do?
VAN SUSTEREN: Thank you, marshal.
GONZALEZ: Thank you.
CQ Congressional Testimony
May 11, 2011 Wednesday
Statement of Steven C. McCraw Director Texas Department of Public Safety
Committee on House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight,
Investigations, and Management
May 11, 2011
Chairman McCaul and Committee members, on behalf of the men and women of
the Texas Department of Public Safety, I would like to thank you for the
opportunity to appear before you today to discuss a vitally important
public safety and national security issue, our unsecure border with
Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations have exploited weaknesses in our
border defenses for many years in an effort to exert their dominance over
the highly lucrative U.S. drug and human smuggling market and they have
evolved into powerful and vicious organized crime cartels that now
threaten the domestic security of Mexico. They battle each other and the
Government of Mexico to maintain and/or increase their share of the
multi-billions of dollars derived from the smuggling of drugs and humans
into the U.S., and bulk cash, high value merchandise, stolen vehicles and
weapons into Mexico.
They use military and terrorist tactics and weaponry killing over 36,000
people since 2006 and there is no limit to their depravity. They employ
horrific tactics to intimidate their adversaries and the public such as
decapitations, acid baths, skinning people alive, torture and Improvised
Explosive Devices and they have expanded their criminal operations to
profit from kidnappings, robberies, human trafficking, extortions and
theft. During the past several months we have seen reports of mass graves
and self-censorship of the Mexican press. The Mexican Cartels work closely
with Texas based and transnational gangs to support their criminal
operations on both sides of the border. We continually see multi-ton drug
loads seized throughout Texas.
The Mexican Cartels use a mature decision-making process that incorporates
reconnaissance networks, techniques and capabilities normally associated
with military organizations such as communication intercepts,
interrogations, trend analysis, secure communications, coordinated
military-style tactical operations, GPS, thermal imagery and military
armaments including fully automatic weapons, rocket propelled grenades and
hand grenades. They are very adept at corrupting government officials and
entire institutions to support their criminal operations undermining the
ability of Mexico to address this threat. Recent reports reveal that
Mexico has only a 2% criminal conviction rate.
The 2011 GAO Report confirmed what we already knew in Texas, there are
insufficient federal resources to secure the Texas/Mexico border with as
much as 70% to 90% of the 1,250 miles of border in Texas is only being
monitored as opposed to managed or operationally controlled. It is
important to note that the men and women of the Customs and Border
Protection Service are dedicated professionals and do an exceptional job
with the limited resources they possess. However, there has been a
substantial underinvestment in border security for several decades to the
benefit of the Mexican Cartels and the detriment of public safety and
homeland security.
Texas is a law and order state and there is a high expectation by our
citizens that Sheriffs, Chiefs of Police and the Texas Department of
Public Safety will work closely together with our federal partners to
proactively protect Texas from all criminal and terrorist threats
regardless of their origin. When Texas landowners are overwhelmed by drug
and human smugglers trespassing and vandalizing their property, they
expect a timely law enforcement response and do not want to hear from
Sheriffs and the State of Texas that it is not their job. The State of
Texas has already invested over $250 million to enhance border security
efforts recognizing long ago its importance to the safety of all Texans.
The State adopted a unified command structure to centralize local, state
and federal border related intelligence across 53 Texas border Counties
and over a hundred local, state and federal agencies to support unified
patrol operations on the ground, in the air and on the water. Combining
efforts is a force multiplier and provides a more accurate understanding
of the current and future border-related threats.
It has also been necessary to increase the state's tactical capability on
the border. The Cartels have become increasing confrontational using
blocking and chase cars, caltrops to disable patrol cars during high speed
pursuits and Cartel boat teams that confront U.S. law enforcement on the
U.S. side of the Rio Grande River while they retrieve the drugs from
vehicles that have been driven into the Rio Grande River to avoid capture.
In ONE instance, Cartel members threw a Molotov cocktail at Texas Rangers
in an attempt to avoid capture and on at least two occasions, Border
Patrol Agents were fired upon from Mexico while patrolling the Rio Grande
River. The State of Texas established Texas Ranger Recon Teams augmented
with DPS SWAT resources, Texas Military Forces personnel, DPS Aviation and
Trooper Strike Teams who work closely with local law enforcement and the
Border Patrol to confront the Cartels in high threat areas.
The Committee requested that I provide an assessment of the impact of
Cartel-related crime in the Texas border region. To accurately assess the
overall criminal impact of an unsecure border on Texas requires the
syntheses of several different variables within and outside the border
region. For example, if we were to use only Index Crimes as reported
through the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) system, it would not
include essential variables such as extortions, kidnappings, smuggling
incidents, corruption, smuggling-related trespassing and vandalism,
arrests of aliens from countries with strong terrorist networks, seizures
of Cartel drugs, weapons and bulk cash on the 10 major smuggling corridors
throughout Texas, Cartel command and control networks operating in Texas,
increases in Cartel-related gang activity, death squad members living in
Texas, Cartel- related killings of U.S. citizens in Mexico, Cartel-related
violence along the border directed at U.S. law enforcement and the
recruitment of Texas children in our border region to support Cartel
operations on both sides of the border. These indicators reflect what the
Texas Department of Public Safety refers to as "spill over crime" and are
discussed below:
Over the last 18 months, six of the seven Mexican Cartels have established
command and control networks in Texas cities. This is a three-fold
increase. Within the last year the number of Texas prison gangs who work
directly with the Mexican Cartels have increased from four to twelve. This
is significant because 62% of prison gang members are incarcerated for
violent crimes in Texas and as much as 60% of the criminal activity in
some Texas communities is carried out by gangs. Since January 2010, DPS
has identified in Texas 22 murders, 24 assaults, 15 shootings and five
kidnappings directly related to the Mexican Cartels. -- The Mexican
Cartels are recruiting Texas school age children to support Cartel
operations. The border region constitutes 9.4% of the state's population
and now has over 18.9% of the juvenile felony drug and gang referrals. --
The Mexican Cartels are actively recruiting U.S. law enforcement officers
to support their smuggling operations. Two South Texas Sheriffs were
convicted for Cartel-related corruption and over 70 CBP Agents have been
arrested for corruption along the southwest border. -- The Mexican Cartels
and Texas gangs who support them smuggle and traffic in humans. There have
been 480 human trafficking victims over the last four years, 77% were
children. Approximately 10% of the calls to the National Human Trafficking
Hotline come from Texas, more than any other state. -- The FBI in San
Antonio reported that there have been 266 kidnappings since 2004, 14
reported in 2004, and 58 in 2009. Kidnappings include Americans kidnapped
in Mexico, victims abducted in Texas and taken to Mexico and victims
kidnapped in Texas by subjects from Mexico. -- Virtual kidnappings and
extortions are increasing in Texas. There were 23 reports of attempted
extortion in El Paso between August 2009 and September 2010. -- The amount
of drug and human smuggling and trafficking that occurs in Texas is an
essential indicator of the crime impact on the state. A senior DHS
official has reported that only 6.5% of the drugs and humans smuggled into
the U.S. from Mexico are interdicted. The Department of Public Safety is
not in a position to confirm the percentage cited but it does track
interdictions within the border region and seizures beyond the check
-- The 2009 UCR data for the El Paso Police Department shows a reduction
in murders; however, the 2011 data from the El Paso Police Department
currently shows a 1,200% increase in murders from 2010 to 2011. The
Department of Public Safety considers UCR data as only one indicator
because of the delay in reporting and the limited incidents it captures.
-- CBP Agents and Officers continue to arrest illegal aliens along the
U.S./Mexico border from countries with a known terrorism presence and 74%
of those arrests have occurred in Texas.
* A recent federal investigation in Texas underscores the seriousness of
this homeland security threat. Between 2006-2008, Dhakane smuggled 300
Somali illegal aliens, moving them through Brazil-Guatemala-Mexico-Texas
and California. Dhakane eventually admitted that not only had he worked
for many years for the designated terrorist groups AL-ITTIHAD-AL-ISLAMI
(AIAI, or Islamic Union Courts/closely affiliated with al-Shabaab) and the
AL-BARRAKAT, he moved at least seven committed Jihadists, most of them
over the U.S. southwestern border.
-- Total amount of Operation Border Star seizures from 2006 to present
have an estimated street value of $7,939,824,739.23 (see Exhibit 1).
-- The Texas Department of Public Safety has seen an increase in Cartel
related seizures occurring beyond the check points and along the ten major
corridors in Texas.
Cocaine 28% increase
Marijuana 124% increase
Heroin 2,493% increase
Methamphetamine 135% increase
Bulk Cash 168% increase
Weapons 155% increase
When the U.S./Mexico border is finally secured the Mexican Cartels will no
longer have access to the billions of dollars they use to undermine the
domestic security of Mexico and the safety and security of the citizens of
Texas and the nation. Border security can be accomplished with the
sufficient will and resources of the federal government working as a team
with local and state law enforcement agencies.
On Oct 27, 2011, at 8:02 PM, Colby Martin wrote:
First, I think you need to remember how pieces are published.
Personally, I do not care one way or another if this ever makes it on
site. That is not my job. Part of my job as I understand it is to find
subjects that interest me and to present them, which I did a week ago.
4000 words worth of thoughts. There were no comments. Then, I was told
by OpCenter they were interested in turning into a piece, and so I did.
They asked to split it in to two pieces, and so this is the first
installment. I personally don't see where exactly you are saying what
details need to be added, you are making a subjective decision on
whether or not this piece is relevant to our readers, again not your
call or mine. I personally believe it is something that is valuable,
because I don't believe it is common knowledge as to WHY cartels move
into human smuggling, and how many factors lead to that decision.
On 10/27/11 7:43 PM, Sean Noonan wrote:
This doesn't answer any of the questions many other analysts have been
asking. You can try and answer those questions with the detail and
explanation of a stratfor analysis, or you can settle with a piece
that everyone is telling you is not good enough. your call.
here's that media for you:
From: "Colby Martin" <email@example.com>
To: firstname.lastname@example.com
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2011 7:39:24 PM
Subject: Re: FORCOMMENT- Cartels and Human Smuggling/Trafficking
On 10/27/11 7:35 PM, Sean Noonan wrote:
You don't explain why. See my comments in the other one I sent.
Here's what you have:
Cartels need more revenue streams [who, why exactly?] increased
operational costs, simple
Human smuggling/trafficking uses similar methods as drug
trafficking [ok, but it's intuitively not exactly the same,
specifying the tactics would add value]intuitive? exactly, ok i can
tone that down, but i am telling you it is very similar. cartels do
not differentiate between a human being a cocaine, its all cargo
Profits for human smuggling/trafficking have increased due to US
border enforcement [hasn't this changed in last couple years, what
are the precise shifts]this is in the piece about when it started
changing. profits went up, needs of cartels for new revenue streams
increased, and so they entered into human smuggling and trafficking
Thus, cartels are now moving humans.
I had read all of that before in our own analysis with the exception
of the changes on the US border (which very well could've been in
older analysis that I haven't read). Very little in the way of
tactics or nuance was added to any of those points. the US border
changes are a major point, and it is not typically made in
mainstream media. Americans typically dont ask why migrants now go
through the desert and stay, nor do they want to hear that it is
because of US policies that cause this.
From: "Colby Martin" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
To: email@example.com
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2011 7:24:22 PM
Subject: Re: FORCOMMENT- Cartels and Human Smuggling/Trafficking
the sentences made in cartel updates are just assertions. this is
an explanation for those assertions. please explain how saying
cartels are no longer simply drug trafficking organizations and then
explaining why is just an assertion?
On 10/27/11 7:19 PM, Sean Noonan wrote:
Because they are just assertions. We've said as much as this in a
few sentences in different cartel updates. Why do we need a whole
piece for that?
From: "Colby Martin" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
To: firstname.lastname@example.com
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2011 7:09:54 PM
Subject: Re: FORCOMMENT- Cartels and Human Smuggling/Trafficking
why is it important to do the how first? why can't i make
assertions of cartels impact on human smuggling before explaining
how humans are smuggled or trafficked. there is a second piece
that will be focused just on that point.
the point of this piece is to explain drug cartels are involved
in human smuggling. we are currently working on smuggling
operations all over the world, and this is one of those pieces.
We spend a lot of time talking about drug cartels and what they
are and this piece explains there move into other types of
smuggling and trafficking. This is important for understanding
cartels as more than drug trafficking organizations, but as
international businesses that operate as such.
Could someone please send me the reports that explain this dynamic
that I seem to have missed?
On 10/27/11 6:05 PM, Karen Hooper wrote:
I am not sure this is ready to go. I think we need to establish
our baseline analysis of HOW people are smuggled and trafficked
before going into assertions about the impact of this
logistically on the drug cartels. This is a heavily studied
issue, i think we can get a lot of relevant info.
Karen Hooper
Latin America Analyst
o: 512.744.4300 ext. 4103
c: 512.750.7234
On 10/27/11 4:26 PM, Colby Martin wrote:
the conclusion could be made stronger i think but wanted to get
it out before everyone checked out
The cartel war currently underway in Mexico has forced Mexican
cartels to look for alternative sources of capital outside of
the trafficking of narcotics. I would suggest more
straightforward language like "One of the ways that cartels make
money outside of drug smuggling is.... Now more than ever,
cartels need money to pay for weapons, enforcers, and bribes
necessary for fighting the drug war. Because of the increased
operational costs incurred by the cartels fighting each other
and fighting state security forces, alternative [nix
'alternative'... it's just a revenue stream] it is an
alternative to there main source of income, drugs, its metioned
belowrevenue streams of all types - including human smuggling
and trafficking, piracy, extortion, kidnapping, oil theft, money
laundering and arms smuggling are valuable business operations
for the cartels. Narcotics* trafficking remains the cartel*s
primary source of income because the profit margins are much
higher for drugs than other types of illicit cargo, however,
Mexican cartels are no longer just drug trafficking
organizations, but are now international criminal
Two enterprises the Mexican cartels have easily absorbed into
their corporate structure are human smuggling and trafficking
operations. you said this many times in the preceding paragraph
Human smuggling (the transportation of people from one place to
another for an agreed upon fee) and trafficking (the
exploitation sale? of people through forced prostitution,
slavery, or bonded servitude) has become much more lucrative in
the past 20 because of the increased difficulty and danger
involved in moving migrants over the Mexican border and into the
United States.
Cartel involvement in human smuggling is not a new phenomenon.
In the 1990*s cartels were content with collecting taxes paid by
alien omg there are extra terrestrials in mexico?! I knew it!
smuggling organizations for use of cartel smuggling routes
through the borderlands into the United States. However, as
profits increased and alternative revenue streams were needed,
the cartels realized they had no reason or desire to share
profits with traditional alien smuggling organizations. In
fact, cartels now typically kidnap or kill any smugglers who do
not have approval to operate in their territory.
The infrastructure used for narcotics smuggling is also used for
human smuggling, with very little if any modifications made to
routes, safe houses (called drop houses), and modes of
transportation er, on this last part I have to imagine there's a
difference. A boxcar or semi outfitted with food, water, air
vents and some sort of waste disposal mechanism (read: Buckets)
is different from stuffing bags of coke into car compartments.
Not to mention the VAST difference in getting higher end people
smuggled across the border which requires getting faked
passports, and securing immediate buyers/safehouses in the
united states. In fact, I really think you should start with the
logistics of what it takes to smuggle humans. no, there isn't
much of a difference. migrants aren't given food, water, or air
vents very often they just have what they can carry. These
existing networks have allowed cartels to seamlessly incorporate
human smuggling into their normal smuggling operations.
Cartels are also able to use human smuggling operations to
protect loads of narcotics because migrants will be used as a
diversion for drug shipments by moving the people through one
location at the same time the drugs are moved through a
different entry point. This draws border patrol resources away
from the drug smuggling operations and makes it much easier to
get drug load into the United States.
Illegal migrants are also sometimes forced to become drug mules
and carry drugs into the United States, although it is not as
common as sometimes reported in main stream media. speaking of
incidence rates, how many people are smuggled every year? where
are they smuggled from? how many are economic refugees? How many
are from Mexico? Central America? South Asia? Europe? Eastern
Europe?this isnt the point of the piece. Sometimes the migrant
could ask to be a mule in order to pay off some of the debt
incurred for being brought across the border, or are forced to
carry it for unknown reasons. However, using scared,
inexperienced migrants who do not know there way through the
desert or mountains is not a good way to insure safe transport
of the most drug load. It also isn't necessary for the cartels
to rely heavily on illegal migrants to mule drugs because paying
a professional is inexpensive (wasn't it like, 300 US a load or
less?) and they are better trained to deal with anything that
goes wrong.
Starting in 1993-94 with Operation Hold-the-Line in El Paso and
Operation Gatekeeper in San Diego anti-smuggling operations and
increased numbers of border patrol agents, from about 8000 in
1998 to around 17,000 in 2010(victoria do you have 2011
numbers?), have forced migrants away from urban crossing points
into increasingly desolate areas.
This dynamic has caused profits for alien smuggling operations
to skyrocket over the past 10 years because the intensified
interdiction efforts have increased the value of the services
coyotes provide. A decade ago, most illegal migrants did not
use a coyote, but now find it almost impossible to cross over
without one. A STRATFOR source that works on the Arizona border
confirmed that only the migrants who have crossed into the
United States illegally multiple times or have fraudulent
documents do not use a coyote.
Prices have gone from $500 a head paid to *mom and pop* outfits
who typically smuggled migrants into the United States for
seasonal work. Many times, the coyote was just a local who
lived near the border and knew how to get across safely. The
illegal migrants would go to the United States to work, and then
return home after they had earned enough money or the growing
season was over. Now, typical prices range from $2000 for
Mexicans, $10,000 for Central Americans or Cubans, to $40,000 or
more for a Chinese national or special interest aliens from
countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan. (it is
actually more, victoria?) No way.... there are plenty of people
who get over who can't afford 10,000 bucks. This brings up a
separate issue.... of the people who cross, how many use the
services of the cartels? And is that $10,000 to be escorted from
Guat to the US? Or is that a straight up mark up thanks to
racism?i don't quite understand what you are saying no way to?
yes, i have read as high as 75,000 for special interest aliens,
there is quite a bit of literature on this. they do afford it
because that is the going rate. they typically borrow the money
from families or villagers, or they work it off. again, plenty
of evidence, some of it personal, that this is the going rate.
yes, it is racism i suppose.
Mexican cartels also use their control over human smuggling
infrastructure you still haven't told us what this
infrastructure isthere is a second piece that will break down
the infrastructure to increase profits in other areas of their
criminal enterprise. As the economic crisis in the US has caused
a decrease in the numbers of migrants crossing the border,
cartels have increasingly turned to human trafficking, declared
by the Department of Homeland Security as a form of modern day
slavery. Sex trafficking and slavery operations are a source of
income for the cartels long after the migrants have been brought
into the United States, whereas smuggling a person only nets one
payment for services rendered.
Kidnapping, especially of Central Americans, from anywhere along
the migrant routes into the United States is also extremely
lucrative. Mexican train yards are prime locations because the
migrant must stay close to the train tracks in order to catch a
ride north.
It is common for cartels to kidnap migrants, called "chickens,"
from other smugglers drop-houses inside the United States and
then hold them for ransom, sometimes thousands of dollars above
the fee agreed upon between the smugglers and alien. The family
members or sponsors will be forced to pay using the same money
wires they use for paying the coyotes. If payment is not made
the illegal migrants are commonly forced to work off the ransom,
or they are killed.
The 2010 National Mexican Human Rights Commission claimed Los
Zetas are the most active criminal organization involved in
human smuggling and trafficking in Mexico, although other
cartels are also involved. In 2008 the Sinaloa cartel were
linked to trafficking minors for prostitution with the president
of Peruvians against child pornography, Dimitri Senmache Artola,
stating that narco-trafficking organizations were combining drug
trafficking and sex trafficking operations because they were
able to utilize the same routes and modes of operation,
including corruption of authorities. A February, 2010 Foreign
Policy Research Institute report on the impact of Arturo Beltran
Leyva's death listed the ability to smuggle humans, promote
prostitution, and carry out kidnappings as part of ABL's assets.
The diversification of capital streams into Mexican Cartels
makes them much stronger institutions because they are less
dependent on one product for their survival. If the drug war in
Mexico subsided, the remaining cartels would be extremely
diverse, strong organizations with multiple sources of income,
territorial control of ports of entry, and a massive
infrastructure for controlling trade flows into the United
Human smuggling and trafficking operations are perfect for
cartels because the demand for cheap labor will never completely
go away. As long as the United States represents a better life
for the thousands of migrants each year, cartels will be willing
to take them, for a price.
Colby Martin
Tactical Analyst
Colby Martin
Tactical Analyst
Sean Noonan
Tactical Analyst
Office: +1 512-279-9479
Mobile: +1 512-758-5967
Strategic Forecasting, Inc.
Colby Martin
Tactical Analyst
Sean Noonan
Tactical Analyst
Office: +1 512-279-9479
Mobile: +1 512-758-5967
Strategic Forecasting, Inc.
Colby Martin
Tactical Analyst
Sean Noonan
Tactical Analyst
Office: +1 512-279-9479
Mobile: +1 512-758-5967
Strategic Forecasting, Inc.
Colby Martin
Tactical Analyst


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Good afternoon all.
I'm lovin the graphics and pictures.
Rose, hugs to you. You seem to up and down even more than before but I am glad that Brice is settling down some now.
(((Candice))) Rest well, when you can.
Hi to Becky and Ginger when you pop in.
Sue, well into your fall cleaning and loving it.
I have lots to tell and don't remember just where to start so I will start with Saturday. I had been having back pain but not too much and didn't think much about it until Friday night when I couldn't get comfortable at all and had to get up and still it hurt so I finally decided I had a kidney stone so MA took me to the ER at St Barnard in Jonesboro. After a CT scan, it was not, it was the cancer. They gave me some pain meds and something for nausea that made me SICK. Then when I left something else for pain that made me even sicker and scrips for Hydracodon(sp) and later I took one of those and was still sick so I stopped taken all of it except for some Aleve and coated aspirin that Jenny had and started to feel better. We spent the night in J and came home Sunday morning and I have been taking Ibu and aspirin.
The girls and Jenny came Monday and spent the day and did some all decorating and today I have just been hanging around. I had to start taking some kind of Rx the day before and the day after treatment and it has me feeling kind of yucky. It seem like EVERYTHING I take does SOMETHING, grrrrr.
I hope to leave early enough tomorrow to go by a shop that has scarves and wigs but we shall see.
I expect tomorrow to be another sick day but we can only hope for better.
The weather is perfect today and the door is open. It was nice yesterday except for a little rain off and on and supposed to be the same tomorrow.
So there you are all caught up.
BTW, except for the above set backs, I am overall feeling better than I have in months. Figures.
Water heater is done now to clean up the mess, thankgoodnes I had my rugs and runners down cause I can wash them.
hopr Gingers water hook up goes well.
mitz..did you have yor first treatment?..lol you are funny! Everything makes me sick too...hope they can find something you can take. Put a picture of your scarves and wigs up..you don't have to be in them!
rose..very sweet picture of Brice today,
sue he you still in the cleaning mode.
Off to clean up the mess..still don't feel great.
Oh some family drama here..will tell you later..dh's brother again!
Hi ladies,
I am with Duncan on this one...very sick....
Had a wonderful relaxing Sunday, so much so we slept a bit later, and lally-gagged around at the table after breakfast, and OJ too LOL just talking and stuff. Plus Buddy Max is loving the cooler temps as he has been very frisky, coming with his various ball toys and dropping them at the table for us to toss.
In any case Buddy and I had a great Tag Team Barbelly Sunday too. A wonderful day overall with of course, pasta for dinner, ice cream, of course and CharmedGate.
Monday started my new workout routine, got some calls made for meds, and then did the pictures in the dining room, and the walls in the dining room and hallway around the bookcases. Also took down the corkboard and wooden mail center we got years back that isn't a mail center any longer but does have a chalkboard on it too and we have important numbers on it for security here, the office and the call letters, dial numbers of the stations we listen too LOL
Monday night I got the 2 BIG bookcases in the hallway done and the mugs from my DMIL and tonight will do the other one in the dining room along with the trophies and knick knacks on their too. This will leave the wash area along with machines and the dining room table chairs and fan/light, along with the rest of the hallway walls, and the hall closet. Hope to finish it this week. Then start on the main bathroom on Saturday...we shall see...I have been tired as Chuck has thrown his back out again so doing double duty, plus my left knee ain't doing too well either. Such is life...oh and I won't get anything done on Thursday with my doctor appointment. So I will have to dust and vacuum tommorow and have to skip my morning workout, which I am NOT happy about.
Well today was the GROCERY STORE and not a lot of stuff, but IMPORTANT STUFF....AS WE GOT OUR ICE CREAM FOR THE MONTH LOL and IT WAS ON SALE.....and oooooohh ooooooohhhhhh they had the candy cane ice cream I got last year and Hot chocolate one too.....mmmmm good. Plus I got some mint chocolate chip ice cream (Buddy loves that one and the Candy Cane one too) and of course I got one of my new favs....the Peanut Butter ice cream.
Also got my dryer sheets, Mr. Clean, tall kitchen garbage bags and a new drinking water bottle. We will drink it and then fill it ourselves, it's a nice gallon size so we have water throughout the day and at night.
Got our 18 and 12 packs of eggs and the 18 pack was on sale for $2.50.....so we were happy campers. Unfortunately we won't go through 36 eggs before they go bad so no sense in buying 2 of the 18 pack. Plus 2 different dates too, 12 pack is earlier so will start with that one. Plus got our milk and the Sunny Select Munster cheese slices which is awesome and a pizza blend shredded cheese for those pizza's we plan on making LOL
And as we were walking past the one isle, Chuck saw some of those new light bulbs and they were 3 way ones. Pricey but we will eventually need them. I walked down further and said here are regular ones that are 3 ways 50-100-150 which we really needed as we don't have any left and none of the lamps we need them for have them in anymore because of it. Plus I need one for my light by my chair to see to do my nails and stuff! So did we luck out, they were only $1.49 each....so with what we saved on the ice cream since it was on sale...we got 3 packs...plus we still came in under what we had as a total by $6....so even happier campers LOL
So we did good. As for our rides....our pick up was the same older gentlemen we had last week that was early, but today he got here about 5 minutes before our window was over...hey they have 30 minutes, so be it. We picked up an older gentlemen we have picked up many times before not too far away and then he took u s to SaveMart. As for the ride home, we got the same younger gentlemen, Richie I believe his name is, we got at the close of window a while back at Savemart...today he was about 8 minutes late. I called and the gal said about 10 minutes and so he beat her numbers by 2 minutes LOL No biggie we sat on the bench and just waited. Nice out and breezy...in fact I bought my sweater and had jeans on...Chuck has his shorts and t-shirt on LOL
But he took u s right home so was still a good trip....we unloaded, I had to do Buddy's house as Chuck can't bend over and I have been taking Buddy out too since he can't bend over to pick up his "business"! In fact before we left after I got dressed I took Buddy out while he was still in the 'pit stop room' and Buddy did his stuff. So we were happy...always worry (especially with him older now) of him holding it when we got out. But he was good.
Then I did my other kitchen stuff, and other normal 'Sue jobs' we had lunch and then I cooked up my salmon for tonight, this way I can break it up and put it on top of it's bed of orzo/spinach mix I will be cooking up....mmmmm goood!
And to top off this very nice day......SHE'S BACK....THIS SUNDAY....YOU CAN SNIFF HER AGAIN.....YUP I GOT MY EXOTIC CHERRY BLOSSOM (NEW NAME THEY GAVE IT NOW) SO I WILL BE A SPRITZING AFTER I WASH AND USE MY CREAM....THEY ARE WILD CHERRY BLOSSOM AS THEY ARE SUAVE PRODUCTS, WHILE THE SPRAY IS BODYCOLOGY! ANYHOO I AM A VERY HAPPY CAMPER!
Now time for me to answer some mail and get the hand towels that just buzzed out of the dryer before we are off to the 3 C's.....of course Hunter on tap tonight and just deciding whether it will be Dawson's Creek, Miami Vice, or BH:90210.....decisions, decisions.....and of course after that yummy dinner, what better than a scoop of Speedy Tracks.
Hope you had a nice Tuesday,
Who knew it happens to dogs too!


text:
It'd be so cool if just one person could write a letter to D* on this subject that'd be read by somebody other than a CSR.
Have at it:
Director of Customer Service
Posted 29 March 2011 - 12:45 PM
It'd be so cool if just one person could write a letter to D* on this subject that'd be read by somebody other than a CSR.
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Posted 29 March 2011 - 12:55 PM
Posted 29 March 2011 - 01:13 PM
Feel better now?
You do not take a company you want to continue to do business with on a regular basis and need to negogiate with them for best deals in the future to court unless you postively have to. Filing with the FCC is the equivalent of going to court.
Of course they would be taking on Comcast. You really think a company that is in a snit over not having Sunday Ticket is not going to hold a grudge?
DirecTV may eventually go to the FCC but only if they think it is worth the risk of damaging other deals and/or really, really need CSN Philly for financial health. (I can give you a clue on the latter....they don't.)
One last thing. If you force a woman to marry you, do you let her make your meals?
Posted 29 March 2011 - 03:55 PM
HD Snob - "Friends Don't Let Friends Watch Cable".
Electrical/RF Engineer & Inspector
DirecTV Equipment: HR24-200 (2), 5LNB Slimline, AM21, SWiM 8 installed (MRV), Cinema Kit (Wifi connection)
Configuration: Native OFF. Units OFF when not in use.
TVs: 2 Panasonic Plasma TV's each using HDMI (one 1080p/one 720p)
DirecTV customer since 1998. Plus HD DVR package w/ NHL Center Ice & MLB Extra Innings.
OTA Antenna: Homebrew UHF & VHF antennas w/ 30dB amplifier fed w/ RG-6 Quad-shield coax.
Posted 29 March 2011 - 04:31 PM
Posted 29 March 2011 - 04:43 PM
I'm sorry, but this is just flat wrong. DirecTV would NOT be taking on Comcast. They make a request FOR THE CHANNEL. The FCC determines if DirecTV made their case or not. IF they do, then the FCC forces Comcast's hand. There's also one other big way that it's not the same as a lawsuit - DirecTV doesn't have to demonstrate any wrong-doing on Comcast's part.
As for contract negotiations, again, the FCC requires that these providers work in good faith. CV has been gunning for Verizon and AT&T from the get-go... that does not give them the green light to screw over either company in negotiations for their Rainbow Media channels. CV isn't allowed to charge one company something outlandish compared to what it charges other companies. Comcast would be no different in this situation. They wouldn't screw over DirecTV because they wouldn't be allowed to.
Posted 29 March 2011 - 05:51 PM
Posted 29 March 2011 - 06:03 PM
i dont think directv wants CSNW at the current price
Posted 29 March 2011 - 06:08 PM
Nope, CSNNW will never be on DirecTV because Comcast owns 100% of the channel and is demanding something like $3 a subscriber nationally, knowing that D* will never pay for it. So they get to keep it exclusive to the Northwest and all Blazers and Duck games are only shown in a tiny portion of the nation that no one else can see unless you get NBA League Pass, which does you no good in Oregon.
Good job Blazers and Ducks...you have prevented over half of your fanbase from ever seeing you again.
Posted 29 March 2011 - 06:43 PM
i still think D should file a complaint, why would C want to negoiate now. Let the FCC rule and set a fair price. everyday that goes buy c wins
i wish someone know a directv exec and could ask info on the status
Posted 29 March 2011 - 06:56 PM
ii told her not to give me the usual csr crap.
i want a real true answer and a status.
Posted 29 March 2011 - 07:31 PM
la24philly .... can you please take an extra 30 seconds when posting and type full words and check your spelling.... I am not even asking for you to check/correct your grammar .... it would really make it easier for the rest of us to follow your train of thought ...thank you
Posted 29 March 2011 - 07:50 PM
Posted 29 March 2011 - 08:18 PM
Posted 29 March 2011 - 10:44 PM
Hey now.....or give a rat's acss.
Posted 30 March 2011 - 08:02 AM
Posted 30 March 2011 - 08:38 AM
Posted 30 March 2011 - 10:08 AM
Posted 31 March 2011 - 03:33 PM
Posted 31 March 2011 - 03:36 PM
Don't know if anyone else ever got this response.... We've all received the same copy and paste email response that doesn't give a straight answer, but today I called to order MLS Direct Kick and decided to ask the csr. Her exact answer was " We're negotiating an agreement but don't have a start date"
Maybe a good sign??????


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(06-21-2011 02:30 PM)r j 11 Wrote: You know, I hate confrontation and neg attitudes, I really do. But I must say.. I, being a new member, must admit I havnt really felt welcomed as I started trading and posting threads about a month or so ago. But wait.....Please dont get me wrong. I havnt been str8 up disrespected before but I definately didnt feel as though I was 'a part of the group' from day 1. Just being honest.. Now, I was in a very tight financial spot when I started(and still am) and tried to sell my entire collection.. -Heartbreaking already, right?- Well, as I felt comfortable enough to post threads, or pm guys w info on 'lots' I thought they might be interested in, I did feel I was being taken lightly. As a joke, if u will ----Again, NOT an issue for me now. I have since made trades and working my way into being an accepted member by the community. I am only giving this member my pov. ---- After saying that, allow me to also say, I totally understand caution toward a new member..And maybe my timing was just horrible as far as selling..but I must admit, there IS a vibe flowing thru and around the site that says, If you're not a Hi-End guy, find another site.. So, hopefully I didnt offend anyone b/c that is not my intention..So if I did, maybe you are 1 of the members that should take into account that, no matter the value of a collection, we all spent absolutely every cent we could afford on our coll b/c we all love the hobby as much as the next hobbyist. And if someone offers a deal you think is outrageous,..Dont degrade or offend the guy, let him know. I for 1 am guilty of that myself...I am not a retail store. I am not a wholesale store. I am a deal-seeker. If ever I send a PM to someone w/ a list of cards and a price, please, understand that I WILL quite possibly start out a little high. Remember, just as u dont know me, Idk you either..So to thumb ur nose @ me over 1 PM, well, is just ignorant. That said, Please guys, I love the hobby and I need to sell & trade as well, but lets not get ugly w/ each other any more! Many posts I've seen this month have been childish...If there is a member trying to steal or doing anything to hurt the hobby, pls, tell a mod, post a thread w/ the persons info(CALL HIM OUT!!) and block him. Then move on. Come on, guys, dont make me regret the great things I am saying about this site..this is AMERICA! Until someone proves theirself to be a weasel or a crook, give him the benefit of the doubt!! Dont send 1st, stay aware of suspicious actions, and trust ur gut. Ur intuition. But dont shun a good person and passionate collector only b/c he's new...Give us a chance, guys! lol Thanks and God Bless all you guys! Shout-Out Deuce!! I felt welcome & comfortable since post 1..You prolly dont have a clue what that does for a new user. Ur the best, man! (Instead of making someone out to be a fool or to embarrass someone b/c they are not familiar w/ the site or new to collecting, lets educate them and allow the hobby to grow. If you havn't the patience, reffer him to someone that does)lol Ok Im done, I have org and trade work to do!!!!
(06-21-2011 02:44 PM)deuce6000 Wrote: Thanks you too ebelvin I'm getting all kinds of love here lol.
(06-21-2011 02:50 PM)dorkypunkrockerguy Wrote: I would also like to send a shout out to deuce he made me feel welcome since Day 1 I have gotten to where I try to ignore high enders it gets on my nerves like I have money and you don't grrr I hate that


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Tiana Stitch Dress
Style # 204544
Cut from high-shine, heavy-stretch satin to perfectly contour to your body, this glamorous bebe dress is sure to make the party cut. Try it with an embellished heel and classic coat to complete the look.
- 48% acetate, 45% nylon, 7% spandex.
- Center back to hem: 25" (64 cm).
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- Padded bust.
- Invisible zipper.
- Dry clean.
- Imported.
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S.
Tiana Stitch Dress
Sexy and Classy Black Dress
I bought this black dress for my boyfriends birthday and I wanted a sexy dress to wow him.It was the perfect dress for the occassion.My bf loved the dress he kept complimenting me all night about it and couldnt stop talking about the dress even days after his birthday he was still talking about how good I looked.It is a sexy dress but its not trashy like a lot of black dresses are out there and its not too short like a mini dress that shows your butt or exposes your underwear.Its perfect plus now you can get it for like 55/ 60 dollars after the $30 percent off it applied at checkout which is a good deal.For a dress that was originally like 150 dollars you cant beat that.I got the small like I normally do .I have a red dress from bebe thats a similar material to this one and almost the same exact style so I knew it would be a form fitting dress.
March 19, 2013
Lady in red...sexxaayy!!!
This is the first red dress i've ever owned and i'm in love! Perfect for the holidays. I'm 5'1, 100lbs, 32C, 24 waist and XXS fits like a glove. I'll be matching it w/ a blk fitted blazer. The material is a pretty thick satin which helps hold everything together. Very stretchy too which makes it comfortable to wear. Go get it!
December 12, 2012
Beautiful dress
I bought this dress the other day in the store. It's a beautiful deep red (different from the picture) and is sexy but classy at the same time. I bought an xs and it fit perfectly.
November 9, 2012
Perfect fit!
I wore this dress to a wedding yesterday. I am not easily impressed but this dress not only is very sexy but classy. Seems as though every women was wearing a red dress but this one still stood out the most. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.
November 4, 2012
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