DEA: Mexican drug violence is a sign of progress, not failure

When up becomes down and peace becomes war, you know you’re talking to a prohibitionist. Today’s wacko statement comes from Michele Leonhart, acting DEA administrator since the fall of 2007.

“Our view is that the violence we have been seeing is a signpost of the success our very courageous Mexican counterparts are having,” said Michele Leonhart, acting DEA administrator. “The cartels are acting out like caged animals, because they are caged animals.”

Let’s look closer at the DEA signpost shall we?

Mexican officials attributed 6,290 murders to drug-related violence, more than double the number in 2007. Several hundred of the victims were government officials and many of their bodies were mutilated and placed where they would be found, to warn others against opposing cartel operations.

The killing of several hundred government officials, not to mention six thousand citizens doesn’t seem to be much of a victory. In the regulated marketplace, rival companies wage hostile takeovers and fortuitous mergers. When that market is illegal and the remedies of the marketplace are not allowed, the law of the jungle will prevail.

Anthony Placido, DEA assistant administrator and chief of intelligence, said there were three broad categories of violence associated with the cartels: individuals vying for power within the five main cartels, the cartels fighting each other for control of lucrative aircraft landing rights and transit points, and the cartels fighting government officials who thwart their operations.

There will most likely be an aggregation of power as at least one of the cartels will be violently “merged” with another. As well as an aggregation of bribes and the cartels that emerge will become better equipped and be more efficient. Personally, I despise cartels and the power and leverage they yield. Hopefully the murders will end soon and peace will return to the border towns, but I have no doubts that drugs will still find their way into the US. I’m also sure there will be a cartel there to manage it.

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Speaking at a press conference with DEA administrator Michelle Leonhart, Attorney General Eric Holder declared that ending medical marijuana raids  ”is now American policy.”

A reporter asked, “shortly after the inauguration there were raids on California medical marijuana dispensaries…do you expect these to continue?”, noting that the President had promised to end the raids in the campaign.

Holder responded, “What the President said during the campaign…is consistent with what we will be doing here in law enforcement.  He was my boss in the campaign….He is my boss now.  What he said in the campaign is now American policy.”

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The question appears about 25 minutes into the press conference, which was devoted to an operation against the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel.

February 25th, 2009.  Mark it as the day on your calendar when the beginning of the end of adult marijuana prohibition happened.  With federal pressure off of California and other medical marijuana states, the acceptance of cannabis will grow… like a weed!

I think I am crying…  Good night, y’all!

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WASHINGTON — The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration spent more than $123,000 to charter a private jet to fly to Bogota, Colombia, last fall instead of taking one of the agency’s 106 planes.

The DEA paid a contractor an additional $5,380 to arrange Acting Administrator Michele Leonhart’s trip last Oct. 28-30 with an outside company.

The DEA scheduled the trip as the nation was reeling from the worst economic crisis in decades and the national debt was climbing toward $10 trillion. Three weeks later, lawmakers slammed chief executive officers from three automakers for flying to Washington in private jets as Congress debated whether to bail out the auto industry.

If one of the agency’s jets isn’t available for official trips, the DEA can borrow one from another federal agency to avoid racking up unnecessary costs to taxpayers. However, [William Brown, the special agent in charge of the DEA's aviation division,] said that he didn’t consider seeking a loaner plane from another federal agency, although he said he had at least a week to schedule the flight.

Brown said the administrator couldn’t have taken a commercial flight because she and other officials who were traveling with her were under “specific” threat in Colombia at the time. He wouldn’t reveal details about the threat, saying only that it was of a “sensitive law-enforcement nature.” He added that the threat prompted him to conclude that “a government aircraft would provide a level of security not available on a commercial aircraft.”

A U.S. official in Colombia, however, said that officials there weren’t aware of any threat against Leonhart other than the general insecurity in the country due to the drug trade. The official wasn’t authorized to speak to journalists and asked to remain anonymous.

A private plane, contracted in a rush, for a Halloween week trip to Colombia?  Did anyone think to check Leonhart’s bags for any suspicious white powders?  You know, in the era of multi-billion-dollar “disappearances” of pallet-loads of $100 bills and multi-billion-dollar bailouts, $123,745 taxpayer dollars seems kinda quaint.  I like to think of Michele Leonhart’s privilege to charter a private jet rather than use one of her own 106 planes or one of the federal government’s planes or even spending the extra dough to fly commercial first class as just one young American whose entire college education could have been paid for.  (Did you know: the DEA’s budget was $2.3 billion in FY 2007?)

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Drug Enforcement Administration agents this week raided four medical marijuana shops in California, contrary to President Obama’s campaign promises to stop the raids.

The White House said it expects those kinds of raids to end once Mr. Obama nominates someone to take charge of DEA, which is still run by Bush administration holdovers.

“The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind,” White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said.

Mr. Obama is still filling key law enforcement posts. For now, DEA is run by acting Administrator Michele Leonhart, a Bush appointee.

Special Agent Sarah Pullen of the DEA’s Los Angeles office said agents raided four marijuana dispensaries about noon Tuesday. Two were in Venice and one each was in Marina Del Rey and Playa Del Ray — all in the Los Angeles area.

Agent Pullen said the four raids seized $10,000 in cash and 224 kilograms of marijuana and marijuana-laced food, such as cookies. No one was arrested, she said, but the raid is part of an ongoing investigation seeking to trace the marijuana back to its suppliers or source.

[Kris Hermes of Americans for Safe Access] said he is aware that Mr. Obama has not installed his own DEA chief but that new Attorney General “Eric Holder can still suspend these types of operations.”

The Justice Department referred questions to the White House.

via Washington Times – DEA continues pot raids Obama opposes .

Well, gee, it’s been two weeks now… having trouble finding someone to run the DEA who’s paid all their taxes, Mr. Obama?

This is the lamest cop-out since President Bush blamed Abu Ghraib torture on low-ranking reservists from West Virginia.  You are the president.  The Justice Department takes their orders from you, no matter who appointed them to the post.  I don’t care of the DEA administrator was a Bush appointee or the putrid ghost of Harry J. Anslinger risen from the grave, you can write a simple memo to Acting Administrator Michele Leonhart:

From:  POTUS

To:  Acting DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart

Re:  DEA raids on medical marijuana states

Date:  January 20, 2009

Ms. Leonhart,

Regarding the Bush Administration policy of “smash-n-grab” raids of medical marijuana providers in California and the other 12 states that have legalized the medical use of marijuana:  You will cease these actions and any planned actions immediately.

BHO

The fact that you can’t communicate such a simple order in two weeks shows how little respect you have for sick, dying, and sense-threatened Californians and the worth of your campaign promises.  How many more raids will happen in the time it takes you to replace Leonhart?  Every raid is a raid you had the power to stop and didn’t, sir.  Obama, you’re doing a heckuva job!

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Oakland, CA — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raided a medical marijuana dispensary today in South Lake Tahoe, California, in the first days of the new Obama Administration. Even though President Barack Obama had made repeated promises during his election campaign to end federal raids in medical marijuana states, many high-ranking Bush Administration officials have yet to leave office. For example, still at the helm of the DEA is acting Administrator Michele Leonhart, who has been responsible for numerous federal raids in California, following in the footsteps of her predecessor Karen Tandy. Neither Eric Holder, President Obama’s pick for U.S. Attorney General, nor a new DEA Administrator, have taken office yet.

“Whether or not this unconscionable raid on a medical marijuana provider is the fault of federal officials from the previous administration, President Obama has an opportunity to change this harmful and outdated policy,” said Caren Woodson, Director of Government Affairs for Americans for Safe Access (ASA). “We are hopeful that these are the last remnants of the Bush regime and that President Obama will quickly develop a more compassionate policy toward our most vulnerable citizens.”

Medical marijuana and an unknown amount of cash was seized during the raid today from Holistic Solutions, but no arrests were made. This first DEA raid under the new Obama Administration is another example of more than 100 raids on medical marijuana providers that have occurred in California over the past two years. While the greatest federal enforcement has occurred in California, the DEA has been active in other states as well. Federal agents raided the Washington State offices of a medical marijuana advocacy group that was supplying starter plants to hundreds of authorized patients. In Oregon, a federal grand jury was used by the DEA to obtain the medical records of several patients, an effort that was later rejected by a federal court. The DEA also went as far as to threaten New Mexico officials for planning to implement that states medical marijuana distribution program.

“I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users,” Senator Obama said in an August 2007 statement. “It’s not a good use of our resources,” he continued. This statement was followed up by Obama in other public events in the run up to the election. “President Obama must rise to the occasion by quickly correcting this problem and by keeping the promise he made to the voters of this country,” said Woodson. ASA has been working with the new Administration on changing federal law around medical marijuana, which has included providing a comprehensive set of policy recommendations.

Further information:
Comments by Obama on ending medical marijuana raids
ASA medical marijuana recommendations for incoming president Barack Obama

Another smash and grab robbery by the DEA.  ”No arrests were made.”  Apparently a heinous crime has been committed, because the federal government just seized a citizen’s money and property and ruined his business, and yet nobody is arrested.  This is thuggery made legal.  If there is a crime, then there is a criminal to arrest.  If there is no criminal, there is no crime!

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