[More fantastic reporting from MrSpof, especially below the fold. -- "R"R]
WASHINGTON – Federal agents have rounded up 755 suspects in a wide-ranging crackdown on a Mexican drug cartel operating inside the United States, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Wednesday.
The Justice Department said that as part of the 21-month-long investigation, DEA and other federal agents had seized $59 million in U.S. currency; 12,535 kilograms of cocaine; more than 16,000 pounds of marijuana; more than 12 pounds of methamphetamine; approximately 8 kilograms of heroin; approximately 1.3 million pills or 500 pounds of Ecstasy; approximately 120 kilograms of MDMA powder; and more than $6.5 million in other assets, including 149 vehicles, 3 aircraft, 3 maritime vessels and 169 weapons.
My presumption is that the DEA expects this will make us feel that they are being successful in their War on US Citizens. Maybe this lends credence to former Drug Czar John Water’s claim that:
“If the drug effort were failing there would be no violence,” a senior U.S. official said Wednesday. There is violence “because these guys are flailing. We’re taking these guys out. The worst thing you could do is stop now.”
via The Agitator – God Help Us If We Start “Winning” the Drug War, Too
Or maybe the drug warriors have learned nothing from Greek mythology about what happens when you cut the head off the Hydra:
- OPERATION META 1997
1,765 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - OPERATIONS RECIPROCITY & LIMELIGHT 1997
13,700 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - OPERATIONS IMPUNITY & MILLENNIUM 1999
4,800 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - OPERATIONS CONQUISTADOR & COLUMBUS 2000
1459.5 Metric Tons of Marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated
73.4 Kilograms of Hash oil seized, destroyed, or eradicated - OPERATION GREEN AIR 2000
34,000 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - OPERATION IMPUNITY II 2000 l
9,526 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - OPERATION MARQUIS 2001
23,096 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - OPERATION GREEN CLOVER 2001
320 pounds and 4100 plants of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operations Pipe Dreams And Headhunter 2003
indictment of 50 individuals and national distributors on charges of trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia - Operation Trifecta 2003
24,409 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Candy Box 2004
1,370 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Money Clip 2004
39,265 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Three Hour Tour 2005
216 lbs. of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Mallorca 2005
21,650 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Choque, Operation Denali, and Operation Falling Star 2005
37,055 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Sweet Tooth 2005
1,777 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Northern Impact 2005
2,258 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Cali Exchange 2005
518 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Imperial Emperor 2007
27,229 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Jacket Racket 2007
150 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Puma 2007
33 metric tons of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Imperial Emperor Phase II 2007
434 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Project Reckoning 2008
51,258 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Sudden Fall 2008
50 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated
48 hydroponic marijuana plants seized, destroyed, or eradicated
30 vials of hash oil seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Project Reckoning, Phase II 2008
57,243 pounds of marijuana seized, destroyed, or eradicated - Operation Albatross 2008
262 tons of hashish seized, destroyed, or eradicated
So DEA, did you get it all yet? Including today’s cartel raids, that’s a lot of seized marijuana and a ton of arrests to go with it. Surely some dent must have been made in the flow of marijuana into our country …
I know, let’s ask the class. “Excuse me, you bright faced group of 100 high school students chosen at random. Could anyone help me get a bag of marijuana?”
86 hands go up.
Well, I’m glad our current policy of marijuana prohibition thinks of the children, aren’t you? You cannot legislate human behavior and morality. You cannot arrest your way to a victory in the War against US Citizens.
Contact your elected representatives and urge them to 'Stop Arresting Marijuana Smokers'. 
Mr Spof
that was some awesome work. the hours spent collecting data over the years has obviously paid off. it truly is a shame at all the wasted money, lives, and time that has been spent on drug prohibition. all these ‘operations’ netted drugs and cash to be paraded in front of the cameras by smiling big wig cops and a token grunt in order to justify their existence! during these time periods BILLIONS were spent to interdict only millions of dollars of drugs and the flow of the drugs never slowed up 1 second over the same time period
I have had enough… no more lies, no more propaganda, no more rhetoric, no more self serving pompous ass high faluting cops
I mean look at this guy sheriff Lott he thinks he’s in Miami vice he drives a confiscated drug car. what is it ? a Porsche . He’s got a swat team busting in the doors for peoples personal stashes and an APC with the MACHINE GUN…
my God this ain’t Mexico!!!
but huda thunk it
Their thinking is based on the **assumption** that all these drugs seized results in less drugs on the street and therefore less harm being caused.
But is there *any* evidence that this assumption is valid? The drugs are replaced as soon as they’re seized, the price is driven up attracting more criminals into the market, the power-vacuum created by removing the leading cartel members lead to the murders of more than 5,500 people last year.
This policy does NOT minimize harm. Doing absolutely nothing would cause less harm than this policy! Legalization would cause the least amount of harm of all.
Constantly quoting massive drug seizures as proof that they’re winning is an illogical and counterproductive exercise.