Mexico's War on Drugs
Baja, California. Most call it a great vacation getaway and almost staying in the US since Cabo San Lucas is so Americanized. Baja is pretty much barren, dusty, with only trees or vegetation along waterways. Yet, in plain sight, a mere 200 miles from San Diego, the Mexican authorities discovered a 296 acre marijuana plantation farm that would yield 120 metric tons of weed and worth over $160,000,000 to the drug cartels there. From the air, it looked like a large black rectangle due to the black screen to diffuse light. Mexican authorities have just now noticed it, yet the plants inside indicated they are near harvest. So, it has been there in plain sight for at least many months. Now you know why Mexico greatest export is MJ.
Related to the drug war is the corruption. Mexico is cleaning house, firing 424 officials when they fail to pass a lie detector test about connections to drug cartels. Last year, they fired 3200 federal police, 10% of the force, when cartel connections are found. Even 100 members of the Attorney General's Office was arrested for fraud. The Mexican government wants all cities and towns to conduct a purge based on bad lie detector tests or other evidence.
The downside to all this is, so many police are being fired, there is a fear not enough police will be left to maintain law and order. For instance, the state of Oaxaca fired 500 policemen. This was the WHOLE force for failing lie detector tests. Ditto for the city of Torreon. Now, both are training new recruits and meanwhile, crime is skyrocketing as there are no police. Worse still is the fact with the unemployment high in Mexico and with so many being fired for fraud or cartel connections, just where do you think these trained policemen will work?
The drug cartels!