Drug Runners Off California Coast Getting Bolder, More Dangerous

US Coast Guard, boat tow companies increasingly at risk

Drug boats making their way to the California coast from Mexico are becoming an increasing problem for the Golden State, which is looking more and more green with a dash of white due to all the marijuana and cocaine coming ashore.

Last year a US Coast Guard was killed in a clash with drug runners, the first murder of its kind since Prohibition, reports Motherboard's Brian Anderson. It's a sign of the growing boldness of drug cartels, he writes, who "are more and more technologically advanced as they shuttle drugs, immigrants, and increasingly ruthless cartel underlings further and further north."

Making the problem worse is the fact that the usual auctioning off of apprehended boats, or "pangas," is only resulting in the same vessels showing up at sea all over again with drugs and foreign nationals in tow. In response, US government now requires the seized boats to be destroyed.

Captain Eric Lamb of a company called Vessel Assist describes the sense of anxiety he feels lately when responding to a stranded boat:

"I'll be out there, no one else, just me; they can shoot me, throw me over the side, load everything in my boat and they can go anywhere they want."

Via Motherboard and Public Radio International.

What would help reduce dangerous coastal drug runners?

[twinertia]

Take away their profits, and watch the crime rates drop like a stone.

[AceLuby]

Exactly! If cupcakes made them this much money they would be selling those instead. If we address the real issue of criminals using the black market to make more money on things people want, maybe we could get somewhere. Meanwhile, the federal govt won't even acknowledge that marijuana is incorrectly labelled a schedule I drug. Chasing our tail to the tune of $50 billion a year all so the govt can swindle more money out of the sheeple who think 'drugs are bad... mmmmkay...'

[Libertyiskey]

@AceLuby Imagine the show opportunities if cupcakes were what they sold. "The Real Cupcake Wars." "Deadly Cupcakes." I see money to be made there!

[jessejaymes]

The proof of what the legalize now crowd says is in the pricing. California and other places grow far superior marijuana to what is being brought in by the cartels. But the price is far higher. Legalize and meet demand at all pricing levels and the Cartels will find other things to do. You have to understand that most of us think of a kidnapper as someone who kidnaps for great profit. Cartels will kidnap for 5 grand. Their pot is GARBAGE. But they find a market in the urban areas. The only way they make huge profit is by having a hug market. Take that away and they're done with pot smuggling. Which of course means they will turn to smuggling in Finches or whatever but still it takes the violence out of the game.

[Mogal]

Please, like it could possibly be worse than off the coast of FL during the 80s?

[whataGOVwehave]

Decriminalize and make them smuggle delicious burritos and enchiladas instead.

[DARSB]

Best idea to date!

[PuroChorizo361]

Too funny!!!: D

[PuroChorizo361]

But what kind of "burritos"?*wink wink*

[marine1]

California is broke, just think what a boost agricultural pot farms could be for wastefull spending?

[whataGOVwehave]

@marine1 much more money to blow. 9-18 billion at 7.5%-10%.

[KyleMFb]

Well if we actually declared war on drugs and not cherry pick witch drug cartels we want to help and witch ones we want to confiscate drugs from that month, that would help. We need to deploy troops to Mexico not iran we have to topple the numerous drug cartels that are literally tearing a country that we share a border with apart. Drug cartels have killed thousands of Americans the Iranians haven't. Witch one should we be talking about going to war with??? A political foe or Heavily organized drug cartels with a military that's better than most small country's...

[Keyjo]

We're talking witchcraft!?

[Tina]

Another answer would be to better arm the Coast Guard. It is ironic that one little deck gun on a ship is not enough to make the drug runners factor in mortality like a half a dozen large caliber barrels pointed at them.

[AceLuby]

You can give them battleships and it won't do anything but make the drugs more expensive, more profitable, and the cartels will still find ways to get them here and make their boatloads of money.

[Tina]

@AceLuby

And why would drugs become more expensive. Because the laws of supply and demand. The supply would be less which would drive up the cost. They would be more profitable only if you can get them to market. If they are stopped and seized then they are not reaching market and therefore no profit will be made on that shipment by those selling them. The boat in question would of course be impounded and sold which is a loss to those running drugs, cutting into those profits.

On the other hand the Coast Guard will have another boat to sell. On the other hand you stop trying then it will not be just drugs but other things like guns, slaves, and anything else they can make boatloads of money on. Of course you have something better than a little 76mm Oto Melara or the Mk38 which is nothing more than a naval version of the 25mm Bushmaster like on the Island Class cutters.

[AceLuby]

@Tina We've been trying to stop drugs from entering the market for 40 years and haven't been successful yet, what makes you think that better armed coast guards would make any difference? Sure you'd catch some more, but then it drives the price higher, but you're naive if you think we can stop drugs from entering the US. It's laughable.

As for your 'other' things they will sell. Guns are legal and can be bought at wal mart, why get those from the black market? How big is the 'slave' market in the US, especially compared to the drug market? Tiny. In fact, if they don't have drugs, what illegal product is left that they would have a big enough market like they do the drug market? There are none, which is a big reason why after prohibition many mob families either moved to hard drugs or moved to Las Vegas for a legal way to make boatloads of money.

[Tina]

@AceLuby

Stop no, but if you are driving up the prices it means that you are reducing the supply which means you are reducing the harm. Your argument about this reminds me of a old saying that perfect is the enemy of good in that because you cannot stop all of it that you should not try to midigate the damage. That is like saying that since you cannot stop a forrest fire from burning a few trees that you let it burn down the entire forrest. Yes, certain guns are legal and can be purchased at Walmart but your not going to find a M-60E at Walmart or any other fully automatic weapon. Also, last I checked they didn't sell RPG's there either.

As for slavery in the US. You must think that completely stopped with the end of the Civil War. Funny thing is that the Chinese and other groups still import them to the US. Many of them women and children as sex slaves or used for forced labor. Between 14,000 and 17,000 a year are rescued from slavery each year in the US. The New York Times has the estimate of slaves in the US at 100,000. While many come from China there are just as many who come from south of the boarder and are used to ship drugs into the US and then forced to work in any number of jobs, usually for the excuse that they are working off the cost of their passage but usually to the point where they cannot work any more.

http://abolitionmedia.org/about-us/modern-sla...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/02/opinion/02s...

[RobertJHarsh]

War on Drugs = more drugs.
War on Poverty = more poverty.
War on Illiteracy = more stupid kids, increase in the number of Democrats.
War on Terrorism = MORE TERRORISM

I see a pattern here.

[DrNickels]

I wonder how well our forces will fare against the cartels when we do away with everything but single shot rifles like ms Feinstein wants to do.

[Clarke12]

use more torpedos and just sink the ships. it will decrease the amount of drugs entering the country and create a nice environment for the fish.

[PuroChorizo361]

2 birds with one stone......Excellent idea!: D

[jessejaymes]

I like this one. Any boat found carrying narcotics is sunk on the spot. Make a nice reef in a few years.

[SavageMazx]

The idea of making drugs legal while intriguing would wreak havoc on an already addled population. Here's an idea consider drug runners terrorist and unleash holy hell on them. Put our returning soldiers to work hunting them down and arresting them. Here
California, we have problems with private citizens losing land to cartel pot growers and public land being dangerous to hike because
of the same. Hunt em down and round em up. Send em back either on a bus or in a box,make no difference to me.

[DogLady_1]

How would legalizing drugs wreak havoc? If it were legal, wouldn't it get rid of those cartels who steal from our farmers? Wouldn't taking the power and profits away from cartels make it safer for hikers? If you look at the sheer vastness of the illegal drug blackmarket, you would see that huntingthem down and killing them all would be impossible... Everytime you get rid of one, another pops up to take his place. If the drug could be won using those tactics, don't you think it would have already been done in the 40+ years we've been using those tactics? But no, drug use and supply has not diminished one iota in 40+ years of trying to round them up and destroy them. Not every social ill can be solved by violence, war, and increasingly tougher laws. If that were the case, we should have been 100% drug free by now.

[SavageMazx]

@DogLady_1 ever worked with addicts, ever seen what crack or meth or cocaine does to people? Ya that's a great idea, legalize something as highly addictive as meth, it's not bad enough our rehab clinics are full of people now making it hard for some one to get a bed....but on the other hand, it could open a increase market sector in the private industry. It's bad enough that we have to have AA, NA and GA can you imagine what it would be like if we legalize drugs? How would that affect the construction industry? I already can't higher people even if they have a medical marijuana card as my insurance company requires I maintain a drug free work place. I would not be able to do any federal work. The ramifications go way beyond just you being able smoke pot on the weekends. This is symptomatic of the current liberal state of mind here though...we have a drug problem so let's legalize it....it's the easiest way out. Typical .

[Zazziness]

@SavageMazx If you've worked with addicts, then you know Prohibition has done nothing to prevent addiction happening. Worried about the bad effects of drugs on people and their families? Then take into consideration how jail affects a person and his family. The health risks and destruction of opportunity and spirit is horrendous.

[Zazziness]

@SavageMazx "can you imagine what it would be like if we legalize drugs..."
Yes, because one of the most potent and damaging drugs, alcohol, is already legal. You'll notice that does not mean you are allowed to drive or work drunk, or that society will tolerate you being slovenly at parties.

[SavageMazx]

@Zazziness so you would rather enable the punish bad behavior? I agree with the idea the Prohibition did nothing to stop alcoholism. And you will notice I didn't advocate the imprisoning of users. They need help. It's those like the cartels that choose to break the laws on distribution that should be punished. I have no problem with Johnny down the street growing a plant or two in his back yard for personal consumption. That will never be stopped and overall I have no issues with marijuana. You show up under the influence for work, I fire you plain and simple.

[Fishbone345]

If our Navy wasn't spread so thin across the globe, this wouldn't be an issue.
Drug boat vs. Naval Warship. I'd bet on the latter every time.
But, no lets keep spreading our military across the globe, that's working so well for us.

[AceLuby]

You could have 100 naval warships and it wouldn't make a dent in the drug war. In fact, it would simply make the drugs that are made here or smuggled in through other means more expensive and more profitable. As long as there are huge profits to be made someone will step in to make them, so it really is a question of who you want controlling the market, gangs and cartels, or businessmen.

[Fishbone345]

@AceLuby I think the War on Drugs is a sham at best. You will receive no argument from me on that. Police pinch a kid with trace amount in his car and it gets plastered all over the news and COPS as a victory. Meanwhile cartels have slave labor, parade decapitated heads around a town square and kill any officials that resist them and somehow we are supposedly winning this sham war.
My comment was aimed at the ships getting in the country. Our waters are pitifully patrolled and the people who are supposed to defend our borders cannot due to being all over the globe. My concern isn't the War on Drugs, but terrorists or other war factions simply strolling into our country virtually unobstructed. This is a serious concern an we've been lucky so far. We need to bring our defenders back home, where they belong.
You are right, as long as there is profit, we cannot win the War on Drugs.

[SomethinsFishy]

DeCriminalize Drugs NOW. Take the profit motive out of these thugs' organizations. You will also wind up REDUCING FIREARMS VIOLENCE as a welcome byproduct. With that money saved we can devote more money for prevention programs, triage and treatment for the drug-addicted, etc. You don't see Mafiosi on street corners trying to sell kids bootleg booze after the Prohibition came to an end, right? Or you don't see them gunning each other down in places like Chicago over turf disputes, do you? Only the present inner-city gangs are doing this over their drug-dealing turf. End the charade. Reduce corruption significantly. Reduce firearms violence tremendously.
Acquire new funds to devote more money for prevention, triage and treatment programs of addicts AND to treat, commit and STUDY the violently mentally ill to prevent future isolated tragedies. It's WIN-WIN all around.

[Real4WheelDrv]

No, you don't see Mafiosi doing that, you see individual thugs and street gangs, some of which have nationwide or international influence, doing that.

[SomethinsFishy]

@Real4WheelDrv Huh? You DO see Mafiosi selling bootleg booze on street corners and gunning each other down in inner cities for their share of the bootleg booze business? Please, please, please, let the news media know about this! ROTFLMAO. Thanks for the great big laugh.

[Real4WheelDrv]

@SomethinsFishy Doesn't have to be alcohol you know, could be *gasp* drugs, prostitution, you know, all the OTHER things the Mafia was in to

[Real4WheelDrv]

and if you had BOTHERED to read what I wrote, I said the Mafia has been replaced by street gangs doing the exact same thing. And that INCLUDES killing each other for turf.

[HungryJoe87111]

@Real4WheelDrv You just don't get it. If drugs are de-criminalized people won't be battling with each other for turf. There's been prostitution FOREVER EVERYWHERE, and people don't have shootouts over competing stables/girls. Prostitution is SOMETHING ELSE we should de-criminalize, just like in Germany. The Germans don't have the crime we do, and they don't have shootouts over drugs or prostitutes. You are just NOT getting it. Anytime you make ANYTHING ILLEGAL for which there is considerable demand, you will have criminals getting involved. The trick is NOT TO MAKE EVERYTHING ILLEGAL as we have the tendency to do and concentrate the money we waste arresting people and locking them up (TENS OF THOUSANDS PER YEAR FOR A SINGLE PERSON) and instead use the money for preventive programs, job training, treatment for addicts, DO YOU GET IT NOW? I'm not going to reply to any more of your pointless posts. I DID READ WHAT YOU WROTE, AND IT IS UNRESPONSIVE TO WHAT I WROTE. When was the last time you heard of a shoot out over prostitute turf? And again, in LOTS OF WESTERN COUNTRIES, it is perfectly LEGAL. It's our idiotic and hypocritical authorities (like that NY District Attorney that was so hard on prostitution while he himself patronized them) that complicate things. We need to pay attention to a lot of what Europe does. A lot of it actually works. Our system doesn't. End of transmission. Bye-bye. Go argue with someone else.

[stepped_in_it]

We would "back" one countries sovereignty if another country was "attacking" them to the point of going to "war" over that intrusion of sovereignty! Yet, our sovereignty is being attacked daily by this "foe". Though not officially backed by the Mexican government, it is allowed to exist by intimidation and bribery! It is not only allowed to "attack" us, but, attack that government's own citizenry! Isn't it time to tell the Mexican government that you stop the intrusions or we will?

[Zazziness]

a) We are trying to stop the intrusions
b) No, I don't think it's a good idea to threaten war with Mexico

[stepped_in_it]

@Zazziness I agree....but throwing them just barely over the border in body bags with no questions asked would be a good start! I'm not talking about illegal's, here to work, but drug runners/smugglers!

[Zazziness]

@stepped_in_it I'm very much in favor of the rule of law but when it comes to the cartels, it is tempting to agree with you. But I really think legalizing is a better bet. It's a darn shame we've waited so long to do so because we've pumped billions of dollars into their hands while we delayed the inevitable.

[stepped_in_it]

@Zazziness My only reply is that, with our current thinking processes, we are way too many years from legalization.....and we (America) have to stop policing other borders while allowing our southern neighbors to intrude on ours.

[Zazziness]

@stepped_in_it I'm not sure how far we are from it. At the federal level, neither Democrats or Republicans have paid much attention to the Will of the People on the matter, which clearly says we have better things to spend money and manpower on. But there's the prison complex industry which likes the way things are, and some of law enforcement. And considering how ruthless the cartels are and how much money they have, who knows how many of our politicians are in their pocket through coercion or graft? I like to think few, if any, but history hints I'm probably wrong about that.

[DogLady_1]

If you want to take the cartels' power away, legalize drugs. If you want gang violence to go away, legalize drugs. If you want addicts to be more open to getting help, legalize drugs. If you want alot fewer corrupt cops and politicians, legalize drugs. If you want to cut the federal budget by $40+ billion a year, legalize drugs. If you want to cut state budgets by $15+ billion a year, legalize drugs. If you want to solve jail overcrowding, legalize drugs. If you want to find a viable cash crop that creates sustainable jobs, legalize drugs. If you want our young adults to stop smoking poisonous herbs and mixing dangerous chemicals in their homes, legalize drugs. If you want to keep drugs out of the hands of children, legalize drugs.

[Keyjo]

Well, thanks. Now that you have written this, you have saved me the effort. I couldn't agree more.
I might add, that by legalizing these recreational drugs, we could also regulate and tax them, just like with tobacco and alcohol. Not only could we save money, we could add to our tax base, the funds saved and added could easily finance public health Carr, including rehabilitation efforts for people seeking to quit. Also, regulation would assure the quality and potency, thus cutting down on overdosing and poisoning.
Good comments Dog Lady.

[stepped_in_it]

I agree......but only somewhat. Legalize ALL drugs?

[DogLady_1]

@stepped_in_it - whatever drug you decide to keep illegal will keep the cartels in power... for instance, heroin trafficking brings in $3 billion a year in profits. That is plenty enough to continue the violence, blackmarkets, turf wars, etc. Making all drugs legal allows states to decide how they will be sold, and can better control the accessibility to minors. Drug merchants won't wnat to sell to kids because they would lose their business, just like they do now for selling tobacco and alcohol to minors. Sure, some kids still get it, but the number is manageable... and if you ask kids which is easier to get, they will tell you drugs are. And if a speed freak wants to get high, they won't have to make crack in their kitchens causing the entire neighborhood to be polluted. They can just go get something that was made by a licensed American manufacturer who pays taxes. Remember, Anheuser Busch is a drug maker and a drug dealer.... a legal one... and they aren't killing kids in the streets or forming gangs.

[NormalFlora]

Excellent post. We should have our world-class agrarian scientists create several varieties of mind-numbing pot, get the Saudis hooked on it, then tell the Saudis that they get ONE OUNCE per barrel of oil.

[DogLady_1]

@NormalFlora - Oh that sounds like a novel idea! Trading goods... If only our gov't would consider such a concept...*grin*

[tomincali]

we need to get harsh on smugglers,take off the kid gloves. our gov needs to see these folks as they are and deal with them accordingly. looking at their actions in mexico shows they are terrorists,their drugs are weapons of mass destruction.

these folks have caused more death and problems than those we are after with the war on terror.every crime done in our country that has illegal drugs involved points right back to where the drugs came from and who brought them.

[AceLuby]

They are doing it because it makes them a bunch of money. THAT'S the problem, not the drugs. They would do this with anything that would make them that much money. Increasing enforcement will simply drive the price up and create even more incentive for anyone currently making profit to double their efforts.

[tomincali]

@AceLuby we have yet to get extreme on the enforcement and it looks to me like our own gov is cashing in on the drug trades. when tons of dope get smuggled into the country that shows tons of other things can as well.

then we do not even rotate those working the border stations making it easy for the cartels to pull the silver or lead thing.

[AceLuby]

@tomincali All those things will drive the prices higher and the profit margins higher. This makes the business more lucrative, a few more mules in jail or dead isn't going to stop it completely. These suggestions would make the situation worse.

The drug war has failed.

[Zazziness]

When the government bans products that are in high demand by the population, the same things *always* happens: the price is artificially-inflated and organized crime steps in to fill the demand. Welcome to an unchecked, unregulated true free market.(It isn't pretty, is it?) We've poured billions of dollars and decades of manpower into a bucket with no bottom in it. Time to try a new approach.

[DogLady_1]

"Drugs are a tragedy for addicts. But criminalizing their use converts that tragedy into a disaster for society, for users and non-users alike. Our experience with the prohibition of drugs is a replay of our experience with the prohibition of alcoholic beverages." -- Milton Friedman

[Zazziness]

@DogLady_1 Yup. If we hadn't tried Prohibition, I might be for it. But only a fool pounds his head against a brick wall for sixty years and when it gets no good results decides "I think I'll try another sixty years and see if things change."

[PuroChorizo361]

I like your "Zazziness"! ; )

[tomincali]

make everything legal and the cartels will set up legal operations here,thing is look to mexico and see how the deal with their competitors . oru gov really does not do much to stop or even slow any of these things down.

also sending our guys and our money into drug countries as if trying to stop it at the source was a failure from the gate.all those funds needed to stay here as did the people.

[AceLuby]

@tomincali If they want to set up legal operations, let them if they want to. Why would you think that legal business owners would be able to get away with the same things that illegal cartels get away with? Do you have any evidence of something like that happening in the US?

[woodtick57]

Like i have said many times about closing the border in an attempt to cure a symptom of our immigration problem, they will just use boats and go up the coasts...

[Keyjo]

What a waste, destroying all those captured boats. Rather than destroying them all, why not give one to me?

[MadAmerican]

How about shooting them at sea when drugs are found on board? To me that is an excellent deterent. Since they are killing our citizens make it a true War and kill em all.

[Malitia_Man]

Just another reason why we as citizens need to be armed with high capacity semi-automatic rifles!!! Oh, I forgot!! Our government likes to arm DANGEROUS cartels, while disarming its citizens!!!

[stephen]

fight fire with fire. if the kill a coast guard member. send a tomahawk missle to the drug loards house. and blow it up. if the drug lord is home . o well.