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\f0\fs24 \cf0 >> Amita: DRUG VIOLENCE ALONG\ THE U.S./MEXICO BORDER DIPPED IN\
2011 BUT THE NUMBERS ARE\ STAGGERING IN MEXICO.\
ON AVERAGE 47 PEOPLE WERE KILLED\ EACH DAY LAST YEAR, TEN BEING\
YOUTHS.\ DAVID SHIRK IS HERE TO TALK\
ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND GIVE US\ HIS ANALYSIS OF WHAT IT MEANS.\
BY HOW MUCH DID DRUG RELATED\ VIOLENCE GO DOWN ON THE\
U.S./MEXICO BORDER LAST YEAR.\ >> THE OVER ALL SHARE ON THE\
BORDER WENT FROM 50% OF DRUG\ VIOLENCE IN MEXICO IN 2010 TO\
ABOUT 44% IN 2011 WHAT WE SAW IN\ SPECIFIC PLACES LIKE TIJUANA IS\
A DROP OF ABOUT 30%.\ ABOUT A THIRD OF VIOLENCE IN\
THOSE CITIES WHICH IS HUGE GAIN\ FOR THE BORDER REGION.\
THE PROBLEM IS IN OTHER PARTS OF\ THE BORDER REGION WE SAW SOME\
INCREASES AND IN CENTRAL MEXICO\ WE SAW SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN\
VIOLENCE.\ >> Amita: WE HAVE A GRAPHIC IN\
YOUR REPORT OF DRUG RELATED\ MURDERS IN 2011 TELL US A LITTLE\
ABOUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING, AND\ WHY DID WE SEE A DECLINE IN\
VIOLENCE IN TIJUANA.\ >> THIS SHOWS HOW CONCENTRATED\
THE VIOLENCE IS IN A SMALL\ NUMBER OF MUNICIPALITIES.\
25% OF THE VIOLENCE WE SAW LAST\ YEAR IN DRUG RELATED VIOLENCE\
WAS CONCENTRATED IN JUST FIVE\ CITIES IN MEXICO.\
PLACES LIKE JUARES AND ACUPULCO\ ARE HIGHLY CONCENTRATED\
\page LOCATIONS OF VIOLENCE.\ THE VIOLENCE ON THE BORDER WENT\
DOWN QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY BECAUSE\ THE CONFLICTS OF DRUG\
TRAFFICKING DIED DOWN.\ PARTICULARLY THE CINALOA CARTEL\
APPEARED TO GAIN GROUND IN THOSE\ PLACES AND GOT BACK TO PLACES AS\
USUAL SHIPPING DRUGS TO THE\ UNITED STATES.\
WHILE THE CARTELS LONG OCCUPYING\ THOSE PLACES LOST GROUND AND HAD\
TO SEED AUTHORITY TO THE CINALUA\ CARTEL.\
THE REDUCTION IN CONFLICT OF\ THEM LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN\
VIOLENCE.\ >> IT DOESN'T MEAN AUTHORITIES\
ARE LOOKING THE OTHER WAY.\ >> THERE WERE CERTAINLY\
IMPORTANT ARRESTS IN THOSE\ PLACES AND SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN\
LAW ENFORCE.\ AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN YOU\
LOOK AT THE FLOW OF THE TKRUZ IN\ BOTH PLACES THEY REMAIN UNA\
BAITD AND WE SEE MORE DRUGS IN\ BOTH PLACES THAN EVER BEFORE.\
SO, THE SUCCESS OF LAW ENFORCE.\ HAS NOT MITIGATED THE\
CAPABILITIES OF ORGANIZED CRIME\ GROUPS OPERATING IN THOSE AREAS.\
THERE IS NO DOUBT SOME CORRUPT\ AUTHORITIES INVOLVED, POLICE\
OFFICERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS.\ AT THE END OF THE DAY THIS ARE\
REAL LAW ENFORCE.\ EFFORTS BEING DONE TO CONTROL\
ORGANIZED CRIME AND\ UNFORTUNATELY THEY'RE NOT\
ADEQUATELY SUCCESSFUL.\ >> Amita: THE DROP IN VIOLENCE\
HAS BEEN OFF SET WITH INCREASED\ VIOLENCE IN OTHER PARTS OF\
MEXICO WITH EXCEPTION OF CINALOA\ DRUG CARTELS.\
SOME OF THE DRUG CARTELS HAVE\ WEAKENED AND SPLINTERED.\
WHAT CARTEL IS RUNNING THE SHOW\ IN TIJUANA.\
\page >> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.\ WE DON'T KNOW HOW BADLY THE\
TIJUANA CARTEL, WE DON'T KNOW\ HOW WEAKENED IT IS.\
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ARRESTS.\ THE BROTHERS ARRESTED, ONE WAS\
KILLED IN THE LAST DECADE.\ THERE IS A LOT OF EVIDENCE\
SHOWING THE CINALOA CARTEL HAS\ MOVED INTO TIJUANA AND MOVING\
DRUGS.\ WE FOUND TWO TUNNELS IN\
DECEMBER.\ WE THINK THEY HAVE TAKEN OVER\
TIJUANA.\ >> Amita: YOU WRITE THE\
U.S./MEXICO ANTI- DRUG\ PARTNERSHIP REMAINS STRONG.\
WE ARE COMING OFF A YEAR OF\ REVELATIONS THAT THE U.S. BUREAU\
OF TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND\ EXPLOSIVES ALLOWED WEAPONS TO BE\
SMUGGLED INTO MEXICO WITH THE\ IDEA OF TRACKING THEM TO DRUG\
CARTEL LEADERS.\ NOW HUNDREDS OF THE WEAPONS HAVE\
BEEN LOST TRACK OF.\ WHAT EFFECT HAS THAT HAD ON THE\
U.S./MEXICO PARTNERSHIP.\ >> IT HASN'T CAUSED FRICTION IN\
THE U.S. STATES AND MEXICO, NOT\ AS MUCH AS DEMOCRATS AND\
REPUBLICANS FIGHTING OVER THIS\ ISH YOU THE U.S./MEXICO\
RELATIONSHIP HAS IMPROVED\ DRAMATICALLY SINCE THE 1980s\
WHEN THERE WAS A LOT OF TENSION\ OVER THE DRUG ISSUE.\
THERE IS A HIGHER DEGREE AND\ CONFIDENCE OF TRUST BETWEEN THE\
TWO.\ MEXICO IS EXTRADITING MORE\
CRIMINALS FROM MEXICO TO THE\ UNITED STATES THAN EVER BEFORE.\
THAT HAS HELPED WITH OTHER\ SETBACKS LIKE THE FAST AND\
FURIOUS THAT YOU MENTIONED AND\ SNAFOOS.\
>> Amita: WHAT DO YOU SEE AS\ OTHER ALL TURNS?\
\page >> AT THE END OF THE DAY THE\ BEST ANSWER TO REDUCE VIOLENCE\
IN MEXICO IS ALLOW DRUG\ TRAFFICKERS TO GET BACK TO\
BUSINESS AS USUAL.\ THAT TO ME SEEMS TO BE A CYNICAL\
OUTCOME FOR THE 50,000 WHO HAVE\ BEEN KILLED IN THE LAST FIVE\
YEARS.\ 10,000 PEOPLE.\
ALMOST TO WHAT WE SAW IN THE\ VIETNAM WAR.\
MY IDEA THE IDEA TO GET TO THE\ CON SUMS PROBLEM IS LEGALIZATION\
AS A ALTERNATIVE.\ WE HAVEN'T ASKED THAT QUESTION\
SERIOUSLY.\ MOST POLITICIANS ARE AFRAID TO\
LOOK AT LEGALIZATION.\ EVEN THOUGH THERE IS GROWING\
POLITICAL WILL IN THE UNITED\ STATES.\
CALIFORNIA AND COLORADO IS\ CREDITING IT THIS YEAR.\
WE NEED TO ASK THE QUESTION OF\ LEGALIZATION.\
>> Amita: THANK YOU, DAVID\ SHIRK, FOR SPEAKING WITH US.\
>> THANK YOU, SO MUCH.\ }