Are Drug Cartels Learning From Islamic Terrorist Groups?
- Posted on May 29, 2012 at 2:57pm by
Jason Howerton
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Hezbollah Fighters Carrying 122mm Rocket (file photo)
Mexican drug cartels appear to be taking a page right out of the terrorist playbook in realizing that the easiest way to discredit your enemies is to impersonate them.
The revelation comes after Mexican marines found a secret workshop in the northern border city of Piedras, Negras, last week – just miles from Eagle Pass, Texas – stashed with hundreds of fake military uniforms as cartels are seemingly attempting to undermine the country’s military force by carrying out false flag attacks and other crimes in the name of Mexican authorities.
It’s a tactic that has long been used by radical, militant Islamist groups in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
The ties between the cartels and violent terrorist groups like Hezbollah and al-Shabaab of Somalia are well-documented, and when put into context alongside other developing similarities between the two factions, it begs the question: are the cartels taking notes from terrorists?
Only two weeks ago, a man in an Afghan soldier’s uniform shot and killed a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan, according to an Associated Press report. The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack.
The shooting marked the 15th time in 2012 alone that Afghan soldiers or enemy combatants impersonating soldiers in military uniforms fired on foreign troops, according to a spokesman for the U.S.-led NATO coalition. Twenty have died as a result of these attacks.
And now it’s becoming even more common to see drug cartels impersonating military personnel. A favorite tactic seems to be setting up road blocks to carry out kidnappings — the victims of which are often killed. An internet search turned up only two video reports on the counterfeit uniform bust, one from KRGV, an ABC News affiliate, and another from teleSUR TV in Mexico:
However, it isn’t just the fraudulent soldiers that Mexico has to worry about. A fourth high-ranking officer was detained by Mexico’s army this week after authorities discovered possible military links to drug cartels, according to the AP.
And if you’re wondering just how far up the hierarchy the corruption reaches, consider this: one of the generals detained, Gen. Thomas Angeles Dauahare, served as assistant defense secretary of Mexico from 2006 to 2008.
U.S. soldiers are also facing this dilemma overseas as insurgents are being encouraged to legitimately join the military to assist terrorist groups or later carry out attacks. In short, both America and Mexico have to be on alert for military impersonators as well as traitors that may be among them.
Do past events reveal terror ties?
But as if that information wasn’t scary enough, consider some of the events we’ve reported on in the past.
In October, it was first reported that Iran allegedly hired a Mexican drug cartel hit-man to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. – on American soil. Obviously, with the cartels‘ ties to Hezbollah it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Iranian regime is also seemingly willing to cozy up to them given their close associations. This MSNBC report has the details:
Additionally, cartels have adopted new, more gruesome tactics that align with radical Islamic principals that may be cause for alarm.
Not previously a staple of the Mexican drug cartels, beheadings and body mutilation seemingly became commonplace for the gangs around the same time U.S. officials believe they hooked up with Hezbollah circa 2004.
Historically, beheadings have been a popular form of capital punishment under Islamic Sharia law, whether the offense is apostasy or something harder to pin down. For instance, a quick Google search will produce multiple cases in which “honor killings”resulted in beheadings in the modern era – some within the United States.
Sharia law also permits numerous forms of body mutilation like female genital mutilation and the cutting off of limbs in the case of theft. And consider that in 2010, BBC News reported that even children as young as age six were being instructed how to cut off the hands of thieves at local “weekend schools” for Muslim students in Britain.
And we can’t forget the increased use of car bombs and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device) by drug cartels. The style of attack is a favorite of Middle Eastern terror groups. Just last Thursday, cartel gunmen were suspected of detonating a car bomb outside a hotel being used as a police barracks in Nuevo Laredo, less than 4 miles from the U.S. border. There were no fatalities in the attack.
Unfortunately for America, the connections don’t stop there. In 2011, Fox News’ Adam Housley reported on the discovery of intricate drug tunnels along the U.S.-Mexico border that resemble those used by terrorist organizations to smuggle weapons throughout the Middle East:
This tunnel is a 600-yard passage linking warehouses in San Diego and Tijuana and is equipped with lighting and ventilation. (AP Photo/Alex Cossio)
Housley laid out some of his findings in a 2011 blog post on Fox News’ website:
My military and Department of Homeland Security contacts are insistent…it’s not if Hezbollah operatives have been smuggled into the U.S….but how many?
They note that drug tunnels are becoming much more sophisticated and striking similar as tunnels being used by terror organizations to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip. My contacts also say they have real concern that bombing techniques used in the Middle East to promote terror are now also being used inside Mexico, as the cartels war with each other and anyone in their way.
This comes as Mexican authorities busted a senior Hezbollah operative who employed Mexicans nationals with family ties to Lebanon to set up the network, designed to target Israel and the West, according to multiple reports. The man’s name is Jameel Nasr and he was arrested after a Mexican surveillance operation revealed that he traveled frequently to Lebanon to receive information and instructions from Hezbollah commanders and he also spent several months in Venezuela working with the terror group and Hugo Chavez’s people.
American security contacts say the Mexican operation was impressive and they are seeing some increased pressure on the cartels from Mexican authorities and thus…their friends.
The Blaze previously reported on Muslim cleric Abdullah al-Nafisi who in 2009 talked about bringing 4 lbs of anthrax “through tunnels from Mexico into the U.S.” He bragged that such an attack would kill 330,000 Americans. This clip was featured in the GBTV documentary “Rumors of War III” and YouTube still has the video posted:
After hearing those statements, keep in mind that over 180,000 illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico were caught from 2007 to 2010, according to Department of Homeland Security documents, which seems to dampen the left‘s argument that the only people coming across our border’s are hard working Mexican families in search of the American dream.
Do the media care?
When you look at the whole picture, it certainly appears that cartels are picking up some new tricks from some newfound allies. Meanwhile, as the merciless gangs continue to creep closer and closer to the U.S. border, the cartels’ ties to terrorist organizations do not appear to be of much interest to the mainstream media — a dangerous combination.
Then again, according to President Barack Obama, the U.S. border fence is “basically complete,” anyway.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Comments (35)
LameLiberals
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 4:16pmAre Drug Cartels LEARNING from Islamic Groups??
DUH
The first “HINT” of that is when the traditionally Catholic Mexican people (including the drug cartel ;members) started cutting off the heads of their enemies. Drug cartels have been around a long time and it wasn’t until Muslims started populating S. America and needing drug money to fund their agenda and infiltrated the drug cartels ….that chopped off heads on poles started popping up all over Mexico and the violence tripled. .
Report Post »Recondo
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 2:34pmWe are waiting for another terrorist attack, this time originating from people who exploited our southern borders, before we do anything about it…
We are starting to forget….(We means them, the media, the left, etc)
So sad…
Report Post »zoro51
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 2:14pmfilthy wet backss learning form murdering muslums.. MURDER IS THE SAME IN ANY CULT MURDER PERIOD! exterminate ALL WET BACK DRUG CARTELS ALL OF THEM
Report Post »123456beatriz
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 1:19pmTerrorist musleeemmmsss sadists
Report Post »KidCharlemagne
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 11:48amMeanwhile…………………………….
——————————————————–
“Afghanistan still world’s top opium supplier, despite 10 years of US-led war
Despite increased eradication efforts in Afghanistan, opium cultivation rose by 7 percent in 2011 as compared to last year, according to a new United Nations report. Production is up 61 percent.
By Tom A. Peter, Correspondent
Report Post »October 11, 2011
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2011/1011/Afghanistan-still-world-s-top-opium-supplier-despite-10-years-of-US-led-war
Mahtoska
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 10:40amAre they learning from Islamic terrorist groups? Are you serious? That’s the best question you could come up with? How’s this for a line of inquiry? How are Islamic terrorists getting into the region (Central America)? How many are there? What are the governments of the host countries doing to find and root out their presence? What are we prepared to do to stop them from getting into the US? Wait, I already have the answers…The terrorists/insurgents are essentially walking through the front door to get into the region. Don’t have a precise number on how many there are, but a dozen well trained Jihadists could train thousands of cartel soldiers. What are the host countries doing to root them out? Some really care and are doing what they can with limited resources but corruption and fear tie their hands. What are we doing to stop them from coming here? Not a damn thing! Unless we get leadership in this country that cares more for the US than it does about what the UN or other organizations say, the battle is already forfeit…There was a time when you could disappear into the mountains, live off the land, fending for yourself with God’s bounty and protecting yourself and your own by your own lights…. Now there’s nowhere left to go except to the Tree of Liberty and I suspect it is time to refresh it again….
Report Post »helioquois
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 10:35amPasserby: There is no doubt that the Taliban benefits hugely from Afghanistan’s opium trade. When the Taliban were in power, what did they do to Afghan opium farmers and traffickers? Did the trade and traffickers suffer as a consequence of the change in power? I am curious because Afghanistan has little or no other major economic activities to support any central government, whether they are ruled by Taliban or the Karzai regime we have now. In Colombia and other Latin American countries that produce cocaine, the country can survive economically without the production of coca. Thanks
Report Post »Passerby
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 11:35amYeah, the Taliban financed themselves and their government with the Opium/Heroin business. In addition to the $170,000,000 in free food, and the minesweepers, etc. we gave them right before 9/11, we also gave them $43,000,000 in cold hard cash to not grow Heroin, (in theory.) I think the story is they has so much is warehouses that they could play along with it somewhat.
The US feeds the poor of the world for free, enemy or not. Including the Kingdom of Communist Korea, who is also in the drug (and counterfeiting, and WMD sales, and terrorism, etc.) business.
Report Post »Passerby
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 11:45amYeah, Heroin has been Afghanistan’s only business for generations. Whoever runs it, Taliban or not, will be in cahoots. Assuming anyone can run it like a unified country.
Can‘t legalize Heroin where it’s at liquor stores, far too addictive. And even if we did come up with a plan that was safe, we aren’t their only market. So, Heroin is probably going to be their business for a few more generations.
Report Post »themachinist239
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 10:29amThis is what the blaze does best; connecting dots that aren’t there, making wild assertions in the form of questions, and giving you the scoop on what to fear this week. Do you really believe the cartels never practiced beheadings before 2004? There is no huge conspiracy behind Mexican drug cartels and Islamic terrorists nor is there much solid evidence suggesting this. Both groups use underground tunnels? They must be linked. They both use beheading as a form of intimidation through violence? They must be linked. Correlation does not equal causation.
“When you look at the whole picture, it certainly appears that cartels are picking up some new tricks from some newfound allies.” — No it wouldn’t. It would appear that way if I spent my time figuring out how I could link together every group of international boogeymen to fit my narrative, but most people look at facts.
Why not look at the cartels as the real threat that they pose, which results in thousands of murders and spawns criminality and corruption everywhere it touches (which is all over the US as well as Mexico/Central America)? So tired of these ignorant, baseless conspiracy theories that divert attention and cloud the real issue, which is that massive autonomous criminal faction just south of the border that is driven by our country’s appetite for drugs.
Report Post »Passerby
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 11:29amThe Taliban is a Drug Cartel. Hello?
And “solid evidence” of a ‘huge conspiracy”? What “huge conspiracy” and what would you consider “solid evidence”?
All their loyalties are based on greed and fear, it’s everyone for themselves, and money talks. And we can‘t assume things won’t always be as they are now, even they are all too moral, or disinterested, or whatever.
Report Post »Passerby
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 10:15amThe Taliban has always made their living on drugs. They’re all in the same business.
Most of them are illegal for a reason, addictive as hell, and everyone has weak moments, and lots of foolish people. Put them on sale like liquor and we’d have a hell of a lot of dying addicts on our hands.
But the good that could be done, to somehow legalize it all, and yes, it’s probably impossible, simply takes the breath away. Good would triumph over Evil on that day, brother.
Report Post »helioquois
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 10:08amAll drug organizations use revolutionary/terrorist groups and vice-versa. This enables the transit of illicit drugs unfettered by police interdiction while at the same time providing money for terror groups to sustain their operations against legitimate governments. That they should learn from each other is no surprise…the increasing violence of the cartels with professionalized protection/enforcement teams can be traced back to what they learned from their terrorist brothers…and the ability to finance terror ops and create sustainable support networks–you get the idea. The funny part is that when the terror groups win, the first thing they do, whether it be communism, Islamism, etc. is to outlaw drugs and prosecute/persecute known traffickers and users. Terrorists loathe their capitalist narco-trafficking brothers, but each are useful tools to each other so long as the ginormous amounts of money generated via drugs is so easy to obtain. My only question is: if we decriminalize drugs in the US, will the resultant defunding render the terror groups defunct? Will the previously criminal drug trafficker now become a legitimate and law abiding citizen we can be proud of in America?
Report Post »Passerby
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 10:20amThe Cartels have invested a lot of their money here. They run a lot of businesses. They would have the option of evolving into legit businessmen, like some of the rum runners, maybe run a son for President. Some might take it and some might not and do other kinds of crime. We’d then deal with them like we deal with existing organized crime. We go after the nasty violent ones and it exerts a selection pressure, where their competition defeats them. Doesn’t eliminate it, you can’t, but at least they don’t leave heads lined up alongside the roads.
Report Post »Passerby
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 9:54amGet rid of the moronic partisan politics and do it all. It’s a national security issue. Some of the people that are immoral enough to chop off the heads of women and children will be immoral enough to smuggle (and/or blackmail with) WMD too.
1. Legalize pot. Lose your partisan garbage. A big chunk of their money, and makes the evil more black and white to a large segment of the population of both countries. Can’t legaized most of the others, unless someone has some clever idea, too addictive, but with what’s at stake, and all the clever people we have, if we get rid of the politics, seems we could come up with something. Follow the money.
2. Pass the bills Gabrielle Giffords was promoting going after their money in the banking/business system before she was shot in the head by a crazy loner with a Santa Muerte altar in his back yard.
3. The military can’t act as a police force, but they can defend the border and they most certainly can stop any human coming across it with a tiny fraction of the resources we sent to Iraq and are thinking about sending to Syria and/or Iran. All the cities on the borders are now controlled by the Cartels, level them and create a buffer zone if necessary.
4. Something similar, but not so pervasive, happened with Escobar in Columbia. We solved that. They had killed and tormented so many, that we financed and trained them and they retaliated in kind, with the same indiscriminate violence.
Or, they’ll be running this country, if they are
Report Post »KidCharlemagne
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 9:39amI think this is a bunch of hooey….
The drug cartels don’t want to kill their customers in the U.S…….they want their U.S. customers to continue buying their product (same with any business such as a gas station, grocery store, etc.)…
In such case, then it would be perfectly illogical to smuggle terrorists into the U.S. (for obvious reasons)…
Why would you want to kill repeat customers who are making you rich beyond your wildest dreams?
Report Post »Passerby
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 9:56amBecause they are mad dogs and everyone is out for themselves. Someone being paid tens of millions to deliver a package across the border, or eliminate an anti-terrorist politician doesn’t care.
Report Post »KidCharlemagne
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 10:45amPasserby
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 9:56am
Because they are mad dogs and everyone is out for themselves.
====================================================
They may be mad dogs………..but they aren’t stupid…..they have spent nearly 20 years (since the passage of NAFTA) building the biggest, most successful criminal enterprises on the planet…
They‘re not gonna’ give all that up for just a week’s worth of revenue.
Report Post »DeOppressoLiber
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 9:37amMexico is a Failed State that is a more serious threat than the Middle East.
Report Post »Passerby
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 9:07amThe whole world is freaking over the 13,000 Muslims killed in Syria by the Alawites. There is talk of armed intervention, an insanely difficult thing geographically and politically. Not to mention the undisputed 50+ Chemical/Biological Weapon sites in the country. Stuff that will end civilization as we have known it, if distributed to terrorists.
But the far greater number killed in even colder blood right across our border? Our politicians, journalists and law enforcement are so terrified of these guys that no one even mentions it. Their business is being on both sides of the border. If they weren’t here too, they couldn’t do business.
The Cartels just told Mexican journalists to never mention them or die? Don’t need to do that here, they are self-censoring.
Good for the Blaze.
Report Post »joekoets
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 8:53amNooooooo we don’t need to increase border security between US and the Drug lords in Mexico. They want to make peace with us. Just ship drugs and terrorist across the border.
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 7:24amThese drug cartels will get worse until people in this country realize the proper way to eliiminate a black market good….
Report Post »Hoax And Chains
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 6:47amQuestion: What do you do with rabid animals?
Report Post »momrules
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 6:43amThis is from 2009……….Muslims in Mexico.
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/09/17/mexico-spreading-the-message-of-islam/
Report Post »momrules
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 6:35amIslam has invaded every country on the planet. Mexico is no different and where Islam is evil is.
Research Islam in Mexico. Here is just one example of their stealth jihad.
http://www.islamawareness.net/LatinAmerica/mexico1.html
Report Post »ENDTIMES2220
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 4:42amMy God’s bigger than there God. Have no fear.
Report Post »lassiegirldawn
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 3:46amThat proves it, drug cartels impersonating our CIA. Or, is it the other way around, those pesky little drug lords, that is why we leave our boarders open so they can drag their dirty little a$$ here and kill our people with all their s h i t . They will play Halloween and impersonate anyone.
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 3:19amIt’s called evil. Deceit.
Report Post »trueamerican40
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 12:54amI don’t think there is any doubt about it—terrorists have to have funds which are untraceable to their ‘homelands’. Drugs are easy and profitable.
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:42pmLearning from!? Hand- in- glove, baby!
Report Post »TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 5:24pm“Are Drug Cartels Learning From Islamic Terrorist Groups?”
It’s a plain as the noses on our faces. And it’s coming to another American town near us soon.
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