25 votes

US arrests Mexican drug lord 'El Mayo' and El Chapo's son in Texas

6 comments

  1. [4]
    ducc
    Link
    Question, because I legitimately don't know anything about this - does arresting drug kingpins like this help reduce distribution of drugs? I mean, I'm sure it does in the short term, but what...

    Question, because I legitimately don't know anything about this - does arresting drug kingpins like this help reduce distribution of drugs? I mean, I'm sure it does in the short term, but what about the long term? I figure the drug cartels are more of a machine, so eliminating whoever's at the top won't be effective for long. Plus I assume it's more of a demand-side issue; it's not like people are buying drugs just because they're available - they're available because people want them. But maybe I'm wrong?

    To be clear, I'm not saying this is a bad thing or a waste of resources. Obviously these guys should've been arrested - justice needs to be served - I'm just sort of wondering if it actually does anything to fix the problem. The roots of the issue, insofar as the opioid epidemic, seem to be overprescription, lack of help resources, hopelessness / homelessness, and other issues which stem from the bottom rather than the top.

    7 votes
    1. Khue
      Link Parent
      Best use of resources would be to improve material conditions and healthcare in the US. Criminalization and increased border security measures are obvious failures and only attack the symptoms not...

      Best use of resources would be to improve material conditions and healthcare in the US. Criminalization and increased border security measures are obvious failures and only attack the symptoms not the causes, ultimately wasting millions of dollars due to xenophobic propaganda. Additionally, any right wing mention of fentanyl and illegal immigration in the same stream of consciousness should be made fun of or relentlessly ridiculed because like 90% of fentanyl is from standard points of entry and/or US citizens, not undocumented migrants and illegal border crossings

      4 votes
    2. OBLIVIATER
      Link Parent
      I know nothing about the topic, I don't even watch the drug pop-dramas on Netflix. But it seems to me that the drugs will never stop until they stop making money. Drug enforcement seems to do...

      I know nothing about the topic, I don't even watch the drug pop-dramas on Netflix. But it seems to me that the drugs will never stop until they stop making money. Drug enforcement seems to do nothing but disenfranchise people further and lead to an arms race between the cartels and the government.

      What's the end game? You're never going to stop it, and we know it.

    3. JXM
      Link Parent
      In this specific case, it might not do much since the Sinaloa Cartel is extremely decentralized.

      In this specific case, it might not do much since the Sinaloa Cartel is extremely decentralized.

  2. [2]
    unkz
    Link
    So it sounds like Guzman Lopez was cooperating with the feds, but was still arrested. I wonder what they could have offered him for him to work with the feds and still serve time?

    So it sounds like Guzman Lopez was cooperating with the feds, but was still arrested. I wonder what they could have offered him for him to work with the feds and still serve time?

    1. valar
      Link Parent
      Conspiracy hat on: perhaps he wasn't and this narrative is being pushed in order to fracture the cartel?

      Conspiracy hat on: perhaps he wasn't and this narrative is being pushed in order to fracture the cartel?

      1 vote