Blog dedicated to reporting on Mexican drug cartels
on the border line between the US and Mexico
.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Cartel Violence, Cash Infiltrating U.S.

Influence leads to dirty cops, murders

Reporter: Dean Staley
KRQE.com

Since 2006, Mexican drug cartels have killed 40,000 of their fellow countrymen and transformed their country into a bloody battleground.

And while the cartels have not declared open war on each other on the U.S. side of the border, they do have influence here, which often comes in the form of murders and bribing law enforcement.

“They’re trying to do everything they can to protect the movement of their drugs,” said Darren White, public safety director for the City of Albuquerque. “And if that means trying to find someone who’s willing to go dirty, then absolutely, that’s their business model. That’s how they’re successful.”

San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christesen said he’s “absolutely” concerned that cartels are targeting his deputies.

“They’re already here,” he said. “There’s three cartels working in San Juan County right now.”

In 2003, Christesen worked for the Region II Drug Task Force when officials caught a former deputy named Mike Marshall dealing drugs.

Then, in 2007, the FBI discovered traitors inside the drug task force. New Mexico State Police Officer Keith Salazar and former San Juan County Sheriff’s Deputy Levi Countryman were feeding information to a drug cartel.

“To keep the cartels safe, they told them what the task force was doing on a daily basis,” Christesen said. “Every time an informant was developed, they passed that information on. Every time a search warrant was obtained, they passed that information on.”

In essence, the cartels knew everything law enforcement was doing, he said.

All three of those men are now serving time in prison. But Christesen knows there are more crooked cops in bed with the cartels.

“If somebody sat down and researched all the federal agents and all the local … sheriffs and police departments in the western states, and looked at the amount of corruption that’s going on because of the cartels and as a result of the cartels, they’d be shocked,” the sheriff said.

White said the threat of corruption from Mexican drug cartels has existed for years among the 1,100 officers he oversees.

“It’s always something that we have to think about,” he said. “Unfortunately we’ll have a few that, for whatever reason, they don’t resist the temptation of easy money, and they cross over.”

Senior drug agents told News 13 the massive network guarding U.S. borders – including customs, border patrol, FBI, DEA, National Guard, as well as state and local police, catches just five percent of the drugs coming into the U.S.

Then there’s the violence.

In January 2008, sheriff’s deputies found a cartel member on Albuquerque’s West Mesa, shot 28 times and set on fire.

“When that man made the decision to take on the cartel, he signed his death warrant,” White said.

Christesen said cartel-related murders often don’t make headlines.

“There are hundreds and hundreds of those murders that happen in the U.S. directly linked to the cartel,” he said.

Silvia Longmire, a former U.S. Air Force investigator who now tracks cartels as an independent analyst, also agreed that cartel-related corruption and violence already exist within U.S. borders.

“There have been incidents well beyond the border – in Alabama -- of dead bodies showing up,” she said. “There was a beheading in Chandler, Arizona not that long ago. So, we are seeing examples of the drug war happening here in the United States. And again, not in just the four southwest border states.”

However, it’s difficult to determine just exactly how much cartel violence occurs in the United States. That’s because cartels often target Mexican nationals, who are afraid to go to police. Also, a high-ranking drug agent told News 13 that cartels often disguise killings so they are never linked to cartel business.

According to the drug agents and experts interviewed for this story, the only thing holding back the Mexican-style tide of violence in the U.S. is a shared understanding that an all-out turf war would be bad for business.

“If we lose this battle, we’ll be in the same boat that Mexico’s in right now,” Christesen said. “Total corruption and chaos.”

46 comments:

  1. With the tidal wave of Latinos infiltrating the S W ,USA comes the culture,lifestyle,indiference to Laws, basically the same attitude that exists in Mexico. As a result our court systems are clogged with Latino defendents ,almost all with court appointed lawyers,the state provided,food cards,medical,birthing,education,housing supplements--- are being streached to the limits. State and Fed income is down,the US economy is wounded and limping,Less Welfare, More Crime,Cal,Ariz,N.M.,Tex better grab your ass. As the US economy declines taxpayer Tolerance for the US welfare state will decline resulting in agressive attacks on the EXCESSES of the past affluence. Will this result in even more criminal activity in the Latino camp,PROBABLY.

    ReplyDelete
  2. SAN JUAN COUNTY IS IN NORTH WEST NEW MEXICO....THE FOUR CORNERS. ITS 3 CITIES ARE FARMINGTON, BLOOMFIELD AND AZTEC....I ONLY KNOW OF ONLY ONE CARTEL CONTROLING OVER THERE AND ITS SINALOA. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF STREET GANGS FOR AS SMALL AS IT IS AND THEY DEAL FOR SINALOA. VARRIO SOUTH SIDE LOCOS HP(SUR 13), BROWN PRIDE LOCOS 27, TORTILLA FLATS (PUSSIES.) EAST SIDE LOCOS 12, CHICANO PRIDE LOCOS.....MULTIPLE MORE THOSE ARE ONLY THE CHICANO GANGS

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  3. May 25, 2011 9:12 AM

    YOU ARE TRULY IGNORANT.....MANY LATINOS ARE NATIVE TO THE UNITED STATES AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN LIVING IN THESE AREAS FOR MORE THAN 300 YEARS....LEARN A LITTLE MORE BEFORE YOU SPOUT OFF!

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  4. The USA has a very good reason to help civalize Mexico,the spillover,legal or illegal of people crossing into the US might bring fewer anti-social behaviors with them,and their integration into productive lifestyles (taxpaying vs tax spending) could be rapid. Its a whole lot better to be "poor" in the US than Mexico.

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  5. Basically Americans no matter how greedy and corrupt are not going to let Mexicans come here and turn our country intot he cess pit that a lot of the areas south of the border are. They will in the end turn on the cartels.

    Within the next 5 years the tide is going to turn, like the above poster stated, Americans are getting tired of paying the bills for the poor of Mexico. Another War is about to happen and we arent going to be as leiniant as the one in 1913.

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  6. how do you feel about the Arizona law now...

    how about be here legal..or be gone ..is that ok with everbody?

    or do we just let these culeros keep on moving in...untill our country is as bad as mexico...

    do you think Canada will let us all move there ?..because we were so stupid as to lose our own country


    of course the narco shill will ardently attack my stance ...but that is ok ...he is safe inside the USA....safe and sound...and probably drawing a check..

    SECURE OUR BORDERS NOW...BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

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  7. May 25, 2011 9:12 AM

    You sir are so stupid!!! these areas that you mention are so filled with Hispanic americans who have ties to these areas going back hundreds of years.....how do you deport american citizens....especially to a place where some have never been. many Hispanic americans have never even left U.S. soil. you need to snap and get real buddy!!!

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  8. @Aleric

    You are so retarded haha. "Another War is about to happen and we arent going to be as leiniant as the one in 1913." War of 1913? Really? Go back and read a history book haha..

    ReplyDelete
  9. The article posted by Buggs ends with the standard racist Anglo Right Winger lament by concerned copper sheriff Ken Christesen...

    “If we lose this battle (in the USA), we’ll be in the same boat that Mexico’s in right now,” Christesen said. “Total corruption and chaos.”

    ...and then the first Anonymous Anglo BB reader at 9:12am chimes in with this same ol' standard, Anglo Right Winger lament once again... 'With the tidal wave of Latinos infiltrating the S W ,USA comes the culture,lifestyle,indiference to Laws, basically the same attitude that exists in Mexico.'

    We already have Anglo right winger 'total corruption and chaos' in place though. Latino 'waves' didn't and aren't secretly importing it into our sacred Anglo Saxon tribal lands over and through the Borderland Beat.

    This total corruption and indifference to law and decent order was here already and established well and hard by people with names like Ronnie, Dubya, and Dick PLUS happy faces Hillary, Nancy, and Condi. They were the ones who corrupted America USA and not the most oftentimes undocumented Latino immigrants who worked like persecuted animals in Anglo fields, construction sites, and factories to build up our Great Gated Communities (Anglo American style Society)

    Their own Anglo society indifference to law and wholesome order these American government officials, with Right Winger Anglo voter support, exported to around the world in Pentagon assassination hits and torture, business corruption and US made impoverished financial and political chaos for others.

    ...Latinos are not secretly importing such to Anglo shores. Worry not, Anglo children. Your nightmares are your own, and all the lashing out and snarling gains you NADA.

    ReplyDelete
  10. As two countries whose existences are so linked, the United States needs to accept that it has a huge investment in working with this problem effectively. Prejudice is simply wasting lives, money and time, because in the end changes have to be made for the better. You cannot treat one branch of humanity as less for a nationality or for the sake of a nation. We're hurting our own by diddling about. We're involved in damaging Mexico through corporations like Coca-Cola that work to get the politicians elected that will let them yank the land right out from under the indigenous populations. This current generation has to start changing their ways so that the next can make an effort to work toward a society that doesn't angrily exacerbate the discomforting reality it will inevitably have to face.

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  11. May 25, 2011 9:12 AM
    Idiot! you speak of the southwestern usa as if its ORIGIONAL inhabitants were white americans....just because this area is now recognized as the usa doesn't mean that the hispanics that reside in these areas aren't natives. WE DIDN'T JUMP THE BORDER THE BORDER JUMPED US!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. "War of 1913? Really? Go back and read a history book haha"

    You need to read a book and not ones put out by history revisionist. Villa started to raid across the mexican American border in 1913 up until 1916, we sent in troops and made a half hearted attempt at catching the raiders and stopping the revolution that was going on. Hence why I stated we wouldnt be as leniant this time around.

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  13. THE BIG NARCO FAMILY THAT GOT THESE COPS TO GO DIRTY WAS THE TARANGOS....IT WAS DANNY TARANGO IN FARMINGTON THAT GOT COUNTRYMAN TO TIP HIM OFF AND IN RETURN DANNY WOULD GIVE UP INFO ON HIS RIVALS......SALAZAR DIDN'T COME INTO THE PICTURE UNTIL COUNTRYMAN WAS FORCED TO RESIGN....ONCE COUNTRYMAN LEFT, HE GOT SALAZAR TO GIVE HIM TIPS AND INFO TO FLIP TO TARANGO. MARSHALL WAS ACTUALLY FRIENDS AND DEALT DRUGS FOR DANNY TARANGO.....FARMINGTON IS A VERY CORRUPTED AREA. SO MUCH CRIME GOES DOWN IN THAT AREA.....I'M GLAD I DON'T LIVE THERE ANYMORE!!!! SAN JUAN COUNTY IS THE MOST VIOLENT COUNTY IN NEW MEXICO!!!

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  14. Crime is profitable for law enforcement, and that is a big reason why neither the US or Mexico is truly committed to stamping out border crime.

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  15. as far as the problem of the cartels getting cops to go bad, I suggest establishing mandatory minimums for cops gone bad, ( minimum of 30 years) no possibility of parole , if border patrol, 30 years, + 10 more years for every 100 lbs of drugs they let cross the border. some form of this , would solve the potential problem, ( simple , effective , cheep----

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  16. Texcoco Mex said.

    'lito'brito you are full of shit. I have a strong feeling you are latino, the type of person that think you shit don't stink. You don't have to worried about culeros coming to U.S, you have them here already 100% U.S citizens. These U.S gangs not only work with the police, they also do credit card fraud, identity theft, and gun, and money smuggling back to Mexico. I read an article on the San Diego Union Tribune on line about a woman working for the Mexican Mafia. She said the San Diego P.D was working for them, when they ask her wish one, she said all of them. She was also an FBI informant. So I will say you have plenty of culeros here, all U.S citizens.

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  17. So you guys are more worried about the money being spent on food, medical, and education rather than the TRILLIONS being spent on WARS in the middle east?

    Military over spending is the real reason this country has fallen into extreme debt, not immigration.

    ReplyDelete
  18. @Anonymous May 25, 2011 10:24 AM

    Many Mexicans or Central Americans never set foot on US soil until they crossed the border illegally and yet they managed to adapt. Many US citizens in fact have been raised in Mexico and don't enter the US until they are adults and they also seem to adapt. Your argument is ridiculous.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Texcoco Mex said.

    Ardent you are my new hero.

    ReplyDelete
  20. @May 25, 2011 9:44 AM
    yea there is a lot of gang activity in the farmington area. and the problem with them is they are all family based gangs. i know that the south side locos go back atleast 4 generations....they are all conected to the cartels

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  21. @Aleric
    Wrong again!!! haha...I swear Americans have no sense of history haha...On March 9, 1916, General Villa ordered his men to attack Columbus, New Mexico for U.S. government's official recognition of the Carranza government. Then on March 15, 1916 General John J. Pershing led an expeditionary force of 4,800 men into Mexico to CAPTURE Villa not to stop the REVOLUTION. The incursion only lasted 9 months and FAILED all the objectives including FAILING to capture Villa. Like I said before and I will say it again "Go back and read a history book haha"

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  22. Texcoco Mex said.

    Aleric the Pancho Villa was a Military Expedition, not a war. The Juan Nepomuceno Cortina Goseacochea incident was a war in Texas and it was because of U.S corruption. There were many more bandits Pancho Daniel, Julio Cárdenas, Joaquin Murrieta, Juan Flores, Procopio, Tiburcio Vásquez.

    ReplyDelete
  23. the original people in the southwest were navaho and zuni,not mexicans

    ReplyDelete
  24. @4:36 EXACTLY!!!!! FREAKING RIGHT ON. they weren`t lazy,entitled minded people waiting to be handed things for basically breathing precious oxygen. I live in south Texas, have many anglo friends, and I tell them I`m not Mexican, I`m just brown skinned, like many southern America people are. Shame I can`t claim my own race.

    ReplyDelete
  25. May 25, 2011 3:02 PM
    Anonymous said...
    So you guys are more worried about the money being spent on food, medical, and education rather than the TRILLIONS being spent on WARS in the middle east?

    Military over spending is the real reason this country has fallen into extreme debt, not immigration.

    Wrong,Wrong , Wrong,
    Before our Current President took office our National debt was 598 Billion Dollars, with in 2 years it hit 12 Trillion and today we sit at 14 Trillion.
    This is all public record released by our own Government, so don't make up lies, and about those trillions we spent on Wars, sorry we have not even spent 1 trillion on both of those wars , combined as of yet, we are sitting on around 800 Billion thus far.

    We are Trillions in debt right now because the Left wingers in the USA own all the banks and all the Union and guess were all those trillions went ?, yup to Wall Street liberals,Bankers, and every Union in the USA.

    Now I know Ardent will argue my point, but he he really does not know the truth, I do because I worked for the Federal Government my entire life.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Texcoco Mex said.

    Anon May 25, 2011 4:36 PM

    If these people were in the Mexican territory before the U.S got that territory, that will make this people Mexicans right. If you read history from all the south border with Mexico you will come across a lot of latino names. All the tribes in Mexico are Mexicans because they were in Mexico, Aztec, Zapotec, Mixtecs, Olmecs, Mayas, P'urhépecha, Toltec, and the Rarámuri or Tarahumara indigenous people are Mexicans.

    The Apache, Zuni, Yaqui, Navajo, Quechan, Mohave, Kumeyaay, Chumash, Atakapan, Caddo, Coahuiltecans, Comanche, Concho, Cherokee, Jumano, Karankawa, Kickapoo, Kiowa, Tigua, Tonkawa, Waco, and Wichita indians were all in Mexican territory before U.S got this territory. The French Canadians are French Canadians why? Because at one time they used to be French.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous said...
    With the tidal wave of Latinos infiltrating the S W ,USA comes the culture,lifestyle,indiference to Laws, basically the same attitude that exists in Mexico. As a result our court systems are clogged with Latino defendents ,almost all with court appointed lawyers,the state provided,food cards,medical,birthing,education,housing supplements--- are being streached to the limits. State and Fed income is down,the US economy is wounded and limping,Less Welfare, More Crime,Cal,Ariz,N.M.,Tex better grab your ass. As the US economy declines taxpayer Tolerance for the US welfare state will decline resulting in agressive attacks on the EXCESSES of the past affluence. Will this result in even more criminal activity in the Latino camp,PROBABLY.

    May 25, 2011 9:12 AM

    Your very wrong, it's not the legal Mexican people that are causing these problems, in fact they are as upset and as worried as the rest of the USA is, it's the illegals and the gangs crossing the Border that are the problem, in fact the Mexicans that are American citizens have the right to also be protected from illegals, just like everyone else in the USA

    We, as a nation have failed to enforce our Borders, in fact no other nation on this planet has as open border as the USA has.

    If any white or Black American illegally crossed into Mexico it's a minimum of 8 years in prison, while if your an illegal and enter the USA, nothing happens to you.

    I moved to the USA over 30 years ago from Barbados and my father brought us here legally and he did it the right way, he applied for a Visa and worked his but off for years before he became a citizen, so why can't everyone else obey the laws, are Mexicans better than the rest of us Latinos ?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Texcoco Mex said.

    You know what is funny, there were more than 12 different indigenous people in what it used to be the Mexican territory. The big majority were Spanish speaking people, and if you read history from the late 1800 you will find many latino names.

    Anon 5:50 I live in south Texas, have many anglo friends, and I tell them I`m not Mexican. To bad that the real Indians who suffer are not the ones getting the money.

    ReplyDelete
  29. US might be corrupt but not as bad as mexico and not as bad as ardent says. There may be some cities in America that aren't safe to walk throught. But there are cities in mexico that its not even safe to drive a bus through!! I agree with Lito Brito for the most part. And US is generally doing a good job policing its streets. We don't need to change much. Our borders are more or less secure as far as spillover violence (don't see innocent people getting attacked), so what's the problem? Don't change our policies. Let Mx deal with Mx

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  30. mostly ridiculous right wing story, or just over the top. Did they miss the story where the Alabama murders were done by some pit bull breeding freak, and not a cartel hit squad?

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  31. TEXCOCO,WRONG, MEXICANS INVADED THE INDIAN LANDS AND CLAIMED THEM THAT DOSEN'T MAKE THOSE INDIANS MEXICANS, MEXICO HAD NO JUST CLAIM, GET IT STRAIGHT YOU SMUG DUMBASS,

    ReplyDelete
  32. @texkoko

    you are getting schooled ...and you need it... another know it all who really knows very little

    i totally agree that the legal Mexican community is probably one of the most law abiding groups around

    you sound like another ardent idiot

    ReplyDelete
  33. Texcoco Mex said.

    'lito'brito said...SECURE OUR BORDERS NOW...BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. We will see if the U.S will secure the borders like you want them too. All the people who bring the drugs here in California are U.S citizens Chicanos and White people. Securing the border will not stop the demand.

    Anon. 8:01 pm If the U.S invaded the Mexican land that doesn't make those Mexicans gringos. GET IT STRAIGHT YOU SMUG DUMBASS.

    I don't get school by two face dogs.

    ReplyDelete
  34. fact: mexico invaded Indian land, the indians were still resisting the mexican invasion when Mexico started the mexican american war,then mexico lost the war and took the money ,and signed the paper, and some idiots like tecoco have whined about it ever since

    ReplyDelete
  35. @May 25, 2011 4:36 PM

    DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO MEXICANS ARE??? MEXICANS ARE A MIX OF SPANISH AND INDIGENOUS BLOOD.....THE MEXICAN BORDER DID MOVE DUMMY!!!

    ReplyDelete
  36. @ May 26, 2011 3:58 AM
    WHAT THE HELL DID THE US DO???
    FACT: THE US WAITED UNTIL MEXICO WAS AT ITS WEAKEST AFTER THEY WON INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN TO ATTACK THEM FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL GAIN......WHICH IS NOW THE SOUTHWESTERN USA. IT WASN'T THAT THEY WANTED MONEY ITS THAT THEY WERE OUT GUNNED AND HAD NO CHANCE. THE US HAS A REPUTATION FOR KICKING PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE DOWN....AND THEN ACTING LIKE THEY ARE OH SO POWERFULL.

    ITS LIKE A MIDDLE SCHOOLER PICKING ON A KINDER GARDENER AND TAKING FROM THEM....AND THEN WALKING AROUND LIKE THEY ARE SO GREAT FOR IT!!!

    IT WAS AMERICAN GREED THAT LEAD TO MEXICO SIGNING OVER "THEIR" LAND FOR A MEASLY $18 MILLION.....AND NOW ITS AMERICAN GREED THAT IS FUELING THIS CURRENT WAR.

    ReplyDelete
  37. actually the USA didn't really have an army,about 12,000 men, Mexico had three times as many experienced soldiers, but as usual Mexicans fighting each other did lessen their ability to wage war, and Mexican generals were yapping about taking New Orleans

    the southwest indians were a separate and distinct group who were not mixed breed/mestizo/mexican,

    Navaho, Zuni, Comanche, Tejan,, as they still are today, Texas itself is named after these Tejas indios, say what you want, Mexico invaded these indian lands and were actively being opposed by the inhabitants...

    go there and ask any Indian, they are still there , they know their own history, but of course some of you hard heads wont accept it as fact, but you will just make yourself look stupid by keeping it up

    ReplyDelete
  38. @ May 26, 2011 12:18 PM

    You are missing the point!!! this was mexico before it was the usa!

    ReplyDelete
  39. @ May 25, 2011 3:08 PM

    exactly bro!!!!! I'm glad to see a sane person amongst retarded right wingers!!!

    ReplyDelete
  40. no it wasn't mexico, it was INDIAN land, mexico never had UNCONTESTED control of it,

    THE AZTEC EMPIRE WAS HUNDREDS OF MILES SOUTH, the spanish claimed it , but once again the INDIANS never conceded ownership of it, the only time they conceded was to the USA, in return for guarantees of protection from the mexicans

    once again, ASK A NAVAHO, OR ZUNI

    ReplyDelete
  41. @ May 26, 2011 3:08 PM
    navajo is not spelled navaho.....you are more than likely not from here....but yeah it was mexico territory....it was for 27 years after they gained independance from spain and it was in control of spain almost 200 years before that!!!

    ReplyDelete
  42. May 26, 2011 3:08 PM
    these native americans that you speak of other than the pueblo were nomadic and moved back and forth between chihuahua and southern colorado. they didn't have a specific region until the us put them on reservations

    ReplyDelete
  43. You're all wrong! I believe the correct term is Native Americans! :)

    ReplyDelete
  44. yes native , emphasis on NATIVE Americans , meaning they were there first

    some were nomadic,but others built permanent towns, either way they considered the area their homeland, and were actively defending it against all invaders, including Mexicans ,

    Mexicos claim to the area is spurious

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  45. peace my friends peace.

    ReplyDelete
  46. They killed Randy Sills.. Randy Sill murdered by the enemy within-Jessene Beecroft, My name is meth by Roxanne Heath, Lawmen turned bad helping drug traffickers abq Journal, The Devils True Story of Meth in New Mexico The Daily Beast, The Mexicanization of American Law Enforcement city journal, 18 NMSP officers should be sitting in prison that aren’t, This invokes our public figures, Feds are well aware of what’s been taking place out here. They won’t touch it, they don’t want the publicity or to cause further mistrust between citizens and government. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I believe they also murdered my Father.

    ReplyDelete

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