The War Inside America (John Feehery)

The New York Times had an interesting story on the front page today called “Immigration and Gang Violence Propel Crusade,” about the bubbling war between African-American gangs and Mexican gangs in Los Angeles. Apparently, members of the African-American community are asking the police to start checking on the immigration status of suspected Mexican gang members.

According to the Justice Department’s National Drug Intelligence Center report, “Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations control the transportation and wholesale distribution of most illicit drugs in every area of the country except the Northeast; their influence is increasing. Their established overland transportation routes and entrenched distribution networks enable them to supply primary and secondary drug markets throughout these regions. They have gained a greater share of the drug market by forcing African American street gangs out of midlevel drug distribution and relegating them to lower-level retail distribution.”

The fight for control of the drug trade in the United States is exacerbating tensions between African-Americans and Mexicans throughout the country. According to the Office of National Drug Control policy, many Mexican gang members are trying to blend into the local community of Mexican immigrants, from which they develop a marketing plan to distribute drugs. This is especially prevalent in the Midwest.  Read more...