Chicago isn’t the only place that is affected by the drug cartels, the United States are also affected by the drug cartels and drug trafficking. People serving the United States have also been affected by the drug cartels and the drug trafficking industry. The drug cartels have even started recruiting soldiers because the cartels are aware of how highly trained the U.S. military is and they know that they will get the job done better than a non military civilian because of their skills that not everyone has. A reason why the soldiers give in to being the cartels hit man is because of the amount of money that the cartels offer them. Like in the case of 22 year old Michael Apodaca who was a former first private first class at Fort Bliss, located in Texas, who was hired as a hit man for a cartel to carry out the order of assassinating a member of the Juarez cartel and a “snitch” for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). Apodaca took this offer because the amount of money that the cartel offered him was $5,000. The rationale of the cartels are that who better to hire and pay to kill than a soldier who is trained and being paid little money (Hastings, 2013).
Along with the soldiers being dragged into the drug cartel and drug trafficking industry the ICE officials are also in on the drug cartel hits and drug trafficking business. In El Paso, Texas there have been some cases where the DEA have found out that ICE officials have been involved in drug business and murders, kidnaps, assassinations contracted by drug cartels (Hastings, 2013). Texas as a whole has also been affected by the relationship the gangs there have with drug cartels. Some of the notorious gangs in Texas include: Texas Mexican Mafia, Tango Blast, Texas Syndicate, and Barrio Azteca. All of those gangs, as well as other not so notorious gangs, are known for having a relationship with the Mexican drug cartels. The gangs carry out orders from the cartels to commit kidnappings, assassinations, as well as theft but not just in Texas but also in Mexico. The relationships between the Mexican cartels and the Texas gangs are beneficial to both sides. They are beneficial to the cartels because they are extending their cartel into the United States as well as their influence. They are beneficial to the gangs because they are increasing their resources and profit with the access they have to all of the drugs they smuggle into the United States for the Mexican drug cartels. The relationships between the drug cartels and the gangs have proved to be very dangerous to the whole state (Texas Gang Threat Assessment 2012). The gangs in Texas have very close relationships with the Mexican drug cartels because it is a border state making it easy for the drug cartels to target their people. Other cities that have cartel relationships with the gangs include North Carolina and Maryland (Barkoukis, 2014). Some other cities also include Portland, Denver, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Seattle, Louisville, Memphis, Boston, Minneapolis, Dallas and many more (Howerton, 2012).
A group of activists known as the Caravan of Peace travel around the United States and speak about relatives, family, or friends who have been kidnapped and show up dead or have never been found. They do this tour around the United States to bring awareness that the drug cartels are not to blame, but the demand for drugs in the United States is to blame. They also talk about how the legalization of some drugs may possibly decrease some of the murder rates and violence rates that are caused by the drug cartels (Hirst & Olivo, 2012).
"After all, we are their biggest and most relied upon customer."
Along with the soldiers being dragged into the drug cartel and drug trafficking industry the ICE officials are also in on the drug cartel hits and drug trafficking business. In El Paso, Texas there have been some cases where the DEA have found out that ICE officials have been involved in drug business and murders, kidnaps, assassinations contracted by drug cartels (Hastings, 2013). Texas as a whole has also been affected by the relationship the gangs there have with drug cartels. Some of the notorious gangs in Texas include: Texas Mexican Mafia, Tango Blast, Texas Syndicate, and Barrio Azteca. All of those gangs, as well as other not so notorious gangs, are known for having a relationship with the Mexican drug cartels. The gangs carry out orders from the cartels to commit kidnappings, assassinations, as well as theft but not just in Texas but also in Mexico. The relationships between the Mexican cartels and the Texas gangs are beneficial to both sides. They are beneficial to the cartels because they are extending their cartel into the United States as well as their influence. They are beneficial to the gangs because they are increasing their resources and profit with the access they have to all of the drugs they smuggle into the United States for the Mexican drug cartels. The relationships between the drug cartels and the gangs have proved to be very dangerous to the whole state (Texas Gang Threat Assessment 2012). The gangs in Texas have very close relationships with the Mexican drug cartels because it is a border state making it easy for the drug cartels to target their people. Other cities that have cartel relationships with the gangs include North Carolina and Maryland (Barkoukis, 2014). Some other cities also include Portland, Denver, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Seattle, Louisville, Memphis, Boston, Minneapolis, Dallas and many more (Howerton, 2012).
A group of activists known as the Caravan of Peace travel around the United States and speak about relatives, family, or friends who have been kidnapped and show up dead or have never been found. They do this tour around the United States to bring awareness that the drug cartels are not to blame, but the demand for drugs in the United States is to blame. They also talk about how the legalization of some drugs may possibly decrease some of the murder rates and violence rates that are caused by the drug cartels (Hirst & Olivo, 2012).
"After all, we are their biggest and most relied upon customer."