What is your opinion on this alarming matter ?Drug smugglers bribing U.S. agents on Mexico border?

Question

HARLINGEN, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. Border Patrol agent Reynaldo Zuniga was arrested last month lugging a bag of cocaine up from the Rio Grande, one of a growing number of law enforcement officers accused of taking bribes from drug gangs.Former colleagues say Zuniga used to wait until agents in the south Texas town of Harlingen were distracted with paperwork, then slip down to the river and help smuggle in drugs from Mexico.

The increasing use of bribes by Mexican drug cartels to corrupt U.S. agents comes as Washington is sending $400 million to help Mexico's army-led war on the trafficking gangs, whose brutal murders have surged to unprecedented levels.

"Zuniga was a good agent and a hard worker. I can't understand why he would do this. We're supposed to be protecting our borders," said Border Patrol agent Daniel Doty, a former colleague.

Data on agents convicted of graft are not made public, but the U.S. government is probing hundreds of border corruption cases where a decade ago it saw a few dozen a year. The FBI-led Border Corruption Task Force says it is busier than ever.

"We've seen a sharp increase in investigations along the border over the past three years," said Andy Black, who oversees the San Diego task force, near the busy border crossing of San Ysidro.

"We are talking about a minority of agents but they are a very significant threat, a weak link in efforts to secure the border."

Some put the rise in bribery down to a recent tightening of border controls and a jump in hiring new agents. Smugglers can offer hundreds of thousands of dollars to get past the heavily policed border with drugs and immigrants -- much more than a border agent or sheriff makes in a year.

Gangs also often use attractive women as bait, setting a "honey trap" to entice officials.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080715/wl_nm/usa_mexico_drugs_dc

Answer 1

Americans love drugs.

Answer 2

Oh h**l, everyone has to make a living.  Some work is tougher and more risky than other jobs.  Quit your pissing and moaning and look reality in the face.

Answer 3

Money makes the world go round whether it be legally or illegally.

Answer 4

Help American Drug Addicts quit. Is the American consumer money the one who pays for all this. No demand, no offer.

Answer 5

Prison to life for that Pig

Answer 6

I think that's cool. We Canadians send A LOT of meth, ecstasy and marijuana down to the US, it's good to see the Mexicans are getting their fair share of the drug trade. Although I hear Mexican cocaine sucks.

Answer 7

As sad as the truth is arcanum70 is right,both countries governments are all about money,if they dont inforce  the law it gives the message everyone else can do what they want too. When border agents are doing their job and get put in jail ,I can see how other agents figure why bother. And that is actually what Bush and (Johnny Sutton  who works for Bush) And others in  Bilderberg planned on,they want illegals here to ruin our economy and put us closer to their new world order plan.

Answer 8

What choice do the border guards have?

If they do their job and stop the drug smugglers they are put in prison.