Infiltrated: Drug cartels’ sway on U.S. politics rises, expert says
EL PASO — Mexican drug cartels are helping elect and influence politicians in U.S. communities to advance their criminal activities, an expert on international gangs alleged.
Richard Valdemar, a retired California law enforcement officer, said authorities in California gathered intelligence showing that the cartels are corrupting American politicians to gain a foothold in the Southwestern United States.
Previous investigations showed that the Carrillo Fuentes, Arellano Felix and Sinaloan drug cartels targeted Southern California cities including South Gate, Hawaiian Gardens and Bell Gardens.
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Ramon Montijo, a former Los Angeles Police Department investigator, worked with Valdemar and is familiar with the California investigations. He is also a former police chief of Bernalillo, N.M., and Greenfield and El Centro in California.
“What happened in Southern California can easily (happen) in El Paso because of its close ties to Jurez,” said Montijo, …
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RTWT