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Campfire Kahuna
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Poor Mario whistle

GTC


Underage Mexican drug mules are in for a shock in one Arizona county

Mario Nieblas shuffled into the courtroom in ankle chains and mismatched jail scrubs: green-and-white pants worn by juvenile inmates, red-and-white top worn by adults.

He was arrested on suspicion of smuggling nearly 90 pounds of marijuana from his native Mexico in March and turned 17 in a holding cell.

Now he was in court trying to avoid being sent to an adult prison.

"Mario will be housed and that's it," his lawyer, Xochitl Orozco, told the judge. "They are giving up on this individual before he started."

The prosecution is part of a new strategy by Cochise County to deter drug cartels from their longtime practice of using children as drug mules.

Since they launched the effort — known as Operation Immediate Consequences — last May, county prosecutors have charged 51 juveniles as adults with drug trafficking, offering them 18 months in an adult prison in exchange for a guilty plea. The youngest was 14.

All but Nieblas and one other accepted the deal, at least in some cases without legal representation.

Not long ago, underage drug mules caught by federal authorities were rarely prosecuted in Cochise County. Prosecutors stopped accepting such cases in 1973 under the premise that the county did not have the resources to handle them. The same was — and still is — true in other Arizona counties.

Not surprising, that made children ideal drug mules.

It was a crime with few consequences. The U.S. Border Patrol would confiscate the drugs and send the teens back to Mexico — only to see them again weeks or even days later.

The new policy has been a shock to the teenagers who get caught, according to Cochise County Atty. Brian McIntyre.

"Just turn me loose, get it over with," he said they tell the border agents, who then deliver the bad news: They are being turned over to the county sheriff's office for prosecution.

"Then, frankly, the tears start coming," McIntyre said.

Charging them as adults ensures that the county can detain them. Juveniles charged with drug trafficking are often put on probation and released.

County authorities would not say how many of the underage suspects were provided with public defenders.

Nieblas originally accepted the county's plea bargain offer — without the benefit of a lawyer.

He acknowledged using a seat belt to rappel over the border wall from Agua Prieta, Mexico, into a remote corner of Douglas, Ariz., with another young smuggler. From there, he said, he ran to help collect two burlap bags of marijuana that had been hurled over the wall. The plan was to deliver them to a waiting car.

But after he was assigned an attorney, Nieblas rescinded his plea and decided to fight to have the case sent to a juvenile court.

If he loses that bid, he could be sentenced to as many as three years in adult prison — double the sentence in the plea agreement.

If the judge sends the case to juvenile court, Nieblas would have the opportunity to learn English, take high school courses and possibly be allowed to live in the U.S. someday.

In court on Thursday, his attorney said Nieblas' rights had been violated in the initial plea deal. "They are taking this boy, treating him as an adult, having him sign papers without a lawyer present when he is an underage, unsophisticated Mexican citizen," Orozco told the judge.

She went on to argue that Nieblas did not understand the consequences of his lawbreaking and deserved a chance at rehabilitation in the juvenile system.

In Agua Prieta, he worked at a factory making timing belts for vehicles for $47 a week — earnings that helped support his mother and her nine other children. The drug run paid $400.

"When it takes an entire week just to earn $47, $400 is a much different consideration for someone whose brain is not fully developed yet," Orozco argued.

Thomas Bennett, an assistant county attorney, said that if Nieblas had been addicted to drugs or alcohol or had some other treatable condition, the case could be handled in the juvenile system.

But the system, Bennett argued, has nothing to offer for Nieblas' condition.

"He's poor," Bennett said. "He's desperate."

Nieblas, a middle-school dropout with acne-pocked cheeks, hunched in his chair as an interpreter explained the proceedings to him.

Superior Court Judge Wallace Hoggatt said he would deliver a written opinion soon.

The courtroom gallery was packed with 30 Arizona high school students there on a field trip. The judge wanted them to witness the proceedings, if only to understand the consequences of running drugs.

Some of the students contended that Nieblas was old enough to understand the consequences of his actions, even as they expressed sympathy for him.

"He was trying to help his family out," said Kimberly Collazo, 16. "But honestly, a lot of us are more intelligent than people want to classify us as. We know what we're doing, even at a young age."

"The fact that he's a minor and he's not documented as a U.S. citizen, he won't be educated," said Jalia Wilson, 17. "All he's going to know is jail life."

Ethan Robbins, 18, said prosecuting Nieblas as an adult was overkill.

"It's obvious the person involved in this case is in a bad situation to start off with and made a bad decision," he said. "If he went to a juvenile court, he'd still get the punishment he deserves.

"If he was about to turn 18, it'd be one thing. But he just turned 17 in jail."

Although the vast majority of juveniles charged under the new program are Mexican, that is not always the case. In February, prosecutors charged two star players on a local high school baseball team. That prompted angry calls from parents, McIntyre said.

Both cases are pending, as neither boy has entered a plea.

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We've got to start somewhere!


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What 'Rights' has he been denied????


"...A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box and the cartridge box..." Frederick Douglass, 1867

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Set one out of every 100 or so free[throw em back over the wall] after they have seen what is being done. wink


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The war on drugs is not working.


"There's more to optics than meets the eye."--anon

"...most of us would be better off losing half a pound around the waist than half a pound on our rifle."--dhg

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Originally Posted by muffin
What 'Rights' has he been denied????


You'd have to actually see and here some of these RAZA activists to BELIEVE that any group of people could be that screwed up.

Maybe old Raul Grijalva and Deputy Gallego will ride in and save the day.

GTC


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So who pays for this? I'm okay with it but it's going to cost a lot of money. I'm all for sending a few back with some cautionary tales for those in prison as a test.


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Originally Posted by pal
The war on drugs is not working.


Oh yes, it is. It is doing EXACTLY what it was designed to do: grow .gov; create an underclass of "subjects"; and, enrich vested interests.

Every year the arrests and convictions for drug offenses and related offenses are used to justify more .gov spending on .gov programs aimed to "combat illegal drugs". That's BS; those programs exist only to enlarge .gov and give it more authority over the lives of the people. If they wanted to "combat illegal drugs", declare war on the Cartels, spray the fields growing this schit with herbicides, and kill the Cartelistas. That doesn't happen.

What does happen is further criminalization of possession or use, with ever increasing penalties, leading to increased convictions and those convicted now stripped of their rights. This creates a perpetual underclass that just feeds into the "catch and release" .gov programs to justify additional spending (positive feedback loop). This underclass is easily demonized as "criminals" and "druggies", and will never be allowed a full suite of rights again (so, forget about them ever being a true threat to .gov). Of course, the elite and their children are exempt from this system (witness Joe Biden's son, or JFK, Jr., or the myriad Hollyweird types that go in and out of rehab, but never get convicted even when caught).

Of course, then you have the vested interests making money at every turn. Why convict or plea Mexican teens in an adult prison? Because those prisons are privately run by for-profit corporations with very influential investors, and they have a contractual agreement with the states and feds for a minimum "occupancy rate"; i.e., the .gov has to keep at least a minimum number of people incarcerated by contract with these companies in order to guarantee their profits or pay a penalty. Add in all those companies that build those prisons, and that supply the materials to the every increasing .gov "war on drugs" presence (gear, guns, cars, trucks, helos, high tech stuff, training, etc.). All of those companies have investors and need to return a profit every quarter, and every one of them is located in some politicians district (jobs mean votes, and being "tough on crime/drugs" is a easy sell). Then, of course, there is the black market investing. If folks don't think there is serious U.S. and .gov money tied up in the Cartels and getting kickbacks from their business (otherwise known as a dividend, or profit sharing), they are delusional.

So, no, the "war on drugs" is working. It's doing exactly what it was designed to do all along. We just as a people haven't seen through the BS cover of "why" it exists to get to the truth of the matter. Yet.


Originally Posted by Mannlicher
America needs to understand that our troops are not 'disposable'. Each represents a family; Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Cousins, Uncles, Aunts... Our Citizens are our most valuable treasure; we waste far too many.
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Wonderful synopsis / analysis.

A 10 X

GTC


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Originally Posted by 4ager
Originally Posted by pal
The war on drugs is not working.


Oh yes, it is. It is doing EXACTLY what it was designed to do: grow .gov; create an underclass of "subjects"; and, enrich vested interests.

Every year the arrests and convictions for drug offenses and related offenses are used to justify more .gov spending on .gov programs aimed to "combat illegal drugs". That's BS; those programs exist only to enlarge .gov and give it more authority over the lives of the people. If they wanted to "combat illegal drugs", declare war on the Cartels, spray the fields growing this schit with herbicides, and kill the Cartelistas. That doesn't happen.

What does happen is further criminalization of possession or use, with ever increasing penalties, leading to increased convictions and those convicted now stripped of their rights. This creates a perpetual underclass that just feeds into the "catch and release" .gov programs to justify additional spending (positive feedback loop). This underclass is easily demonized as "criminals" and "druggies", and will never be allowed a full suite of rights again (so, forget about them ever being a true threat to .gov). Of course, the elite and their children are exempt from this system (witness Joe Biden's son, or JFK, Jr., or the myriad Hollyweird types that go in and out of rehab, but never get convicted even when caught).

Of course, then you have the vested interests making money at every turn. Why convict or plea Mexican teens in an adult prison? Because those prisons are privately run by for-profit corporations with very influential investors, and they have a contractual agreement with the states and feds for a minimum "occupancy rate"; i.e., the .gov has to keep at least a minimum number of people incarcerated by contract with these companies in order to guarantee their profits or pay a penalty. Add in all those companies that build those prisons, and that supply the materials to the every increasing .gov "war on drugs" presence (gear, guns, cars, trucks, helos, high tech stuff, training, etc.). All of those companies have investors and need to return a profit every quarter, and every one of them is located in some politicians district (jobs mean votes, and being "tough on crime/drugs" is a easy sell). Then, of course, there is the black market investing. If folks don't think there is serious U.S. and .gov money tied up in the Cartels and getting kickbacks from their business (otherwise known as a dividend, or profit sharing), they are delusional.

So, no, the "war on drugs" is working. It's doing exactly what it was designed to do all along. We just as a people haven't seen through the BS cover of "why" it exists to get to the truth of the matter. Yet.



Whooomph, there it is.

Or, "How much justice can you afford, Mr. Jones?"


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Send 'em to prison for a month, let them become Tyron's girlfriend for a month and then let 'em go. They probably won't come back and the word will spread pretty quickly about what happens to "boys" in an American prison!


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Russianize anyone who crosses illegally....


We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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40 MM on their goddam rides.

GTC


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It ain't the [bleep] drugs miles that ought to be the targets. They are less than pawns.


Originally Posted by Mannlicher
America needs to understand that our troops are not 'disposable'. Each represents a family; Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Cousins, Uncles, Aunts... Our Citizens are our most valuable treasure; we waste far too many.
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i'm thinking if they called it "Operation Ass-Rape Illegals" it would be more of a deterrent.


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Fugg Cruz.

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Originally Posted by 4ager
Originally Posted by pal
The war on drugs is not working.


Oh yes, it is. It is doing EXACTLY what it was designed to do: grow .gov; create an underclass of "subjects"; and, enrich vested interests.

Every year the arrests and convictions for drug offenses and related offenses are used to justify more .gov spending on .gov programs aimed to "combat illegal drugs". That's BS; those programs exist only to enlarge .gov and give it more authority over the lives of the people. If they wanted to "combat illegal drugs", declare war on the Cartels, spray the fields growing this schit with herbicides, and kill the Cartelistas. That doesn't happen.

What does happen is further criminalization of possession or use, with ever increasing penalties, leading to increased convictions and those convicted now stripped of their rights. This creates a perpetual underclass that just feeds into the "catch and release" .gov programs to justify additional spending (positive feedback loop). This underclass is easily demonized as "criminals" and "druggies", and will never be allowed a full suite of rights again (so, forget about them ever being a true threat to .gov). Of course, the elite and their children are exempt from this system (witness Joe Biden's son, or JFK, Jr., or the myriad Hollyweird types that go in and out of rehab, but never get convicted even when caught).

Of course, then you have the vested interests making money at every turn. Why convict or plea Mexican teens in an adult prison? Because those prisons are privately run by for-profit corporations with very influential investors, and they have a contractual agreement with the states and feds for a minimum "occupancy rate"; i.e., the .gov has to keep at least a minimum number of people incarcerated by contract with these companies in order to guarantee their profits or pay a penalty. Add in all those companies that build those prisons, and that supply the materials to the every increasing .gov "war on drugs" presence (gear, guns, cars, trucks, helos, high tech stuff, training, etc.). All of those companies have investors and need to return a profit every quarter, and every one of them is located in some politicians district (jobs mean votes, and being "tough on crime/drugs" is a easy sell). Then, of course, there is the black market investing. If folks don't think there is serious U.S. and .gov money tied up in the Cartels and getting kickbacks from their business (otherwise known as a dividend, or profit sharing), they are delusional.

So, no, the "war on drugs" is working. It's doing exactly what it was designed to do all along. We just as a people haven't seen through the BS cover of "why" it exists to get to the truth of the matter. Yet.


Excellent, and would probably be enough moneys to go around without the huge amounts (billions) of hidden cash, filling pockets, and greasing palms from the illegal side of this so called war on drugs.

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Concerning the "War on Drugs" - the US gov is acting like it's a minor skirmish with the JV team.
We need to get serious - across the board.


I've always been a curmudgeon - now I'm an old curmudgeon.
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They can charge them as they like, but I'm not seeing how a 14er of any nationality will actually serve time in an adult prison in AZ. If it's in a County jail they will be segregated.

They may charge them like an adult, but they won't be imprisoned like an adult; as in with adults.

And the County will try to send them to State facilities, and the State facilities will try not to take them. Eventually the prison-for-profit bunch will end up with them.

Who pays? You know who.


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Originally Posted by 4ager
It ain't the [bleep] drugs miles that ought to be the targets. They are less than pawns.


Say that after you've had your stock tank drained 30-40 times, and had your place vandalized, ripped off, trashed.
Say that after you've been kidnapped, had your truck used for a drug run, and than been advised that the SOBs have your Home address, and
will go after your family first, if you raise to much of a fuss.
Say that after close lady friends have been car-jacked, tied up with wire, and tossed off an embankment, after having their privates fondled.
Your post above is one of the stupider and more clueless I've seen here, ever.
GTC


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