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1. Why would cleanup after a firefight include dragging tires on the road?
2. What does it mean that a drug gang brings in foreigners as common henchmen?
Posted by trailing wife 2013-02-10 12:41||
2013-02-10 12:41||
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#2 Why would cleanup after a firefight include dragging tires on the road?
Two reasons. Casting from tire tracks to be used as evidence. And a good tracker can follow them.
What does it mean that a drug gang brings in foreigners as common henchmen?
Cheap, anonymous, labor. No ties to the area(s) the narcos operate in, hence a very low chance of a security risk (such as popping up in a Mexican government database or having a relative or family member kidnapped or arrested to place pressure on the hired gun to cooperate.)
Lastly a very low possibility of alienating the population by 'hiring local' or hiring Mexicans who might end up killing a local. Guatemalans getting killed is also much easier to shrug off.
Posted by Pappy 2013-02-10 13:26||
2013-02-10 13:26||
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#3 1. Why would cleanup after a firefight include dragging tires on the road?
From reading scores of reports on Mexican press about intergang gun battles, typically they take place on the roads between groups of shooters riding in SUVs and pickups. The garden variety drug cartel shooters are charter members of the spray and pray club. They have to shoot large amounts of ammunition to hit their targets and to counter opposing fire. When they do they usually they produce large amounts of spent cartridges casings on the ground.
I gotta admit, removing spent casings after a intergang gunfire exchange is new information to me. I knew that some cartel groups will remove bodies to prevent identification by government authorities.
Dragging roads using tires sweeps the roads and scatters evidence of a gunfight, to what useful purpose I don't know.
2. What does it mean that a drug gang brings in foreigners as common henchmen?
The foreigners that Mexican cartels bring in to Mexico usually come from Guatemala, which is Los Zetas turf, and Honduras. They are formerly members of common street criminal gangs, sometimes they come from schools (students who have been promised cash and prizes if they become cannon fodder), and some are prior service military. Some are impressed into service at gunpoint. Bringing in foreigners is an additional cost to investigating authorities, and a buffer. What is a dirt poor Guatemalan farming family, for example, going to do if their precious winds up shot to death in Mexico as a shooter for a drug cartel? How are local police going to investigate in Mexico?
Dunno if that answers your question, but that is my explanation.
#4 Reminds me of the brave Afghan Security Forces (NFD) woofing big kak about being in large, complex attacks with the TB.
Q: Any WIA? A: no.
Q: Any KIA? A: No, they drug away the bodies, but here is a fertilizer sack full of spent casings....(proof, praise be to Allan)
Q: Do you have any newer casings, these look like they came from the Battle of Gallipoli.
A: Crickets
Posted by Besoeker 2013-02-10 13:55||
2013-02-10 13:55||
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#5 Hmmm, they must be reloading, no other reason to clean up spent shell casings so thoroughly.
Posted by Redneck Jim 2013-02-10 16:45||
2013-02-10 16:45||
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#6 Big runs on ammo all over these days ....
Posted by lotp 2013-02-10 19:34||
2013-02-10 19:34||
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#7 Thank you for addressing my questions so thoughtfully, lady and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to sit at the feet of such teachers.
Posted by trailing wife 2013-02-10 22:59||
2013-02-10 22:59||
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