Mexican Cartels Targeted in Recent Drug Raid, Over 300 Arrested

U.S. officials announced yesterday the arrest of over 300 people associated with a violent drug cartel from Mexico. Raids across the country led to the arrests. The cartel, named "La Familia," has been in the news quite a bit of late as the organization reputation for extreme violence has caused consternation for drug officials in the U.S. Arrests taking place yesterday occurred in 38 different cities in 19 different states across the country. Eric Holder, the U.S. attorney general, vowed to continue interfering with La Familia in every manner at his disposal, including more raids.

La Familia is based in Michoacan, a state in southwestern Mexico, and has been bringing drugs into the U.S. in great quantities of late, and specializing in methamphetamine. Said Holder, "To the extent that they do grow back, we have to work with our Mexican counterparts to cut off the heads of these snakes, to get at the heads of the cartels, indict them, try them, if they’re in Mexico, extradite them to the United States."

Michele Loenhart, head of the U.S. DEA, notes that La Familia has grown quickly in power and popularity, most likely because the group espouses a sort of quasi-religious ethic that is popular among the common people. A certain "Robin Hood mentality" has been hard to fight. Said Kenneth Melson, head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, "The problem is not just along the southwest border, it is all over our country now." Melson’s words were backed up by the location of several arrests from yesterday, which occurred in places like Boston, Seattle, Tampa and Minneapolis, among many others.