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on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

US is Negotiating with 'El Chapo': Ex-Mexican President

by Geoffrey Ramsey
As the Mexican government claims to be getting closer to capturing the country’s most notorious drug lord, an ex-president claims that the US is negotiating the terms of “El Chapo’s” surrender.
According to a Milenio interview (see video below) with former President Vicente Fox, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is in the process of negotiating with several high-profile cartel leaders, offering them reduced prison sentences if they turn themselves in. Among them is Joaquin Guzman, alias “El Chapo,” the head of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel.
Fox also pointed out that drug consumption in the US is the cause of much of the violence in Mexico. He argued that, for this reason, the US should take more responsibility in the fight against drug cartels, asking: “Are we not doing their work for them?”

This is not the first time that Fox has made a controversial statement regarding the drug war. In August the former head of state called for the Mexican government to “gather the violent groups to a truce and evaluate the advantages of an amnesty law,” in a bid to reduce violence. Two months later, in an October interview with the BBC, he argued that the US should legalize drugs in order to reduce the demand for illicit substances in Mexico. He has also advocated drug legalization.

InSight Crime Analysis
Although Fox did not cite a source for his assertion about Guzman, it would hardly be surprising if the US were holding talks with the drug lord. Such negotiations are a hallmark of successful law enforcement work. The DEA has engaged in negotiations with drug traffickers in Colombia for years, and is currently rumored to be talking to the leaders of the Rastrojos drug gang as well as trafficking kingpin Daniel Barrera Barrera, alias “El Loco”.

Indeed, there is reason to suspect that such negotiations have already taken place in Mexico. Jesus Vicente Zambada Niebla, the son of a Sinaloa Cartel head, was arrested in 2009 and extradited to the US. He has alleged that US officials worked out an agreement with the cartel to reduce the law enforcement pressure on the gang in exchange for information on other groups.

If more evidence of these negotiations emerges, it will put the administration of President Felipe Calderon in a tight spot. Calderon has flatly denied rumors that his government engages in negotiations with drug gangs, and has criticized suggestions that it should consider doing so. It will be especially damaging to the president if it comes out that US officials are communicating with Guzman, because the Mexican government has attempted to portray itself as on the verge of capturing him.  Insight Crime...

40 comments:

  1. Nothing knew here. In the Intel world, you are only as big as your informant.

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  2. I call BS. The last place Guzman wants to be at is a US jail.

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  3. Blahh..chapo for presidente...

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  4. maybe it will be construed as a late - term collaboration initiated by the us and agreed to at the last minute as a desperate measure by the Calderon administration. Isn't it better to be free, powerful, drug dealing billionaire than a cooped up one even if it may not be forever?

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  5. I can't believe I used to like this guy as a president. Now I think he's a moron.

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    1. Totally agree with you! He has become a idiot.

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    2. I agree. I think he became the PRI's guardia dog in exchange for beans and tortillas. What a shame. He's no different from all the other presidents Mexico had before.

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  6. WE NEED LAW. VOTE FOR HERIBETO LAZCANO.

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  7. Dats the pot calling the kettle black, fox is a hypocrite who deserves to be shot on grounds of treason in mexico, he and his cohorts are the reason el chapo is free!! Chapo does not want to due time in us prison plus with him locked up his family is at risk ,remember theres a lot of enemies just waiting for the right time!!!!

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  8. Actually it is probably very true that the US offered El Chapo a reduced sentence. Whether he takes it seriously or not is another thing. Many of the early Colombian drug lords took deals such as these and it was very effective in reducing the violence in Columbia in the 90's. And if you think the DEA doesn't have a way of communicating with Chapo you're very naive.

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  9. I would like to point out that US drug use is the cause of the violence in Mexico. The Mexicans are doing the US a favor by fighting against drug dealers. What an idiot.

    Do you think Vicente takes money from the cartels? He never did anything to reduce crime of any kind in Mexico. It was during his administration that crime, especially kidnappings, really took off. He is bought and paid for. These statements are Vicente doing the cartel's bidding. You got to earn your money Vicente.

    He is as crooked as they come.

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  10. A key part of the negotiations will be profit sharing among business/government entities of this lucrative trade. Mexico and the U.S will continue to encourage the trade and exert authority in it's destructive wake. The flags wave and off shore bank accounts swell.

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  11. gimme a break... mex presidents for years have backed down from confronting the cartels for the safety of the populace.backyard deals have always been in place...even before americans knew about cartels.i dont care for calderon or fox but they are true mex patriots...one for his action and the other for voicing his opinion.calderon is sacrificing his legacy as pres for his efforts to save mexico and as for fox, mex politicians fade away when they accepted bribes during their tenure...fox obviously hasnt or some captured high ranking cartel memeber wouldve made allegations by now.

    anyone who cant see the demand for drugs by the us is the root cause for the violence in mexico is clueless and opinions are not based on reality

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  12. First, if Fox is so displeased with the US, the why was he on TMZ while out eating at one of Malibu's fanciest restaurants? You can't blame the US for it's love of drugs for your countries problems. You don't see Canada killing 50,000 people! Besides, if Mexico wanted, they could use THEIR border security to stop guns from going IN to Mexico, but they just wave you in and make the US do all the work for them. Face it, these assholes have been paid by these cartels for years, and it will never go away unless the people do it themselves. But at this point, find me a group of Mexicans without corruption!

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    1. Sadly. But I agree. I'm mexican, but you,re right. I don't know if it was always like that but I don't remember people being so afraid to travel to Mexico. I miss the old Mexico.

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  13. he should know ..he let him escape in the first place

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  14. He should know He negotiated the release of El Chapo under his presidency and profited buy selling the same "plazas" too rival cartels.

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    1. Yes he did.its because of fox that chapo escaped.nacho coronel and el mayo paid fox!!!

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  15. What a Brilliant guy,how do you stop these drg cartel violence, make a truce with them duh,the US does this China Europe Asia Africa why not Mexico.I would definately vote for vicente fox again.

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  16. Yes Mr Fox...You indeed are doing our work for us WITH OUR MONEY, HELICOPTERS, INTELLIGENCE AND ASSISTANCE. Is our drug consumption to blame for extortion and kidnapping all throughout Mexico? It's idealogy like this that is dangerous. Yes, the US has a lot of blame to receive, but until leaders in Mexico assume true responsibility for their culture of corruption and lawlessness, it will only get worse.

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  17. Too win the war on drugs is ti send troops to Mexico and fight all cartels It Will take years but its the only way but that too complicated for the us government that's why There over her in us banning Medical marijuana collective. Dumbass American government

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  18. american have been in mexico long time ago, who do you think calento toda la plaza in mexico? (the whole country)cia & zzzzz vs dea & cds at the end american win and mexican lose...... again

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  19. "You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him."

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  20. Dumbass American government blinding American saying banning Medical marijuana stop drugs in America it just allow cartel ti raise price again and make it More easy for my son and daughter to buy frm frinds in school But that America for you dumb and ignorance or just plain evil and greedy and corrupt

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  21. Firstly, most Americans want legalization. It is our government that is way behind. For the most part, American consumption is the carrot for these cartels. So you can blame the actual drug smuggling on the us but the corrupt government and constant violence against your own citizens that are unrelated to moving drugs from point a to b is something Mexico will have to shoulder. That's just the way it is.

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  22. kidnapping and extortion exists in all countries...to argue its an exclusively mexican phenomena is ridiculous.the ave mexican in the street is more concerned with street battles that paralyze whole cities....ppl not being able to go to school,work...some semblance of order than rich chilango kids being kidnapped or the local grocers shakedown. mexico is a thrid world country and poverty exists on a level most americans will never understand.you cannot compare or use 1st world standards against a 3rd world country and be realistic.as long as poverty is the rule in rural mexico, cartels will have disenfranchised young ppl with mouths to feed. unlike 1st world countries, 3rd world countries cant afford to hand out food stamps to prevent poor ppl from starving in the streets, like the us and canada.nafta hardly benefited mexico. sure, the us lost jobs to mexico but it wasnt enough to make up for the loss of jobs in other areas in mex esp agriculture because of nafta...making rural mexico even more poorer.if nafta is a failure in the us its an even bigger failure in mexico.

    bottom line, most ppl would do anything to feed their children and as long as there is a demand for drugs, the cartels have a huge labor pool to exploit.mex has been fighting the american drug war for years with us dollars, its true...but only recently the us has decided to address the gun trade south, after years of doing nothing and are surprised that mexico is full of guns? c'mon, man... the suffering ppl of mexico cant handle another fast and furious

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    1. Yup... I personally would do anything to have food in the table for my kids n fam. Even if I have to become an animal. I would in desperate times. Thank God I have not been there but I know what ur talking about. I was born in Los Angeles. In other words people in Mex will do what takes to keep food in the tables. Even if they have risk there life to do it. Think about it high risk jobs pay more money. Good or bad. Lol it is what it is.

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  23. Acceptance of responsibility is pretty rare these days in either country. Look at Eric Holder. He is the man at the top for FBI, DEA and ATF. A group of agencies now more under control of their paid informants than their bosses. Americans really do not have much room to condemn the system in Mexico.

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  24. He didn't have any of the answers, when he was President and had the political influence to make changes but now all of the sudden he's playing "arm chair quarterback," with all these suggestions and solutions! He criticizes the US gov't policy and culture yet he sits comfortably in the US indulging in the finer things in life (not in Mexico). Mr. Fox STFU nobody takes you seriously nor or you "Mexico's savior!" Your the "poster board child" for what's wrong with Mexico...CORRUPTION!

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  25. Don"t forget that EL JOTO de Fox.started the war and letting the zetas do what they wanted.back when he was in office.

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  26. Dayum,all the time you see on here"its all the fault of the US"?Dont believe this clown or any other clown.Mexico,didn't need no ones help,to get itself in the mess it is in now.100 years of endemic corruption,and they want to blame someone else?Mexico and its people need to clean their own act up,as regards its criminality.Not apportion blame to another country.Factions inside Mexico itself hate each other,the US,and other countries don't stand a chance.Idiotic rhetoric. “Are we not doing their work for them?”This from an ex president of Mexico?My god,there is no end in sight.And i,m afraid a lot of Mexican people feel the way this idiot does.It is about helping the Mexican people to get a better life,not an idiotic blame game.The future looks grim indeed.

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  27. @March 23 ...2:16

    Your argument makes no sense, US does not operate/control Mexican's borders. See all those so called "guards" at Mexico's point of entry? See how they stop people, ask what they have etc? That is because they are 100% responsible for what comes in their country.

    Yet...for a hundred USD or more under the table anything can get across at a designated time.

    Like all government agencies they do a shitty job and it is extremely corrupt.

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  28. everyone thinks its so easy to stop drugs, guns, money, etc leaving one country and into another but dont understand the logistics.when was the last time any of you have been to mexico?or have returned from the us from another country?yet everyone is an expert on what goes on and how easy is it...the border patrol does an amazing job with their resources and believe it or not mexican law enforcement has made a lot of positive changes.corruption exists yet most mexican law enforcment is subject to regular polygraph exams,urinalysis,ethics training now and gradually the bad elements are being weeded out.whole police forces are marched in for polygraph exams in mexico all the time.bribe an aduana official and see what happens!the reality is its about money and trade. officials are not going to clog up both sides of international bridges/entry points because it effects trade.agents are well trained but its a numbers game all based on luck. talking about stopping drugs at its source or casting blame is pointless unless the demand is stopped.even if mexico eradicated the cartels as they exist now, gangs would reform and meet the demand for american users.theres money to be made, mexicans see that....its the americans that still dont get it.

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  29. ITS BULL SHIT NO ONE IS SAFE IN MEXICO ITS A RED ZONE CARTELS CONTROL EVERY THING ALL YOU CAN THINK OF THEY CONTROL IT WAKE UP EVERYBODY

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  30. Chivis
    u dont understand i say mexican are corrupt and they dont stop drug cartel. us government agencies are not corrupt bt why they dont able to stop drugs entering into us

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    1. Cartels have bought us border patrols... Come on they have plenty of money to do it. Each key of cocaine in Chicago are going for around 22000... The average American dont even have a car worth that much. Of course they loose money getting it there but think again there not only taking one or two there passing tons... Everyone loves money. Of course money is not everything but if open doors and opportunities...

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  31. If anyone is negotiating, it is most likely Chapo! The US Holds ALL the Cards in this Game, Chapo is on Borrowed Time.

    He moves from 1 Location to Another.

    Ahhh...The wonders of GPS and Technology

    The US Govt. has EYES IN THE SKIES looking Down on the Sierra Madre.

    Good ole Vicente is Spilling the Beans on everyone in Sinaloa to Save His Neck.

    M1 is jockeying for Chapos Throne, too Bad he will also end up in a cell with his Brother.

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  32. VICENTE FOX IS CORRUPT MAN HE SHOULD BE IN JAIL FOR HIS CRIMES FOR LIFE.

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  33. I Love "El Chapo" Guzman maybe everyone should keep up with him

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  34. Ur a douchbag "I love El Chapo" you should join his rapidly traveling circus if you love Him so much

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