The border between the United States and Mexico is nearly 2,000 miles long. It passes through four states in the US, including California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Along this often remote and hostile line, federal border patrol agents are responsible for ensuring the security of the border on the United States side.
They face a tough fight. Every year, more than a million pounds of illegal drugs pass over the border from Arizona into the United States. Unlike states like California and Texas, where the majority of illegal activity involves human trafficking, Arizona is ground zero for the war against drug smuggling, according to federal officials.
Nogales, Arizona is more than 1,600 miles from Birmingham, Ala. In many ways, the two cities are completely different. However, they share one very important problem: they've both been impacted by the trade of illicit drugs, most notably heroin.
Last year, heroin-related deaths were up by about 150 percent in Jefferson County, according to law enforcement officials. Heroin has been called an "epidemic" across our state by drug prevention groups. While not all of that product comes from Mexico, a large portion of drugs that make their way to Birmingham have been trafficked from out of the country.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
No comments? What, did everybody go to Nogales to sign up?
ReplyDeleteThe only reason that there is a flood of heroin into the US is because the government and the doctors allowed unlimited amounts of opiate prescriptions that got people hooked and then shut down the supply pills. The exception being wealthy people (prince/MJ) that could pay off doctors to write scripts.
ReplyDeleteWrong. We are a drug addictive heroin/crackhead nation.
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