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Mexico essentially legalized the country's growing "self-defense" groups Monday, while also announcing that security forces had captured one of the four top leaders of the Knights Templar drug cartel, which the vigilante groups have been fighting for the last year.
The government said it had reached an agreement with vigilante leaders to incorporate the armed civilian groups into old and largely forgotten quasi-military units called the Rural Defense Corps. Vigilante groups estimate their numbers at 20,000 men under arms.
Police and soldiers already largely tolerate, and in some cases even work with, the vigilantes, many of whom are armed with assault rifles that civilians are not allowed to carry.
Vigilante leaders will have to submit a list of their members to the Defense Department, and the army will apparently oversee the groups, which the government said "will be temporary." They will be allowed to keep their weapons as long as they register them with the army.
Rev. Javier Cortes, part of a team of priests in the Roman Catholic diocese of Apatzingan who have publicly denounced abuses by the Knights Templar.
j2000
So are these gang names on purpose here? Just reading this stuff seems a repeat of history.
Rev. Javier Cortes, part of a team of priests in the Roman Catholic diocese of Apatzingan who have publicly denounced abuses by the Knights Templar.
Vigilante leaders will have to submit a list of their members to the Defense Department, and the army will apparently oversee the groups, which the government said "will be temporary." They will be allowed to keep their weapons as long as they register them with the army.
Another_Nut
reply to post by j2000
Sounds lile good news to me
I wish they would do this in the states
Then maybe we could defend ourselves from the corrupt police gangs and federal mob
Wouldn't that be nice. Yes it would
Maybe its time i head to Mexico
Mamatus
I do not see a conspiracy in asking the militia members to register their guns or membership. In Mexico gun possession by citizens is a felony and punishable by prison. So while this could protect a "vigilante" from going to prison it can also get them killed.
Mexico being as corrupt as it is means that any lists that the Cartels think they need will be bought and paid for. The "vigilante's" will be picked off and killed one at a time, probably at home with all family members killed as well.
No conspiracy but a lot of danger none the less.edit on 28-1-2014 by Mamatus because: Gwammer and speeeeling
thisguyrighthere
.
Nice. So the government permits them to exist as long as they remain useful to the government.
In the meantime send the government a list of all your members and all your arms.
Then when you are no longer of any use to the government or god forbid you actually pose a threat to said government it's round-up time.
Mamatus
reply to post by j2000
Do you have any evidence for your claim? Perhaps a link to something that the rest of us are unaware of? Now if you can find some kind of evidence that the Cartels have asked, bribed or coerced the Mexican Government to make such a list you have something.
If you don't? Well then it's just a random guess.
JiggyPotamus
The truth of the matter is that groups like this actually WORK. It was seen with Los Pepes when Escobar was at the height of his power, although a special US surveillance team actually gave them the intelligence they needed...But they still did the dirty work. But, and this is a big but, this only works when the groups are anonymous, like they were. Mexico is notoriously corrupt politically speaking. If there is a list of names for all the people in these groups, it is only a matter of time before the cartel wages war against as many of these individuals, and their families, as possible.
And it is a good strategy for the cartels, because it will show anyone pondering joining one of these groups that doing so is a death sentence. This still might not deter some people, and this is why the cartels will go after the member's family as well. Because while some people will risk their own lives, they are less apt to risk the lives of the people they love.
So the only solution to the problem, if the government actually wants these groups to function and work, is to keep them anonymous. Another huge problem will be the cartel infiltrating such groups. They must be tight-knit. Another huge problem is that the cartels can pay better. So the most useful vigilantes are the ones who cannot be bought. So I don't think this system is going to work, and it actually is just going to cause more deaths. The only way it will work is to make some changes to keep the groups anonymous. But anonymity for groups going around killing people can also have negative consequences. The cartels will exploit any weakness they can see in those coming after them, so it wouldn't surprise me if they formed groups masquerading as vigilantes, and started doing things that will turn public opinion against these groups.
j2000
Just as a few here had predicted, but all is not well yet.
The government said it had reached an agreement with vigilante leaders to incorporate the armed civilian groups into old and largely forgotten quasi-military units called the Rural Defense Corps. Vigilante groups estimate their numbers at 20,000 men under arms.
Here is the Big Brother Attitude.
Police and soldiers already largely tolerate, and in some cases even work with, the vigilantes, many of whom are armed with assault rifles that civilians are not allowed to carry.
And here is the BIG Catch.
Vigilante leaders will have to submit a list of their members to the Defense Department, and the army will apparently oversee the groups, which the government said "will be temporary." They will be allowed to keep their weapons as long as they register them with the army.
This will only be bad as they still do not have a grip on their country. I think this is just a way to control them and put back what they had. But now they know where to collect all them guns and whom to go kill next.
Sad really. I was hoping for a better path to clean that mess up down there and maybe even shed some light this way.
Logarock
j2000
Our constitution basically demands the same things out of standing militia. Not the gun registration naturally but officers in a standing militia are under regular military command if they were ever required. Members are also subject to military courts and inquiry for actions under arms.
But great for Mexico! I just wish they wouldn't call them vigilantes in the american press. Has a negative connotation. And be certain they are probably not calling them militia for a reason. Word to the wise.
How can they have "vigilantes", if guns are illegal?
Don’t bring firearms or ammunition across the border into Mexico.
Don’t carry a knife, even a small pocketknife, on your person in Mexico.
You may become one of dozens of U.S. Citizens who are arrested each month for unintentionally violating Mexico’s strict weapons laws.
If you are caught with firearms or ammunition in Mexico...
*You will go to jail and your vehicle will be seized;
*You will be separated from your family, friends, and your job, and likely suffer substantial financial hardship;
*You will pay court costs and other fees ranging into the tens of thousands of dollars defending yourself;
*You may get up to a 30-year sentence in a Mexican prison if found guilty.
consulate
Mamatus
I do not see a conspiracy in asking the militia members to register their guns or membership. In Mexico gun possession by citizens is a felony and punishable by prison. So while this could protect a "vigilante" from going to prison it can also get them killed.
Mexico being as corrupt as it is means that any lists that the Cartels think they need will be bought and paid for. The "vigilante's" will be picked off and killed one at a time, probably at home with all family members killed as well.
No conspiracy but a lot of danger none the less.edit on 28-1-2014 by Mamatus because: Gwammer and speeeeling