More on narco-traffickers bribing US cops

From A Capitol Blog Texas state Rep. Aaron Peña:

The Los Angeles Times has two good articles about the growing concern of corruption on our border in the war against the drug cartels. The infamous former Cameron County Sheriff Conrado Cantu and his downfall is the subject of one of the articles.

Click here and here.

Reports the Times, "At least 200 public employees have been charged with helping to move narcotics or illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Mexican border since 2004, at least double the illicit activity documented in prior years, a Times examination of public records has found. Thousands more are under investigation." ("Rise of bribery tests integrity of US border," Oct. 23)

I've argued at length that new border security funding should go first to local Internal Affairs units and a new office at the Attorney General to prosecute law enforcement corruption. Otherwise, we're throwing good money after bad.

See prior related Grits coverage:

• Border Corruption Runs Amok
• Border corruption hinders border security
• Police corruption taints US border security
• Border enforcement sees more corruption
• Drug enforcement broken down on the border
• Bazookas, grenades, corrupt police and the worsening border crisis
• Assassinated Monterrey cop was key US ally
• Feds should use snitch testimony to out corruption