Another big Drug bust

[Sirius]

I think that you will see, if you care to look at the actual statistics, that drug arrests have significantly reduced from 2016 numbers but in the same time-frame, drug deaths have increased:

United States drug overdose death rates and totals over time

Total Number of Arrests in the US by Year and Type of Offense

So, under Trump's administration, drug arrests have fallen massively, but drug deaths have increased. What do you think that shows? Effectiveness?

Thinking back to the first real peak of drug crime in the US, which was in the 70's - 80's, this correlates to the implementation of policies of the Nixon and Reagan administrations which were notoriously 'anti-drug' in rhetoric, and yet drug use, and the gang involvement, became even higher than in the previous decade (remember the Iran-Contra affair where all that US government money for weapons, ended up creating and supporting the big drug cartels and contributing significantly towards crack cocaine epidemic on the streets and in the nightclubs in the US?).

Iran–Contra affair

The CIA, Contras, Gangs, and Crack

If you think that the MAGA crowd will solve drug and gang problems, you haven't studied the actual implemented policies and subsequent data, and their repeated historic failures.

you didn't answer the last question. What is the rational for saying what you did?

[PorkChop96]

I think that you will see, if you care to look at the actual statistics, that drug arrests have significantly reduced from 2016 numbers but in the same time-frame, drug deaths have increased:

United States drug overdose death rates and totals over time

Total Number of Arrests in the US by Year and Type of Offense

So, under Trump's administration, drug arrests have fallen massively, but drug deaths have increased. What do you think that shows? Effectiveness?

Thinking back to the first real peak of drug crime in the US, which was in the 70's - 80's, this correlates to the implementation of policies of the Nixon and Reagan administrations which were notoriously 'anti-drug' in rhetoric, and yet drug use, and the gang involvement, became even higher than in the previous decade (remember the Iran-Contra affair where all that US government money for weapons, ended up creating and supporting the big drug cartels and contributing significantly towards crack cocaine epidemic on the streets and in the nightclubs in the US?).

Iran–Contra affair

The CIA, Contras, Gangs, and Crack

If you think that the MAGA crowd will solve drug and gang problems, you haven't studied the actual implemented policies and subsequent data, and their repeated historic failures.

You do realize that the biggest spike in deaths and lowering in arrests, from 2021-2024, is the Biden admin, right? You know, when Biden shut down the country..

And if your data showed arrests in 2025, knowing that Trump closed the border and saw a 90% decrease in illegal border crossings, you might be able to understand why drug related arrests might have dropped off during his admin....

[UltraBudgie]

Because they want and end to drugs and gangsters? Such silly things doesn't bother the other side? What is the rational here?

it is lipflap none of them want to solve problem only use it or change who profits

The Nicaraguan revolution in 1979 provided the focus of the CIA's covert paramilitary operations in the region, which centered around an arms and drugs trafficking conspiracy involving Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica.

Manuel Antonio Noriega's relationship with the United States began in 1955 when, at the age of 19, he joined the Panama Socialist Party and began informing on its operations to U.S. intelligence.

In 1962, Noriega joined the National Guard and was made chief of transit police by Major Omar Torrijos Herrera, who was on the payroll of the CIA.

Torrijos was also working for the Agency in monitoring the potential threat of Communist influence among banana growers in Puerto Armuelles and Bocas del Toro. These plantations were owned by the United Fruit Company, a powerful American corporation that was also a CIA front.

In 1967, the CIA sent Noriega to study intelligence and counter-intelligence at Fort Gulick in Panama, followed by psychological operations at Fort Bragg in September 1967, and military intelligence training at the notorious School of Americas at Fort Benning in Georgia.

After the October 1968 coup which overthrew President Arnulfo Arias and brought Torrijos to power in Panama, Noriega was promoted to lieutenant colonel and made head of the country's military intelligence (G-2), which he transformed into a sophisticated national spy service.

In mid-1970, Noriega became a member of the Counterintelligence and Counterespionage Organisation, an international network of intelligence agencies.

Over the years, the CIA paid Noriega more than $11 million. The money was virtually unaccountable in the CIA's budget. It was officially justified as "support for institutional co-operation" but in fact it was a slush fund turned over to Noriega to do with as he desired. Torrijos and Noriega commenced a lucrative covert arms network in Panama, with the blessing and support of the CIA. Factions involved in virtually every world conflict operated out of the country.

Israel was chief amongst them, selling their arms first to Somoza, then to the Guatemalan military dictatorship and later to the Contras.

U.S. officials had hard evidence of Noriega's extensive links to drug trafficking and human rights violations as early as 1971, yet every administration from Nixon's onwards ignored the evidence and condoned his activities.

Noriega was heavily involved in the tidal wave of Colombian cocaine sweeping into America.

The Medellin drug cartel (a highly-organized consortium of Colombian cocaine brokers with an annual income estimated at $8 billion) paid Noriega vast sums of money for allowing them access to secure airstrips and aircraft in Panama, for making certain that customs and immigration officials asked no questions, for laundering drug profits through Panamanian banks, and for allowing wanted traffickers to remain in the country.

Washington's desire to negotiate a new Panama Canal Treaty led to a long honeymoon between the U.S. and Panama. To a great extent, the vote in Congress on the Panama Canal Treaty was perceived as a referendum on drug dealing.

A former Senate intelligence Committee member recalled from that period: "We had a very complete picture. We knew about the drug problem. And the Panamanians knew we knew it. Once we ratified the Treaty, the Panamanians got the word that the United States was open for the drug business."

Another U.S. official said at the time: "We had drugs - and Noriega - all over the place."

https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/socio..._cia25.htm

oh the days of old that never ended

[Tecate]

Well it’s been said again and again, stop the demand and you kill the supply. Trying the same bullshit interdiction measures are just feeding the definition of insanity.

When the money is rolling in a lot of people seem to lose their morals and ethics. It’s no different for the 3 letter agencies. More money means more power and more possibilities for control of larger swaths of people…

Tecate

[PorkChop96]

BS Clickbait.

The MAGA crowd will lap it up.

LOL.

Here is another one for you

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-t...-smugglers


Is it upsetting you that someone is actually doing something about illegal drug smugglers? Or is it only upsetting you because of who it is that is doing it?

[UltraBudgie]

Well it’s been said again and again, stop the demand and you kill the supply. Trying the same bullshit interdiction measures are just feeding the definition of insanity.

When the money is rolling in a lot of people seem to lose their morals and ethics. It’s no different for the 3 letter agencies. More money means more power and more possibilities for control of larger swaths of people…

Tecate

i really think that the creation of raper culture with fat stacks and bling and whores women and violins and drugs was sales tactic and is that the ghetto fault for glorying it and being demand hmm and what they expect would happen that it would be an outlet that stays in lane and doesnt get into real life and make diddy partry and drive by shootiung but hmm though isnt that the same argument about video game, which us military use but that is different? interesting i wonder

any way on other thread i think i point that raper ice cube is orginal group name cia and hmm i wonder if that is true culture war to make drug market sometimes they make it so outrates obvious that it is like no that is silly too obvious

[Maxmars]

Well "AI" assist has made an edge to the bots that people used to ignore...

They won't ignore this... someone evidently thought.

What are we up to now? The last I hear it was 51% bots...

Nobody panic... it's just data... right?

I wonder how all the "internet" surveys, and 
talking head stats references would change...
without BOT input?

[chr0naut]

You do realize that the biggest spike in deaths and lowering in arrests, from 2021-2024, is the Biden admin, right? You know, when Biden shut down the country..

Change in demographic statistics isn't instantaneous with administration change. When a President first comes to office, it takes time for them to implement policies, and then it takes further time for the results of those policies to evidence themselves.

If you look at the the date of the actual spike in drug related deaths, it was in 2021, just after the end of Trump's first term. But, by the end of Biden's first term, drug related deaths were less than in 2020, under Trump.

And if your data showed arrests in 2025, knowing that Trump closed the border and saw a 90% decrease in illegal border crossings, you might be able to understand why drug related arrests might have dropped off during his admin....

If Trump solved the drug and gang violence problems with tighter border restrictions, why is he calling in the military to deal with drug and gang violence problems in US cities now? Even his propaganda is contradictory.

The truth is that almost all illegal drugs cross US borders in bulk, hidden in shipping containers, owned and paid for by US citizens. Once in the country, the drugs are distributed through a chain of in-place dealers and addicts, very few of which are in the country illegally.

The USA's problems with illegal drugs, their manufacture, their import and their distribution are almost entirely caused by the criminal actions of US citizens. Trump's attempt to scapegoat others for America's problems is indicative of the racist appeals that he utilizes to push his agenda and power grab.

Take a look at the situation occurring in the USA right now. You have an authoritarian ruler, shipping ethnic groups to concentration camps, often without due process (as evidenced by the mess-ups where the wrong people get transported). And the military are being called in to police in-country (a job they haven't trained to do), contrary to posse comitatus law. A shut-down and mostly gutted government (thanks to DOGE et al) and now, with no real idea of the statistics, everybody has to take Trump's word on what is happening with the country (although how he would know is also questionable. No-one is left to advise him on details).

Trump's leadership is very much in the style of Joseph Stalin, even down to the purge of everyone who might dissent and his rule by threat, fear and propaganda.

[chr0naut]

Here is another one for you

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-t...-smugglers

Is it upsetting you that someone is actually doing something about illegal drug smugglers? Or is it only upsetting you because of who it is that is doing it?

No, I'm happy that he is doing something about drug smugglers.

But when he blows up a boat, makes it a media event, but there is no actual evidence of drugs, or of legal process, it does raise some doubts?

I mean, what if they are just fishing boats, and it is all just self-promotional television?

I remember Trump talking about Obama's excessive drone strikes, and then suddenly, Trump outdid the number of drone strikes, immediately before making the numbers a state secret so no-one can hold him to account anymore.

'Body-count' anyone?

[Sirius]

It's all just hateful. There is no self promotion.

In businesses, if I tell leadership this or that is bad I get chased away. If I say do this or that instead there is a discussion. I have to lay down the benefits of the new proposal. I can also never shift accountability.