It’s called the Strategic Target Action Team and it is a part of the Southwest Border Initiative of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
A story from Albuquerque, New Mexico in February 2011 informs us that there are a number of undercover FBI agents working throughout the state to keep the bloodshed and violence of the Mexican cartels out of our state.
The main objective of the STAT team is to hunt down the cartel members. They have followed a number of leads already since December 2010, and made some significant arrests. Obviously, not all of the locations and results can be printed since they are still searching for more cartel members.
“In some other regions of the country we've seen an increase in border violence especially in kidnappings,” said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Rodney Miller. “We didn't want that to become a problem here in New Mexico.”
“We intend to send shockwaves not only through New Mexico but Mexico itself, Miller said,“We believe they're operating in all parts of the state. It’s very hidden; these drug cartels operate in secret.”
Miller said agents are working with local law enforcement to find these criminals and using all of the most advanced techniques. He added, “They're focusing on the drug cartel activity on the highest level.”
Sadly for our beautiful state, Mexican cartel activities have increased. Trafficking in drugs and in human beings are the worst of it. Money laundering is rampant as well.
The FBI employs financial analysts as well who study the flow of the money trail of the cartel operations.
They certainly have their jobs cut out for them. The Mexican drug cartels are fighting one another with no regard for the human lives that are lost. It’s all about the money, money, money, and nothing else matters. It’s not surprising that the violence would try to spill across the border, because New Mexico, of course, is unfortunately one of the cartel’s customers, and a starting point towards the rest of the USA. Hopefully the STAT team can live up to their acronym which in hospital terminology means “to do it right away.”
