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Three More Drug War Deaths

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #747)
Consequences of Prohibition
Drug War Issues

Three more people have died in drug war-related incidents in recent days, including a police officer. They are the 40th, 41st, and 42nd persons to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.

Last Saturday, NYPD officers shot and killed Darius Jennings, 51, in an incident that began when they spotted him apparently smoking marijuana in Times Square. Jennings became agitated when police approached and pulled out a knife. He refused orders to drop the weapon and began backing down the street for seven blocks, followed by a growing contingent of police and spectators. Police pepper-sprayed Jennings repeatedly before they said he lunged at them and two officers shot him a total of 12 times.

Last Sunday, a Las Cruces, New Mexico, man died two days after swallowing a plastic bag containing cocaine as he was being booked into the Dona Ana County Jail. Hemilo Salcedo, 57, had been arrested on a warrant charging him with two counts of drug trafficking and was changing from civilian clothes to a prisoner's uniform when a jailer noticed part of a plastic bag protruding from his rectum. The jailer told him to remove it himself, and when Salcedo did, he immediately put it in his mouth and swallowed it. The jailer ordered him to spit it out, then noticed he was choking and attempted unsuccessfully to dislodge the baggie. Salcedo died at a local hospital two days later. Police said the bag contained three grams of cocaine and may have contained more.

On Monday night, Puerto Rican police officer Wilfredo Ramos Nieves was shot and killed as he took part in a drug raid with six other officers in Bayamon. The 15-year veteran was shot twice when police saw an armed man and attempted to detain him. The shooter opened fire instead, fatally wounding Ramos Nieves before being shot and wounded by police. He and a companion fled, but were later arrested. Ramos Nieves is the third Puerto Rican officer to be killed in the line of duty this year and the second one killed because of drug law enforcement.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

War Vet (not verified)

At least the cop got the privilege to die for his belief in keeping drugs illegal . . . I cannot say the same thing about the 6,000 plus U.S. soldiers who died in the War on Terror from drug money sponsored fighters and weapons . . . Many a soldier is willing to die for democracy and peace and freedom, but not because the enemy had drug money or because we had to liberate Afghan civilians from drug money empowered Taliban.  We should congratulate the sacrifices of every dead cop who wanted to die for illegal drugs -to die so someone will use booze -to die so some kid will get a chance to buy street dope, without being carded . . . to die so gangs can roam the streets of our cities with drug money induced powers . . . to die so Iraq would be a long war fighting drug money insurgents and terrorists and not some little ditty taking out a real mean bastard named Saddam . . . to die so 9/11 (or another one) can be created out of drug money . . . to die so a war fighting drug money in the Middle East can help usher in a recession at $3 Trillion in costs (Brown University, NY Times) . . . to die so millions of Americans will not have a job in hemp.  Respect this cop who was willing to lay down his life in the name of drugs and all the bad things drug money can create.  Just kidding.  Hopefully they can all learn and be rehabilitated into society before anymore of them choose death for drugs . . . sad a cop would commit suicide through a drug money bought bullet and gun: suicide by drug dealer I suspect.  Legalized it and many bullets disappear -like magic.  If I was a cop who died in the line of duty, I would much rather prefer it trying to nab a murderer or rapist -not for some cocaine and marijuana -not to replace one drug dealer with another one.  We used to call these people heroes . . . they do more harm than good.  We don't need cops in America -we can all police ourselves . . . we can create Citizen cops who will either volunteer or be drafted into temporary police service with or without pay (and be excused of work for that specific day or week of duty) . . . the National Guard and Reserves do it -whom were stolen out of America by the cops to go fight drug money because of a drug money created attack on 9/11.  Times like this require that we diffuse the police force until we can create real lawful law abiding cops . . . drug laws and enforcement are like the Ring of Power in the book "Lord of the Rings": few can escape its evil power.

Thu, 08/16/2012 - 9:15pm Permalink
War Vet (not verified)

At least the cop got the privilege to die for his belief in keeping drugs illegal . . . I cannot say the same thing about the 6,000 plus U.S. soldiers who died in the War on Terror from drug money sponsored fighters and weapons . . . Many a soldier is willing to die for democracy and peace and freedom, but not because the enemy had drug money or because we had to liberate Afghan civilians from drug money empowered Taliban.  We should congratulate the sacrifices of every dead cop who wanted to die for illegal drugs -to die so someone will use booze -to die so some kid will get a chance to buy street dope, without being carded . . . to die so gangs can roam the streets of our cities with drug money induced powers . . . to die so Iraq would be a long war fighting drug money insurgents and terrorists and not some little ditty taking out a real mean bastard named Saddam . . . to die so 9/11 (or another one) can be created out of drug money . . . to die so a war fighting drug money in the Middle East can help usher in a recession at $3 Trillion in costs (Brown University, NY Times) . . . to die so millions of Americans will not have a job in hemp.  Respect this cop who was willing to lay down his life in the name of drugs and all the bad things drug money can create.  Just kidding.  Hopefully they can all learn and be rehabilitated into society before anymore of them choose death for drugs . . . sad a cop would commit suicide through a drug money bought bullet and gun: suicide by drug dealer I suspect.  Legalized it and many bullets disappear -like magic.  If I was a cop who died in the line of duty, I would much rather prefer it trying to nab a murderer or rapist -not for some cocaine and marijuana -not to replace one drug dealer with another one.  We used to call these people heroes . . . they do more harm than good.  We don't need cops in America -we can all police ourselves . . . we can create Citizen cops who will either volunteer or be drafted into temporary police service with or without pay (and be excused of work for that specific day or week of duty) . . . the National Guard and Reserves do it -whom were stolen out of America by the cops to go fight drug money because of a drug money created attack on 9/11.  Times like this require that we diffuse the police force until we can create real lawful law abiding cops . . . drug laws and enforcement are like the Ring of Power in the book "Lord of the Rings": few can escape its evil power.

Thu, 08/16/2012 - 9:16pm Permalink
sicntired (not verified)

The Taliban had drug trafficking down to record low levels when they ran Afghanistan.It's under American backed rule that the traffic has risen to new highs.America has always used drug money to help pay for it's wars.From Iran/Contra and Air America to the current heroin trafficking in Afghanistan.That the Taliban is taking advantage of the increased traffic may be true but it is only because the American backed government is up to it's corrupt neck in running the trade.Karzai's brother was the biggest trafficker in the world until the Taliban,or some competitor knocked him off.Blaming drug money for American deaths is a joke.It's American policy that allows the trade to exist in the first place.This country you are so willing to die for uses the majority of the world's supply and is the main reason it exists in the volume it does.The CIA has just gotten smarter and is shipping the drugs to Iran and Russia instead of to Ghettos in America as was their practise until they were caught too many times.Your anger is misplaced.

Sat, 08/18/2012 - 4:27am Permalink
War Vet (not verified)

In reply to by sicntired (not verified)

False, Afghanistan outlawed X percent of the opium growing as a means of controlling the surplus, which would have lead to a temporal shortage of fresh dope, thus created a surge in the price (supply and demand) and that was the year 2000 (as you have read from the Fatwas: its not illegal to sell drugs if its for God's glory) . . . the Taliban knew that it would reduce drug money for opposing forces i.e. stop Massoud's army from getting more weapons.  As you have read from reports from various governments and universities and magazines, the Taliban comes from Pakistan, not Afghanistan and its suspected Pakistan only got the BOMB from what drug money could buy (or significantly), unless you are assuming Pakistan is a 1st world nation or at least as economically and politically stable as India (who had the bomb a decade or so years before).  The CIA made it more likely that drugs would be the main money maker in the Pakistan/Afghanistan regions during the 80's to fight Russia.  Massoud warned us that 9/11 was going to happen and he's the good guy of the Liberation against Russia and the Taliban.  So, are you assuming drug money isn't financing the Mexican Cartels's wars of lately?  How do you explain that a Baghdad Military Prison run by the U.S. military, CIA, Coalition forces and Iraqi Correction's officer have some Russian and Italian mob types . . . Latin American and Nigerian drug smugglers in it?  How do you explain Guinea-Bissau . . . a Narco-State (U.N.etc stats) that produces no drugs . . . who do you think sells the coke, heroin and grass in Europe?  Drug money finances Al Qaeda and the Taliban as it does Hamas and Hezbollah and the PKK etc . . . drugs are more covert because they are illegal and leave less of a paper trail . . . drugs will survive a 'whack-a-mole' operation . . . if it was oil money, we would have taken out those oil men and replaced them with American/EU/U.N./NATO friendly oil man, akin to the CIA taking out the Iranian government in the 1950's . . . like it did to many governments around the world (covertly).  Yes, the CIA use a lot of drug money, but Islamic Terrorists use even more, which explains why we are still there doing more than just occupation work . . . If I'm wrong, then Occupied Germany still had forces killing American/Russian/French/British troops long past 1945 . . . its easy to bomb train-tracks and factories to stop and slow down a war, but hard to destroy illegal drug money that finances a war (for over a decade costing us $3 trillion according to Brown University and NY Times).  Explain how Vietnam could survive from operation Rolling Thunder from the munitions end of things . . . no way would Russia and China be efficient benefactors to the NVA and VC (which would have lead to tensions or fear of war with America/U.N. from traced back money from Russia/China) . . . but then again, they had a lot more legal money (industry, taxes, donations) than illegal drug money to finance their war . . . we have all read how the IRA uses drug money to support their end of "The Trouble" after the 1961 U.N. Single Convention on Drugs.  The CIA don't ship drugs when compared to the various terror groups whom tax it or control it . . . some but not enough . . . Iran/Contra would have made them a little bit more hesitant to do so again or as much.  Drug money is what pays for those road-side bombs or modernizes old Iran/Contra war of the 80's bombs when it comes to cellphones . . . who pays for the camcorders to witness the attack for training and payment reasons . . . what pays for the clothing and food and weapons and training and recruiting and gasoline and vehicles world-wide in these operations . . . American soldiers get paid for war, therefore our enemy get's paid for war (drug money) . . . do not men have families or are you assuming Americans are the only one's whom have families to take care of . . . does it not behoove the Taliban or Al Qaeda to allow their fighters to support their families and businesses and farms . . . drug money will take care of a family while the men are away or they would have fewer and fewer soldiers . . . yes, some do it out of Jihad reasons and for free, but they must eat and wear clothing and fire weapons and learn how to make explosives and use modern equipment to rig old rusty and sandy bombs from the 80's wars against Russia or Saddam/Iran . . . they must haul those bombs and embed them in vehicles . . . they must replace those vehicles . . . if they stole the vehicles, it would be bad for the efforts on the side of religion, so most cars are paid for before they blow up . . . concrete and asphalt are replaced to make a planted bomb less obvious.  Drug money financed 9/11 . . . if 9/11 was an inside Job, then drug money financed 9/11 akin to the way the CIA would do things.  Because drugs are illegal, 9/11 happened (or happened the way it happened) . . . but because drugs are illegal 6,000 U.S. soldiers were killed and many more civilians in those nations.  What is Narco-Terror?  Most of the world's drugs come from Asia/Africa and those regions have the highest populations of Muslims . . . and I'm not saying being Islamic is bad, odds state X percent of all Muslim growers/dealers are terrorist affiliated/taxed if not terrorists themselves.  Explain how Syrian rebels can hold on?  Drug money.  My anger is not misplaced . . . I've spent over three years researching everything under the sun that one can find in a University library or on various Government(s) websites and newspapers . . . I use the facts for my advantage A) for my own writings since I want to make my living off of writing B) to be one more voice to end the drug war.  It sounds like you are getting your sources from just a few and not spending the effort on hundreds of sights and sources -trusted and popular ones.  If I'm right, how can I be wrong . . . don't ever tell me one plus one equals three -I'll call you out on it . . . I do this for my fellow soldiers who volunteered so you wouldn't be drafted -so you wouldn't be attacked with drug money by some terrorist cell or drug money from some government agency making it look like Radical Islam . . . I sir will stick with what Massoud said . . . 1 plus 1 equaling two is more than a mere coincidence -there is logic to it -a puzzle to be fitted when all the facts are lying in a box with all their various protruding shapes dismantled from one another.  Don't misguide your information . . . too many people die from other's lack of understanding and education.  Don't be spoon fed your info -but go out and obtain it from every direction known to man . . . college studies would have taught you that.  A cop would love to lie to me to tell me I'm wrong, but I've got years of studying and working with and around the CIA itself to not be fooled.  History doesn't lie very well today.  It was drug money . . . If I'm wrong, then I bet you its impossible to buy a can of soda or loaf of bread with a few dollar bills, just like its impossible to buy bullets and bombs with money . . . drug money goes a long way in 3rd World Nations.  Don't be so lazy as to not read Indian and Russian and Swiss etc etc sources on terrorism . . . even the DEA and U.N. and CIA and War College and PBS and BBC and Al Jazerra and NY Times and National Geographic etc admit I'm right . . . who admits you're right?  If you don't read, you don't get answers.  My friends died because of drug money -I owe it to them to make sense of a long war.  Don't be a conspiracy theorist based on a few documents you picked up -be an activist.  Look at Mexico dude -the answers lie right under our nose and she is bleeding from drug money since 2006.  Our troops have been bleeding from drug money since December 2001 because of 9/11 . . . It doesn't matter if it was an inside job or terrorist assault . . . drug money killed 6000 U.S. soldiers.  If we tried to keep the Afghan people from growing their dope crops, more of us would be killed from rebelling Afghans whom are going hungry from lack of dope money . . . Pakistan as you have read makes up the majority of the Taliban and Pakistan as you have read from the U.N. etc makes $4 billion a year off of drugs.  Oil money was debunked years ago by too many sources from around the world . . . don't just trust one American source for your info, but use it to guide you to Asian and African newsites and studies etc.  I use an Academic approach to my being right (and travel as well) . . . what approach did you use to be wrong?

Sat, 08/18/2012 - 12:14pm Permalink

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