Monday, March 07, 2005

The War on Autoparts

Violent New Front in Drug War Opens on the Canadian Border | NYTimes

On Thursday, four officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were shot to death in Alberta, British Columbia's neighboring province, as they were searching a marijuana-growing operation, one of many on the rise there. The killings stunned a country that has apparently not lost that many officers at once since the mid-19th century.

Leigh H. Winchell, special agent in charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Seattle, which investigates border crimes and is part of the Department of Homeland Security, said the police killings in Alberta were stark evidence of "how serious the B.C. bud issue is getting, how much money is involved and the lengths to which these criminals are willing to go to protect it."

He added, "It's getting worse and worse, and we need to address it at every level. The funding needs to be there, and the resolve of law enforcement to address it needs to be there - on both sides of the border. It's a very dark day for all of us."

Roszko killed officers then himself: RCMP | CBC

When the Mounties arrived at the farm, they found what they say was stolen truck parts and about 20 marijuana plants...Roszko had a long list of criminal convictions, including a two and a half year prison term for sexually assaulting a boy.

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