DRUGS PAVE A HELLISH ROAD

To no one's surprise, authorities say the "persons of interest" in
the gruesome Florida's Turnpike slaying of a family of four were
involved in drugs.

Is it any less of a surprise that two of the reputed bad guys had
lengthy criminal records - and were still on the streets?

The roadside execution of Jose Luis Escobedo, his wife and two small
children exposes the tragic results of turnstile justice and
highlights one immutable fact: Drug dealing is not a victimless crime.

Two men purported to be the triggermen in the Oct. 13 killings
compiled several criminal convictions in a few short years. Daniel
Troya had been convicted on burglary, grand theft, battery and escape
charges. Ricardo Sanchez's record included convictions for cocaine
possession, disorderly conduct, resisting an officer and hit and run.

With each man only 23 years of age, the public may reasonably wonder
exactly how much time these two Floridians actually spent behind
bars. Answer: Not nearly enough.

Cold-blooded murder is a big step up the crime ladder, but
considering the caches of drugs and weapons stockpiled at their gated
West Palm Beach residence, is it really that big of a leap? Their
home, frequently visited by police, was no Cub Scout den, and they
weren't doing charity work with the masks, wigs, vests, handcuffs and
night- vision scope found on the premises.

As St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said, the Escobedo hit was
driven by "drugs, money or both."

The real tragedy, of course, is that two innocent children - ages 4
and 3 - were gunned down in their mother's arms. Father Jose Luis,
police now believe, was himself involved in drug trafficking. If so,
he stupidly and shamefully put his family in harm's way.

And don't for a minute think the bloody cycle of violence stops here.
Whether Troya and Sanchez and their confederates are convicted, they
have made themselves targets in their dog-eat-dog, drug-dealing world
- - in or out of prison. (They, along with Daniel Varela, 26, and Liana
Lopez, 18, were indicted on federal drug charges this month and are
being held without bail.)

Revenge and payback are standard operating procedures for drug
cartels. In a familial twist, officials are piecing together the
links between the suspects and Escobedo's younger brother,
28-year-old Jose Manuel. He ran a drug ring out of Matamoros, Mexico,
and seven months ago fled a Louisiana work camp where he was
sentenced for cocaine trafficking.

The latest national statistics show a surge in violent crime, fueled
in part by turf fights among drug rings, USA Today reported last
week. In Florida, law officers point to a marked rise in drug-related
disputes turning lethal. More prosaic pursuits like burglary and auto
theft (per Troya's rap sheet) prime the murder machine by keeping the
cash flowing.

There is no honor among drug pushers, and there is no safe haven in
an underworld stoked by narcotics and guns. Nor can there be any
security for anyone who inadvertently crosses their path.

We can all hope that the killers in this sad and scary case have been
corralled, but it's increasingly clear that lenient courts and
drive-by prison terms will not curb the mayhem among us.