DRUG ROUNDUPS: U.S. AGENCIES DOING THEIR JOB

Last week's drug raids in this area were parallel with some 2,200
"Project Deliverance" arrests around the nation in the past 22
months. A major nationwide bust was conducted Wednesday with 400 of
those 2,200 arrests made. Some arrests were in El Paso.

This shows there's a strong effort being undertaken by
law-enforcement agencies on this side of the border. The violent part
of the war remains in Mexico hotbeds, but since the U.S. is a major
driver in the illegal drug market, the battle must be fought here, too.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said a significant blow has been
struck against the cartels, but "it's just one battle in what is an
ongoing war."

That war escalated when Felipe Calderon assumed the presidency of
Mexico in 2007. Since January 2008, there have been more than 5,200
drug-war-related deaths in just Juarez alone. Since Calderon sent his
army against drug-cartel strongholds, violence in some cities has
escalated. The epicenter is now Juarez, having moved along the border
from Nuevo Laredo.

Holder said a heavy blow is being struck on networks carrying
methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana to the U.S. That's
because once drugs make it safely to U.S. markets, the profits --
billions of dollars a year -- return to Mexico and the pockets of
drug-cartel kingpins. The U.S. is also the main source for providing
automatic weapons to the cartels. Some reports say the cartels are
better armed than the Mexican military.

Meanwhile, El Paso has been doing a good job of arresting alleged
drug-cartel members, mainly Barrio Azteca gang members who serve as a
cartel distributor to sectors of the country. There have been several
raids here on reputed members of Barrio Azteca.

It's good to know that there's a concerted effort to capture drug
criminals nationwide, not just in border areas.

We applaud "Project Deliverance" and the Drug Enforcement
Administration, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and law
enforcement here and nationwide. Keep up the pressure with Project Deliverance.