Authorities say Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, the reputed leader of the Mexican cartel, has given his associates the OK, if necessary, to open fire across the border.By Josh Meyer May 6, 2009 “The reputed head of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel is threatening a more aggressive stance against competitors and law enforcement north of the border,…

By Ken Stier Saturday, May. 02, 2009 “Since 2001, more than 100 tunnels have been discovered by U.S. law enforcement, compared with just 15 in the 1990s, and the pace is accelerating. Most of those have been uncovered through human intelligence, since there are no currently available technical means to reliably detect tunnels.” View Article:…

by Maryann Spoto/The Star-LedgerTuesday May 05, 2009, 1:29 PM “Two crew members of the doomed scallop boat that sank off the coast last month may have been under the influence of marijuana when the ship went down, killing six of the seven crew members aboard, a witness in the hearing of the fatal sinking testified…

Experts say cartels have strong ties to drugs in countyBY DAVID CASTELLON • [email protected] • May 2, 2009 “But proximity to Mexico’s border and the Highway 99 corridor have made Tulare County and other Valley communities prime locations for drug distribution operations.“What I’m seeing is a lot of the Central Valley particularly Tulare County is…

Sunday, May 3, 2009 3:36 AMBy Holly ZachariahTHE COLUMBUS DISPATCH “Ciara is the country’s new face of heroin: a young, white suburbanite whose addiction began at 15 with prescription painkillers her boyfriend stole from his father’s medicine cabinet.Statistics from publicly funded treatment centers show the number of people seeking treatment for opiate addiction has increased…

Published: Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 3:30 a.m. “A conversation with a local human resource manager the other day revealed some disturbing news. He was obviously a little frustrated during the conversation. He said it’s becoming more and more difficult to find good workers.” View Article: http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090503/ARTICLES/905035031?Title=Want-a-job-Then-stay-off-the-drugs

By JULIE WATSON and ALICIA A. CALDWELL Associated Press WritersMay 2, 2009, 2:08PM “It seemed an odd precaution, given his risky way of life: A man targeted by drug traffickers was wearing a germ-blocking surgical mask when his bullet-riddled body was found.Even people caught in Mexico’s murderous drug war are heeding advice to use face…

Mother slid from ‘top of the world’ into jailBy Nicole Young • THE TENNESSEAN • May 3, 2009 “Lisa Scott decided to try methamphetamine for the first time when she was 25 years old, and after only two hits she was addicted. It would take nearly 15 years, two arrests and a year of counseling…

Tribune staff reportMay 2, 2009 “Twenty-one University of Illinois students, including some from the Chicago suburbs, were arrested this week in connection with a yearlong investigation into drug dealing on campus.Students were arrested Wednesday and Thursday in two dorms, at three fraternities, a sorority and at several off-campus houses and apartments in Urbana and Champaign.…

The women, 70 and 65 years old, have been arrested and charged with selling heroin.By Joe McDonaldMay 4, 2009 “Elizabeth Marie Grube, 70, and her sister, Elaine Volkert, 65, seemed to be typical women of their age, living modest lives in their mobile home park just outside Stroudsburg, Pa.But last month, authorities arrested and charged…