On June 15 of this year, the finance ministry in Mexico announced new anti-money laundering regulations designed to restrict the amount of U.S. dollars that banks in Mexico could legally receive.

An advisory from the Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) notes that these new regulations are intended to mitigate the risks of laundering crime proceeds that may be tied to the trafficking or narcotics or organized crime.

The new regulations are meant to thwart the movement of bushels of cash between the United States and Mexico as a significant amount of the U.S. currency flowing through Mexico is derived from illegal activity, specifically drug sales in the United States.

As for the increased focus on Las Vegas, this is one city that is very cash-intensive, making it attractive for those drug cartels needing to get their cash into the banking system without being noticed. This will mean increased monitoring in Las Vegas will be needed.

While the IRS and other officials will pay close attention to cash-intensive establishments, including nightclubs, massage parlors, strip clubs and others, they will also rely on Currency Transaction Reports banks must file on their customers.

Their tasks will be difficult, given Nevada’s Limited Liability Corporation laws that are often used by shell corporations, drug traffickers, scam operations and money launderers in an effort to conceal identities and source finances outside of the watchful eye. It will be an ongoing battle to fight the surge that is sure to come.
 

In May, Desormeaux was markedly intoxicated during a live radio interview on Sirius XM Radio, just days following the Kentucky Derby where he had received some disapproval regarding his racing performance. On July 1, Desormeaux failed a breathalyzer test before the Woodbine races in Canada where he was scheduled to ride the prize-winning thoroughbred Hold Me Back who later won the $200,000 Dominion Day Handicap under fellow jockey Tyler Pizarro. Desormeaux claims he had flown in from New York for Woodbine after drinking the night before at a friend’s birthday party. Desormeaux was removed from his mount by the stewards after failing the necessary breathalyzer test in which jockeys must present a blood alcohol concentration below 0.020 an hour prior to the race to qualify. He was fined $100 and suspended for one day from racing. Following the incident, Desormeaux lost some sponsors, including WinStar Farm, which owns Hold Me Back.

Desormeaux told the media on July 20 that his actions were embarrassing and unprofessional, although he expressed that his behavior during the radio interview was pardonable since he was on vacation at the time and thus was not expected to ride.

Desormeaux has announced that he is currently undergoing counseling in New Hyde Park, NY, to help him deal with his problem drinking, where he will receive treatment from a psychotherapist and guidance by a sponsor. Desormeaux will be required to check in with his counselors every day, and will be following an alcohol program referred by the Racetrack Chaplaincy in New York while in Saratoga. He has reported to media resources that he wishes to improve his professional conduct and will do what is necessary to meet that goal. Desormeaux’s representatives are supporting his effort for recovery and hope to see the three-time Eclipse award winner return to the track clean and with more confidence.

Several jockeys throughout racing history have been affected by substance abuse. Many professional jockeys began practicing the sport during their childhood, where the substance abuse usually begins. With a lack of proper supervision while undergoing years of intense training, these teen jockeys can find it difficult to break their drug habits once they reach professional status in adulthood. Famous jockeys such as Miguel Mena, Garret Gomez, Noberto Arroyo Jr., Pat Day, and Jerry Bailey have all dealt with their substance abuse problems before the public, with some incidences landing them in jail or in ongoing inpatient recovery programs.

Jockeys may be encouraged to partake in substance abuse or even eating disorders to stunt their growth and maintain light weight for riding purposes. While drug habits may have helped them reach stardom or were ignited as a direct cause of their celebrity, these jockeys can risk losing their entire careers over a single incident involving substance abuse.

A study done by Sylvie Murg, Joanna Gaines, Wei Su and Michael Windle examined how students are influenced in their choices about drugs and alcohol in the middle school years. They wanted to investigate how school-level use of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana are related to the individual’s choice to use these substances.

School-level use of alcohol and tobacco are connected with individual use in high school, but there has been little research to determine whether the same effect occurs in early adolescence. There has also been little examination of the possible modifying circumstances that may impact vulnerability to school-level influences. This study examined the role of peer deviance and parenting practices as modifying factors of school-level influence.

The researchers did the study using a cross-sectional design. 542 students participated, drawn from 49 public middle schools in a single metropolitan area. Students were asked about their use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana, in addition to friends’ deviant behavior in the last year.

Parents of the students were also questioned about parental nurturance and harsh or inconsistent discipline. School-wide levels of substance abuse were gathered from the Pride Surveys, which were administered to all students in each middle school.

The researchers used multilevel logistic regression analysis to look at individual use as a function of school-level use for each type of substance. Differential susceptibility was estimated by examining interactions of friends’ deviance and poor parenting with school-level substance use.

The results of the study reveal that of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana substances, only cigarette smoking was associated with school-level rates of cigarette smoking. The relationships of school-level smoking and alcohol use with individual use were positively associated with students whose parents reported poor parenting practices.

The study’s findings highlight the relationship between widespread school-level tobacco use and decisions made by individual students. If students attend a school where cigarette smoking is considered acceptable behavior by a large number of students participating in that practice, students may choose to smoke based on this perception.

Antismoking programs may find it beneficial to target middle schools who show a high school level of cigarette smoking. Students who suffer from poor parenting skills at home may be helped by additional support that encourages them not to initiate smoking and alcohol use.

Founded more than 55 years ago, Al-Anon is designed as a Twelve Step program for adult family members and friends of alcoholics. Alateen is specifically geared toward teens who may be living with an alcoholic in the home or within the family. Meetings are based upon the Twelve Steps and Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, thus providing continuity across chapters. Meetings are held across the globe in 115 countries; today there are more than 24,000 Al-Anon groups and more than 2,300 Alateen groups.
Information shared at meetings remains confidential, but some Al-Anon meetings may be declared “closed,” meaning available only to those who are currently impacted by a family member of friend’s excessive drinking who have already joined the group. An “open” meeting is open to any member of the public who desires to attend. For teens, however, Alateen meetings are always closed, run by members of the group and conducted under the guidance of Alateen Group Sponsors. There are no dues or meetings fees.

More than one-third of Al-Anon group members are referred to the resource by a professional, and there are guidelines to follow when considering sending a patient, friend or family member to an Al-Anon or Alateen meeting. The principal guideline is that the person’s life has been impacted by someone else’s drinking.
Second, the drinker is considered dependent upon the alcohol or another substance. At Al-Anon or Alateen meetings, only the Twelve Step principles will be used to discuss members’ experiences. Only the consequences of living with or interacting with an alcoholic will be shared and discussed. For example, if an attendee is also concerned about a friend or family member’s use of drugs, they can contact a group member after the meeting to discuss this situation in detail.
Newcomers are also welcome to attend Al-Anon and Alateen meetings, especially if they aren’t sure how their lives are being affected by a friend or family member’s use of alcohol. Organizers say a visitor should attend at least six meetings as they try to determine whether the group will be helpful, and to try other local groups until they find one that is a good fit. It may be helpful for potential newcomers to know that members strive to suspend judgments and create an open, supportive environment. In addition, by attending a group, a newcomer may be contributing to the success of someone else in their struggle of living with an alcoholic.
The stresses of living with someone suffering from alcoholism contribute to its label as a “family” disease, because alcoholism affects everyone in the household. Even if the addict doesn’t attend support meetings of their own for alcoholics, the Al-Anon and Alateen support groups, called fellowships, are a valuable resource to those living with the alcoholic. They remain a network designed to supply hope to family and friends.

More information can be found at www.al-anon.alateen.org.
 

A recent study examined the most significant way a substance user can destroy his own life and impact those around him. Substance use disorders greatly increase the risk of suicide. A recent study examined the role of substance use disorders in suicide in order to improve prevention efforts. The study was conducted by Mark A. Ilgen and colleagues.

The researchers wanted to understand the circumstances involved with substance-abuse related suicide, examining risk factors for violent or nonviolent suicide with the goal of improving prevention and education in individuals who struggle with substance use disorders. To do this, the study looked at the demographic and clinical predictors of violent and nonviolent suicide among patients with substance use disorders.

The study investigated the suicides of 854 individuals who were Veterans Affairs patients with substance abuse disorders. Each patient was alive at the beginning of 2002 and died by suicide by the end of 2006. The cases were compared with a random sample of 4,228 substance abuse patients who did not die by suicide during the same time period.

Data for the study was obtained from Veterans Affairs medical records and the National Death Index. The researchers established a designation of substance use disorder if the patient had received two or more diagnoses of the same substance use disorder between 1997 and 2001.

The results of the study show that 70 percent, equating to 600 individuals, of those who died by suicide used violent means. Certain personality disorders were associated with increased risk of suicide, both violent and nonviolent.

Diagnoses of depressive, other anxiety, bipolar and posttraumatic stress disorders, schizophrenia, and personality disorders were associated with a higher rate of both violent and nonviolent suicide. These associations, however, were stronger for nonviolent than violent suicides.

In addition, risk of nonviolent suicide was higher among those with a history of opioid-use disorder or a diagnosis of abuse involving multiple substances.

The results of the study indicate that most Veterans Affairs patients who struggled with substance abuse and also died from suicide had used violent means. No one substance was associated with an increase of violent suicide, but several substances were associated with nonviolent suicide.
 

However, the DDLA also allows family members to sue drug dealers for emotional distress caused by their loved one’s addiction. The DDLA was adopted in California in the mid-1990s, due in part to the advocacy of actor Carroll O’Connor, whose son committed suicide after years of illegal drug use. A recent case in Sonoma County is an example of this novel approach to drug dealer liability.

Cynthia Siciliano of San Rafael filed suit against her husband’s former mistress under California’s DDLA statue. Siciliano claimed that Jodie Graham-Potts supplied drugs to her boyfriend, Sicilian’s husband, resulting in his drug addiction, which ruined their lives. The husband testified against his former mistress at the trial.

The affair between Graham-Potts and Marc Anthony Siciliano, a former minor-league ball player, began when Graham-Potts was a driver for the family’s limo company. Shortly thereafter, she introduced him to freebasing cocaine, an activity that the couple engaged in repeatedly during their two-year affair.

One of the more salacious details of this bizarre case was the introduction of a videotape that showed Graham-Potts giving Siciliano cocaine and, later, the couple engaging in an hour-long sex session.

In her defense, Graham-Potts argued that Mr. Siciliano was not telling the truth and had a history of drug use before she met him. She also claimed that his wife was filing suit simply to get revenge against Graham-Potts for having an affair with her husband. During the trial, Graham-Potts refused to answer certain questions about her own drug use, citing the Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate herself, in case of a criminal indictment.

During the trial, the Plaintiffs argued that they had a happy marriage for the first seven years. However when the affair started, the husband became abusive and had trouble sleeping at appropriate times; the limo business also started to suffer.
During Christmas 2007, after the affair was over, Siciliano’s wife discovered a drug/sex video of Siciliano and his mistress which showed the couple sharing a crack pipe. When confronted by his wife, Siciliano admitted that the affair had been going on for two years but was over. The mistress claims that she broke off the relationship when he broke her nose in a drug-induced rage.

During the 10-day trial, Siciliano admitted to past meth use but revealed smoking crack changed his life and caused him to become abusive. He also started to neglect caring for his daughter while his wife was at work. Because of his behavior, Siciliano was disfellowshipped by the Jehova’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall, exacerbating the pain and humiliation suffered by his family.
Siciliano placed the blame for his behavior squarely on the shoulders of his mistress; she would cook the drugs for him because he did not know how. The Siciliano’s asked the jury to consider $100,000 as the starting point of a damage award, along with punitive damages for, what they perceived to be, Graham-Potts’ maliciously getting Siciliano hooked on crack.

However a jury of four men and eight women declined, finding Graham-Potts not liable for the family’s emotional distress after only three hours of deliberation. One juror claimed that the plaintiffs failed to prove that the defendant actually provided drugs to Siciliano, a required element in a California Drug Dealer Liability case.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/

According to a recent Google News piece, this increase in crime has motivated Gov. Luis Fortuno to deploy National Guard troops to give local police the power they need to restore peace. This can seem like a contradiction, given ambivalence toward American troops, yet Puerto Ricans are desperate for a change.

One National Guardsman is manning a checkpoint in Puerto Rico and he equates it to being back in Iraq, save for the lush green surroundings and the lack of respect demonstrated by criminals. He noted that in Iraq, enemies are certainly trying to kill you, but will cooperate once captured. Those captured in Puerto Rico demonstrate a much different disposition.

Soldiers were initially dispatched to San Juan and other high-crime metropolitan areas. They were then sent to the mountains at the request of local mayors who were dealing with rising crime in their normally peaceful areas. Puerto Rico as a whole is on track once again for a bloody year.

In 2009, the island had 894 slain. By comparison, New York City has twice the population and only had 466 slain in the same year. Much of this violence is blamed on gangs who are battling over control of the cocaine and heroin trades. This island serves as a major transshipment point for those drugs that are bound for the United States.
 

A recent LA Times report examines two sides to the story. On the one hand, Arizona governor Jan Brewer (a Republican) is calling her state the gateway to America for any activities involving drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping and crime. Her predecessor (and Democrat) Janet Napolitano is now in charge of the country’s homeland security. She claims the state is just as secure as it has ever been.

The ongoing battle over border security is split down party sides. Republicans will not support any immigration bill unless the border comes under control. The current administration highlights U.S. border city crime is down, as well as illegal border crossings. Which side has more merit?

One senior senate aide was quoted as saying the aggregate crime statistics remain stable along the border. The challenge, however, is that a lot of crime on the border is not being reported, which means officials statistics cannot tell the whole story.

Last month, the administration agreed to dispatch 1,200 National Guard troops to the border and sought an additional $500 million for enforcement. Republicans from southern states, however, argue that this effort is barely enough.

The biggest problem is this issue of immigration and the impact it has on Americans in terms of drug trafficking and violence should not be a party issue at all, but one that all U.S. citizens should want to eliminate.

In all the arguments, however, neither party addressed the fact that the bigger issue is the demand for drugs in the U.S. that is driving the problem in the first place.

"The southern border is not only not secure, there’s a war in Mexico that’s bleeding over to America," Graham lectured Napolitano at one recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Napolitano, in an interview, expressed frustration about the Republicans’ singular focus on border security.

"Their position has evolved to be, we don’t even want to talk about immigration reform unless you secure — read: seal — the border," she said.
 

Over the course of 15 months, the Santana Drug Trafficking Organization was based in Reading and trafficked large amounts of drugs from such places as New York City. The location of Reading on the Route 222 Corridor made it a perfect location for drug traffickers, according to authorities.

One official was quick to highlight that drug traffickers, such as those within the Santana Drug Trafficking Organization, seriously miscalculated that they could operate without ever getting noticed. As a result, they sold drugs without fear and conducted a rather large business before it was broken apart in the raid.

The suspects involved in this raid worked to disguise the ring, packaging drugs at various locations. They also used cell phones and coded language in an effort to evade law enforcement.

Steven Santana, Jr., the prime suspect in the case, is set to spend at least 25 years in prison. The remaining suspects each face a minimum of 20 years to life behind bars. All individuals in the case could be fined $62 million as a result of their crimes.

Janice K. Fedarcyk, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the FBI, noted that such drug investigations are designed to rid communities of criminal predators that destroy the safety and security of the area. They are also meant to send a clear message to law breakers that federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are working together to bring them down.