It was inevitable that the crude and violent Mexican drug cartels would evolve and start using some of the modern technology of the Internet to promote their trade. This is just the start.
By Rick Jervis
USA TODAY
The violence among Mexican drug cartels is not filling just the streets of Mexican border towns: It’s also spilling into gruesome online videos and chat rooms.
The videos on YouTube and Mexican-based sites are polished – professional singers croon about cartel leaders while images of murdered victims fade one into the next. In the comment area, those loyal to the opposing cartels trade insults and threats.
Such videos are used to intimidate enemies and recruit members by touting “virtues” of cartel leaders, says Scott Stewart, vice president of tactical intelligence for Stratfor, a Texas-based global-intelligence company.
Howard Campbell, an anthropologist at the University of Texas-El Paso who studies border issues, says the videos also signal how the cartels have evolved from pure moneymaking ventures to sophisticated groups with political agendas.
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