NewsWhore
08-24-2010, 02:50 PM
Today's Diario Libre reports that the black market for drugs in Puerto Rico is huge. Reportedly, US$10 to US$15 billion worth of transactions is carried out every year. Drugs are linked to 75% of all crimes in Puerto Rico. Jose Raul Cepeda Borrero and Gary Gutierrez, criminologists interviewed by Diario Libre, said that Jose Figueroa Agosto's arrest is "meaningless" in the Puerto Rican drug world. Drugs are the second largest industry in Puerto Rico, after manufacturing. Economist Gustavo Velez told Diario Libre that drug trafficking makes up 16% of Puerto Rico's Gross Domestic Product. Criminologist Gary Gutierrez says that Figueroa's arrest, more than a blow to drug trafficking has been described as "an excellent public relations platform for those interested in replacing him." Criminologist Jose Rafael Cepeda said young people begin their career in drug trafficking at the age of 15 and have a life expectancy of between 25 and 30. Gutierrez and Cepeda say that drugs need to be seen as a health problem and repressive models need to be ditched because they are not effective.
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More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#9)