Local lawmen say drug cartels have a 'green light' in New Mexico county since feds abandoned border checkpoints

Local law enforcement officials are taking matters into their own hands against the drugs pouring into New Mexico after the federal government closed two border security checkpoints in the Alamogordo-area. Otero County Sheriff David Black told the New York Post that he has deployed 44 lawmen to try to cover more than 6,600 square miles of land since the border crisis has helped strengthen the drug cartels."It's a green light for the cartels when border checkpoints are down," Black, 56, told the NY Post. "I've had to redeploy my guys." His deputies seized $60,000 worth of illicit drugs in April, up significantly from the $3,500 seized in January when agents were still working at the checkpoints. And, since October, CBP agents have found nearly a half ton of methamphetamine and at least seven tons of marijuana in the area, according to officials. The closed border inspection points at U.S. Routes 54 and 70 served as extra layers of defense against the drug smugglers and illegal immigrants crossing near the El Paso border, which sits about 90 miles south of Otero County. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were sent to El Paso to help with the influx of about 800 migrants a day...MORE