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Deported Veterans Forced into Gangs
*Trigger Warning* military, gun violence, killing, veterans, deportation, rape culture, drug gangs
Previously posted on my Facebook page on December 10 2021.
I’m watching a highly distressing documentary called “Ready for War” which is about US combat veterans who are immigrants who get deported after their military service.
The documentary talks about how, often, veterans who get deported to countries like Mexico get forced into working for the drug gangs there. And because these are veterans, they end up forced to use their training in the service of gangs, even though they don’t and never have wanted to do such a thing. They have no choice, however, because otherwise they’ll get killed.
One thing they said in particular got to me (there were many things that got to me in this documentary but this one in particular screamed out). They said that it used to be that typical gang violence would have over 100 bullets sprayed everywhere just to get one man. But since the gangs started to forcibly recruit US veterans, the situations are not a spray of bullets but instead 2 gunshots to the chest and one to the groin. That’s military protocol, they said, and proof that deported veterans are being forcibly recruited into these gangs. The vets are using their training to be as efficient and “clean” as possible.
