Ensenada City and Guadalupe Island jointly applied for local finance management rights, and the proposal met no obstacles and was quickly approved.
Mexico City?
The general elections were approaching, and they hardly had any energy left for local affairs, as they were having a tough time themselves.
Anyone who understands Mexican history knows that the period from the '70s to 2000 was a time of political upheaval, when all sorts of demons and goblins emerged, which also meant their control over local regions was minimal. (For detailed information, please refer to other sources—this text will not be expanded further.)
In 1989, Ensenada City's tax revenue was 1.06 billion US Dollars.
Less than drug trafficking... but it was sustainable and legal.
Starting in May, Ensenada City Hall invested 15 million US Dollars in the "Port of Ensenada" expansion, which would become the largest export harbor in Northern Mexico.
They planned to impose a "container tax" on the harbor, charging 25 US Dollars per container!
Approximately 250,000 containers would pass through this port to the United States every year, so the investment would pay for itself in three to four years.
The first proposal under Casare's leadership in Guadalupe Island was the "Friendly Cities Assistance Program," wherein Ensenada City would allocate 200 million US Dollars annually to support the island's construction and development.
Casare took this money and directly increased police wages!
Doubled for everyone!
The lowest-paid "Auxiliary Intern Officer" salary jumped from 500 to 1000 US Dollars! Read latest chapters on M V L
And the salary for a regular EDM officer increased from 2500 US Dollars to 5000 US Dollars.
After all, this was all local finance.
Victor's move was simply "brilliant!"
Victor also took advantage of the situation to establish his anti-drug military force with the Mexican Government's consent, named: ¡¡equipo de emergencia nacional de méxico! (Mexican National Emergency Squad), abbreviated as EDN.
It was the third troop under his command, a legally permitted direct squad, and although consisting of 1500 people, who says it's just a squad?
He recruited 900 young people aged 18 to 21 from Guadalupe Island, and the rest would be supplemented by veterans in time, training them in skills such as armed swimming, survival in harsh environments, and parachuting.
The salary was on par with EDM (Mexican Lion).
Of course, training couldn't be completed in a short time, but after a year of intense training, followed by actual combat, by the mid-'90s, they would definitely become drug eradication vanguards!
This move brought the number of his forces close to 3000 people.
Are they still considered police?
Why wouldn't they be?
These clever moves greatly reduced Victor's military expenses, essentially using government finances to support his "private army"—a very familiar strategy.
With so much money, which could not even be spent annually, there was even enough to develop infrastructure.
"Director."
Just as Victor was idly sipping his drink in the office, his secretary burst in, "There's been a fight!"
The wife quickly covered the child's mouth, tears swirling in her eyes, but how could they possibly hide?
The soldiers, bought off by the drug traffickers, seeing there were more people inside the car, sneered at each other and sprayed the car with bullets.
The bullets pierced through the metal doors, leaving them riddled with bullet holes.
These bastards were still howling.
Because for killing someone escaping to Baja California, they could earn 20 US dollars.
The Sinaloa Drug Cartel was truly insane.
Just as they were preparing to cut off the heads to claim their reward, police officers, hearing the gunfire and patrolling nearby, arrived at the scene and immediately opened fire.
Both parties started calling for reinforcements.
A Counter-Terrorism Mobile Unit (EDTV), approximately 150 members strong and on border patrol, received the support request and quickly arrived at the battlefield, engaging in a firefight with the 36 soldiers who'd just arrived.
Thanks to their fierce firepower, they killed 47 of the enemy, suffering 6 casualties themselves.
This incident instantly topped the "trending" charts.
All television stations in Sonora decried this act, calling it "the Tyrant's troops' cruel treatment of soldiers!"
And they called on the Mexican Government to remove Victor from his post.
Seeing their chance, other drug traffickers also began to wave their flags and cheer.
Even a male television host spoke directly to the audience, saying, "Victor is nothing but a warlord indulging in his own lusts; he cannot possibly be considering the welfare of the Mexican people. It is said that he owns over 21 luxury cars and 73 mansions, and he has a billion US dollars in a Swiss bank. Please, where did all this money come from!"
He even pointed at the camera and cursed, "A greedy, disgusting fool!"
"The new Tyrant of Mexico!"
The show's viewership skyrocketed immediately.
The host, seeing the fire he had stoked, had his program extended by the TV station with one goal each day: smear Victor.
And every day, there was "new information."
Victor had 8 mistresses in the United States.
He had fathered 16 illegitimate children in Guatemala.
He even had a mansion in Baja California where he kept 17 women just for his own desires.
It was as if...
In 32 states, the narrative in 31 states changed instantly, and Victor's positive image was on the brink of collapse.
Casare watched the gesticulating male host on the television, listened to his obscene comments, and sighed.
"Why does everyone always think Boss Victor will play by the rules?"
...