UPDATE:

The number of killings in Prince George’s County has unfortunately increased to 13 individuals, including the University of Maryland student that was murdered just two days ago. Prince George’s county police have brought in Federal authorities to investigate this series of homicides that have haunted the area since New Years day. PG County police stated that they found marijuana, cocaine, and PCP during their investigations and have reason to believe that many of the homicides are related to rival gang disputes concerning drugs. One of the victims Alitha Mae Jenkins, 51, of Landover, MD was found dead on a grassy area by the roadside on Capitol Heights Rd last Friday. She was arrested in 1998 for theft and prostitution charges and had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court for drug charges in 2008. Her death was ruled a homicide today by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The PG County Interim Chief of Police stated that approximately 135 federal agents overseeing the homicide investigations will come from the FBI, DEA, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Explosives. Spokesman Maj. Andy Ellis mentioned that, “It is very unusual for us to bring in agents and embed them in our homicide division, I can’t remember us doing that since probably the mid-to-late ’90s.”

Princes George’s County has now become a war zone. The deaths in the county have now surpassed the 8 U.S military troops in Afghanistan that have been killed in the month of January. The Drug War has brought violence into our nation and it is now becoming more evident that the illegality of these drugs has sparked a power struggle between rival factions of gangs. Clearly, the innocent bystanders are the ones paying the toll for such crimes. It is important to remember that if these drugs were legalized they would be controlled by the state government and not by criminals who are here to terrorize our nation.

Our deepest condolences go to the families of the victims killed in this ongoing dispute,

The Weed Street Journal Team