"Gangsta Culture" serves the political agenda of Five Eyes

"Gangsta Culture" serves the political agenda of Five Eyes.
/ Blair Anderson, Christchurch Mayoral Candidate 2025

I have a problem with the integrity of the reasoning surrounding
today's announcement regarding the Federal Bureau of Investigation and
New Zealand sovereignty. (Remember Edgar Hoover's manifestation of
'the drug problem' when the FBI lost relevance post the prohibition of
the alcohol era)

The media is short on specific details about the FBI's office, which
FIRST OPENED IN AUCKLAND in 2022 also focusing on NZ's gang-drug
linkages. Now they want a deep dive, but are short on operational
details, so accuracy is crucial.

First, "Where": It's in the US Embassy complex in Central Auckland.
It's not just a liaison desk but a physical office opened (June 2022),
and note, it is the FBI's first permanent Pacific outpost beyond
Australia.

"Who?" the key agencies involved – FBI obviously, but also NZ Police's
National Organised Crime Group, including the Police National HQ Drug
Intelligence and Customs. [The FBI agents were likely embedded with NZ
counterparts; it's not unilateral; the "joint" aspect is likely a bit
too politically sensitive and likely above most media's pay grade in
NZ.

"Why" has layers: We heard today that it is to combat meth supply
chains (Pacific PIPE) and money laundering.
Looking a bit deeper: China's influence in Pacific islands creates a
vacuum the US wants to fill via security cooperation.

The Gang angle: NZ gangs now work with transnational cartels, making
this an FBI priority. (That's what happens when they hear better
stories; it validates the deficit-funded budgets. Itself a terrible
way to manage policy efficacy.

Ah, did the media ask? I didn't hear it ask that question? But might
it wonder – is this controversial? Yes, but I am yet to hear any NZ
politicians call it "sovereignty infringement."

Did the FBI aid Operation Trojan Shield to show impact? Stats on
seizures (200kg meth in 2023) might make it credible. But that might
reveal more than PoliceHQ wants us to know.

Could that be the geopolitical tension with China? The previous FBI
Director Wray publicly framed it as countering "malign influence," but
NZ media downplays that angle. Tricky, but relevant. (I recently
toured Samoa and have gained my own intel on it and Fiji)

Here's my breakdown of the FBI's establishment of an office in
Auckland in 2022, and the latest visit to Parliament by the FBI,
addressing the Where, Who, and Why:

(My thoughts on Judith Collins I'll reserve sine die)

1. Where: Location and Context
Physical Location: The NZ FBI office is housed within the U.S. Embassy
complex in Central Auckland (23 Customs Street).

Jurisdiction: It serves as the FBI's first permanent physical presence
in the Pacific Islands region (beyond Australia), reflecting New
Zealand's strategic role in transnational crime networks.

Timeline: Announced in 2021, officially opened in June 2022.

2. Who: Key Agencies and Personnel
Lead Agency: The FBI's International Operations Division, with agents
specialising in organised crime, cyber threats, and counterterrorism.

Engaged Partners:

NZ Police: National Organised Crime Group (NOCC),

National HQ Drug Intelligence,

Police Financial Crime Group,

Ministerial Inter-Agency on Drug Policy,

Ministry of Internal Affairs, [ironically a primary driver of 'P' policy]

NZ Customs Services, [focused on border interdiction.]

U.S. Agencies:

DEA, [drugs]

Homeland Security (cyber/security), and

Diplomatic Security Service.

Leadership: The Auckland office is staffed by FBI legal attachés
("Legats") that are embedded with NZ authorities. Operations are, I
suspect, coordinated by/with the FBI's Honolulu Field Office
(responsible for the Pacific).

3. Why:

Strategic Objectives.
Primary Motivation: Combat Transnational Organised Crime
Methamphetamine ("P"), Cocaine, Heroin, LSD, MDMA, and Cannabis Supply
Chains: inc Laundering

NZ gangs (e.g., Mongrel Mob, Head Hunters) source meth (and less so
precursors) from Mexican cartels (Sinaloa, Jalisco) and Asian
syndicates (China, Myanmar). Yep... been there too!

The FBI currently tracks money laundering, shipping routes, and
chemical suppliers feeding NZ's meth market (est. worth NZ$1.3+
billion annually, small bananas on a global scale, where the drug
trade is bigger than textiles).

Beyond just 'some' Drugs: Policing Cybercrime and Fraud:

Disrupt ransomware groups and scams targeting U.S./NZ businesses, also
linked to Russian [or North Korean] actors using Pacific
infrastructure.

Gang-Cartel Integration:
We know there are ties between NZ gangs and global networks (e.g.,
Australian bikie gangs, U.S. prison gangs).

Geopolitical Factors:
Pacific Pivot: Part of the U.S. "Pacific PIPE" (Pacific Islands
Partnership Initiative) to counter China's influence in the region.
Organised crime in a prohibition paradigm exploits weak
governance/communications/distances in Pacific islands (e.g., Tonga,
Samoa, Fiji) for trafficking.

Intelligence Gap: Prior to 2022, the FBI relied pretty much on
intermittent deployments. Its permanent office enables real-time data
sharing with NZ agencies AND access to NZ's extensive camera and
cellular network, enabling pattern matching and interagency
coordination.

High-Impact Cases have validated the necessity, like
Operation Trojan Shield (2023), when FBI/NZ Police used encrypted AN0M
devices to infiltrate gangs, leading to 200+ arrests and seizure of
613kg of meth. "Operation Ghost" also in 2023 dismantled a Mongrel
Mob-linked network importing meth via fishing vessels, seizing 200kg
of meth worth a reported NZ$140m.

4. Controversies and Criticisms, esp. Sovereignty Concerns.
The Green Party questioned FBI overreach, citing risks to NZ's
independent foreign policy.

Effectiveness Debate: What does Success vs Failure look like?

Seizures spiked (e.g., 2023 meth seizures up 47% from 2021). Touted as
a success, it is, in reality, evidence of policy failure. Meth remains
cheap and abundant; gang membership grew 22% post-2022 (NZ Police
data).

I am expecting the FBI to prioritise U.S. interests (e.g., fentanyl
threats) over NZ's 'homegrown' drug culture and imported
prohibition-fueled meth crisis.

So what is the future outlook? We already see the expanded mandate;
undoubtedly, the office now includes counterterrorism and
counter-espionage, already citing threats from China/Russia in the
Pacific. (While our WinnieP side steps that one)

Tech-driven policing, especially joint cyber units targeting gang
communications on encrypted platforms (e.g., Signal, Telegram, Dark
Web, etc.).

Deepening the dialogue, especially targeting 'Māori Partnership', we
can expect collaborations with iwi (tribal) police to address gang
recruitment fostering mistrust, alienation and the unintended
consequences of 'narc' culture in marginalised communities. Expect
more tears before bedtime.

In essence, the FBI's Auckland and now Wellington office is a response
to NZ's role as a transshipment hub for global drug cartels and its
escalating gang-violence crisis.

While 'publicly' it enhances intelligence capabilities, I argue it
reflects the USA's 'drug war' policy, legacy of their "hard
enforcement" approach that overlooks root causes (poverty, addiction)
– and risks entangling NZ in U.S. geopolitical agendas at a crucial
time in world affairs.

Just sayin....

Blair Anderson (BlairforMayor/Christchurch 2025)


--
Blair Anderson
Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://facebook.com/mildgreens
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com
http://efsdp.org
Christchurch, New Zealand
nz cell 021 823647