38 Search Results for "gonzalez"

• Fusebox Festival presents MERG

  • From: wyattbrandinc
  • Description:

    Join the conversation! Fusebox presents innovative artistic experiences to spark new ideas and ways of looking at the world.

    Fusebox is ready to start creating new avenues of conversation that bridge various art forms, audiences, and geography for the 2010 Festival taking place April 2

  • 1 month ago
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• 38 Kids Die in Fire

  • From: CRYSTALCHRIS
  • Description:

    HERMOSILLO, Mexico – Sobbing relatives waited outside a morgue Saturday to claim the bodies from a day-care fire that killed 38 children in northern Mexico despite desperate attempts to evacuate babies and toddlers through the building's only working exit. A father crashed his pickup truck through the wall in an effort to rescue his child.

    The family of 2-year-old Maria Magdalena Millan held a funeral for her, dropping white roses onto her tiny coffin and attaching a Dora the Explorer balloon to the cross marking her grave. One woman held a framed picture of her.

    "I love you and I don't want to leave you here!" her mother screamed.

    President Felipe Calderon arrived late Saturday with his health minister and interior secretary to visit victims in two hospitals. He wished the children a speedy recovery and promised families a full investigation to determine the cause of a tragedy he said was painful to all Mexicans, according to a statement from his office.

    The death toll rose to 38 after three more children died Saturday, Sonora state health secretary Raymundo Lopez Vucovich told a news conference. Most of the victims had died of organ collapse caused by smoke inhalation, he said.

    Delfina Ruelas, 60, said her grandchild German Leon died of his burns Saturday morning, three days after his fourth birthday. She and her husband saw television news reports that the ABC day care was on fire Friday and rushed over that evening.

    "I thought he wasn't that burned and that we would find him OK, but he was very burned," said Ruelas, dissolving into tears outside the morgue in the northern city of Hermosillo, where she waited along with 30 other relatives. "They operated on him yesterday, and he held on, but today he couldn't hold on."

    Firefighters carried injured children through the front door — the building's only working exit — and through large holes that a civilian knocked into the walls before rescue crews arrived, according to a fire department official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the fire.

    Noe Velasquez, an employee at a nearby auto parts store who helped pull out five toddlers, said the father of one of the children rammed his pickup truck through a wall. Velasquez did not know if the man's child survived.

    "I didn't sleep last night. I've never gone through anything like that in all my life," he said.

    The tragedy in Hermosillo, capital city of the northwestern state of Sonora, population about 560,000, again raised questions about building safety in Mexico. Officials cracked down on code violations last year following a deadly stampede at a nightclub that killed 12 and a deadly disco fire nine years ago that killed 21. Both clubs were in Mexico City.

    There were an estimated 142 children in the day care at the time of the fire, their ages ranging from 6 months to 5 years, and six staffers to look after them, Sonora state Gov. Eduardo Bours said at a news conference.

    The ratio is in keeping with legal standards, said Daniel Karam, the director of Mexico's Social Security Institute, which outsourced services to the privately run day care.

    A May 26 inspection found that the day care building — a converted warehouse with a few windows mounted high up — complied with safety standards, Karam added.

    Asked if the single functioning exit constituted a safety code violation, Karam only repeated that the building had passed the inspection, although he conceded that the security requirements might have to be re-evaluated.

    "We always have to be open to improvements, especially when we have a tragedy that has so moved us," Karam said.

    Guadalupe Arvizu, who was visiting her injured 2-year-old grandson at a hospital, said the building has an emergency exit but it could not be opened on the day of the fire. She did not know why.

    "The place is in bad condition. It's a warehouse. There are no windows in the classrooms," said Arvizu, whose daughter — the boy's mother — is a caretaker at the day care but was not injured in the fire.

    Some of the children had third-degree burns, the Hermosillo fire department official said.

    "As a doctor I have confronted death on many occasions," said Lopez, the state health secretary, his voice cracking. "But I'm seeing so much misfortune and suffering now, it breaks my heart."

    Thirty-three children remain hospitalized, 23 of them in Hermosillo, including 15 who are in critical condition, Lopez said. One of them is brain dead.

    Nine children have been transferred to other Mexican hospitals, eight of them to the western Mexican city of Guadalajara that has a special burn unit, and one to Ciudad Obregon in Sonora, he said.

    A 3-year-old girl with burns over 80 percent of her body was sent by military transport to be treated at Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California, said Carlos Gonzalez Gutierrez, Consul General for Mexico based in Sacramento, California.

    The girl's injuries could require months of treatment, which will be free of charge, Gonzalez Gutierrez said. One parent is traveling with the girl, and will be housed nearby.

    "It's going to be challenging. The survivability is about 50 percent. A lot of it is how deep the burn is and where it's located and how bad is the smoke inhalation," said Dr. Tina Palmieri, assistant chief of burns for Shriners'.

    Four children have been released from the hospital, along with two of six adults who had been admitted, Lopez said. The hospitalized adults included five of six women who took care of the children at the center, plus a security guard. The four still hospitalized are in stable condition, Lopez said.

    Lopez encouraged citizens to donate blood because he said many of the children are going to need it.

    Velasquez said he and several other people rushed to the day care when they saw smoke. Teachers already had lined up some of the children outside but the very smallest were trapped inside, some of them in their cribs. Velasquez said he pulled out limp toddlers without knowing if they were dead or alive.

    The fire started at an adjoining tire and car warehouse leased by the state government, Bours said. The blaze eventually spread to the roof of the day care, sending flames raining down on the children, according to the fire department official.

    Firefighters took two hours to control the blaze, the cause of which was still unconfirmed. Police trucks cordoned off the block surrounding the cavernous salmon-and-blue day care, while forensic investigators gathered material, searching for clues to what started the blaze

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• Honduras Earthquake

  • From: zackshields
  • Description:

    They were rocking and rolling in Central America thanks to a major earthquake. Here is a story I found on the web...

    By FREDDY CUEVAS, Associated Press Writer Freddy Cuevas, Associated Press Writer – 33 mins ago

    TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – A strong earthquake killed at least one man early Thursday as it collapsed homes in Honduras and Belize and sent people running into the streets in their pajamas as far away as Guatemala City.

    The magnitude-7.1 quake struck at 3:24 a.m. (0824 GMT) at the relatively shallow depth of 6 miles (10 kilometers), according to the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colorado. The epicenter was 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of La Ceiba, Honduras.

    "People were running for the door," said Alfredo Cedeno, an employee at the Gran Hotel Paris in La Ceiba. "You could really feel it and you could see it — the water came out of the pool."

    A man died after his house collapsed in Pineda de la Lima, 120 miles (200 kilometers) north of the capital, Tegicugalpa, according to Carlos Gonzalez, deputy director of Honduras' Permanent Emergency Commission. A neighbor's house also collapsed, he said.

    "Dozens of workers have been evacuated from factories in San Pedro Sula (in northern Honduras) because the buildings have cracks," he said. "There are cracks in the roads in several cities."

    Juan Sevilla, a spokesman for Honduras' firefighters, said wooden homes collapsed in Puerto Cortes, 120 miles (200 kilometers) north of Tegucigalpa, as did a stadium wall in Comayagua, 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the capital.

    Osman Hernandez, a spokesman for the mayor of El Progreso, told Radio Satelite there was "serious damage" to Democracy Bridge, a 1957 span across Honduras' biggest river, the Ulua. He did not provide details of the damage.

    Tegucigalpa Mayor Ricardo Alvarez appealed for calm as officials reported electricity, telephones and Internet connections were cut across a large part of Honduras.

    "It was an earthquake of great proportions that was felt in almost the entire country," said Ana Maria Rivera, spokeswoman for the emergency commission.

    In Belize, people rushed from their homes as glasses and framed pictures crashed off of shelves. At least five wooden houses on stilts collapsed in three towns and a water tower toppled in the town of Independence, local officials said. Electricity was out all the way to the Mexican border.

    "I urge you not to panic, but to remain calm," National Emergency Minister Melvin Hulse said on the radio. "Your government is monitoring the situation and will be keeping you informed."

    A tsunami watch was discontinued for Honduras, Belize and Guatemala.

    Raul Gonzalez, a receptionist at the Gran Hotel Sula in San Pedro Sula, said guests ran into the streets in their pajamas.

    "I ran out of the building and kept going for about a block before I looked back and everything had calmed," he said. "It was really strong. I have never felt anything like that."

    He said the hotel did not suffer damage.

    A two-story warehouse caught fire in San Pedro Sula but no injuries were reported, according to firefighter Lt. Col. Daniel Flores.

    People ran into the streets as far away as Guatemala City, but firefighter Byron Juarez said a survey of firefighting offices throughout Guatemala revealed no reports of major damage.

    The quake occurred in a region where the North American and Caribean plates come together, according to Gonzalo Cruz, head of geophysics at Honduras' National Autonomous University.

    The USGS said a magnitude-4.8 aftershock struck off Honduras about three hours after the quake.

    ___

    Associated Press writers Juan Carlos Llorca in Guatemala City and Patrick Jones in Belize City contributed to this report.

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• Mom kills son while playing

  • From: CRYSTALCHRIS
  • Description:

    7:51 pm ET

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A mother playing with her children at a park spotted a little black sneaker sticking out of the sand underneath the playground equipment. Figuring a youngster had lost his shoe, she bent down to pick it up. It was strangely heavy.

    She had made a ghastly discovery: a dead little boy, buried in the sand.

    For nearly a week, who the toddler was, how he died, and who put him there were a chilling mystery until Thursday, when a drawing of the youngster circulated by police led to the arrest of a young mother on murder charges.

    Albuquerque police said Tiffany Toribio, 23, confessed to suffocating her 3-year-old son, Tyruss "Ty" Toribio, as he slept on the climbing gym — a crime so cold-blooded that neighbors struggled to comprehend it, and even veteran officers became choked up.

    "For a mother to kill her own child is unfathomable. Most people can't even imagine how you could even think about doing something like that," said Cmdr. Michael Geier. "We'll never really understand why that happened, but we now understand the dynamics of what led up to that."

    Toribio was homeless and sleeping in the park, having been kicked out of her mother's home and a friend's apartment in the days before her son's death because she was ignoring the boy and withholding affection, investigators said.

    "What makes this story especially sad was when asked the reason why she took Ty's life, Tiffany said that she did not want him to grow up with no one caring about him the same way that she had grown up with no one caring about her," said Police Chief Ray Schultz, his eyes watery and his voice thick with emotion.

    What had baffled police after the discovery of the body was that the chubby-cheeked boy appeared to have been well-fed, showed no signs of physical abuse and was wearing a matching outfit that seemed to suggest he had been well-cared for.

    But when no one came forward to report a missing child, police came to suspect that whoever buried Ty was a parent or someone taking care of him.

    Police went door-to-door in the neighborhood around the park. They contacted schools, day care centers and homeless shelters. They asked families at other playgrounds about the boy. They reviewed hours of video surveillance tapes from courthouses, hospitals and stores. They followed up on more than 100 tips.

    The break in the case came just hours after police released a photograph-like picture of the boy. Family members and others called a tip line to say the picture of "Baby Angel" — as neighbors living near the park nicknamed him — looked like Ty.

    Then, police received a tip that Toribio was on her way to the police station to turn herself in. Officers stopped her as she was walking on the street.

    The police chief said Toribio told detectives that she suffocated her son in Alvarado Park before dawn on May 13 by putting her hand over his mouth and nose. She said she had second thoughts and performed CPR on the boy, resuscitating him, but reconsidered and smothered him again. Investigators said she then buried him under the climbing gym's hanging bridge, where the body was found two days later.

    Schultz called it "somber day" in Albuquerque.

    "He was a very special child and that's what makes this case so hard for everybody within the Albuquerque Police Department that's worked on it for the last six days," he said.

    Schultz said Toribio attempted suicide in jail and was under close observation. A single mother, Toribio had no criminal record or history of drug or alcohol abuse, the police chief said.

    Julie Gonzalez, who lives near the park, described Ty as "such a good little boy, so quiet, mild." But Gonzalez said the boy's mother was "always partying" and that police would have to be called when fights broke out among the partygoers.

    Toribio did not have an attorney Thursday morning, and attempts to locate family members were unsuccessful.

    Toribio is a member of the Zia Pueblo Indian tribe. Tribal Gov. Ivan Pino said the tribe has asked that Ty's body be returned to the pueblo for burial. People living near the park raised about $4,000 for a funeral for the boy.

    "Let the Pueblo of Zia go through its healing process right now," Pino said. "Give us the respect to go through our mourning at this point."

    Neighbors gathered at a makeshift memorial at the playground consisting of candles, flowers, stuffed animals and toy trucks. Children played on the equipment; parents and grandparents wept.

    "We named him `Baby Angel' and it's important now that we know his real name," said Sarah Sandoval. "Now, his mother will find out this baby has a lot of people who love him and will do anything for a child."

    Stephanie Rael, a mother, said she wished she had been at the park when Ty died.

    "I could have helped her. I could have called someone. We could have saved him," she said. "We're here in a public place. She could have left him here alive and any one of us could have saw him and taken him or gotten her help."

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• Cartels open new front

  • From: CRYSTALCHRIS
  • Description:

    April when he said that "everyone except the authorities," knew Guzman was there.

    Locals say Durango's colonial capital is no longer the genteel place it once was. "We're getting used to the sounds of gun battles, sirens and helicopters," said Dora Gonzalez as police cordoned off her street after an attack on an officer.

    Across Mexico, drug violence has killed 2,300 people so far this year, apace with the 6,300 people murdered in all of 2008. The bloodshed is scaring investors, worrying some tourists and the central bank says it has hurt the peso currency.

    Calderon, who has deployed 45,000 troops against the well-armed drug gangs, says he is winning the fight and the increased violence shows the cartels are under pressure. U.S. President Barack Obama has called his efforts "courageous".

    But the killings in Durango may be a sign of how hard it is to crush drug gangs as military pressure in one region drives organized crime into less guarded areas. Durango's Reza calls it "the cockroach effect."

    In Ciudad Juarez, on the border with Texas, a surge of troops cut drug killings by 80 percent, but the murder rate is now creeping back up again.

    Durango, a sleepy state founded by the Spanish for its mineral wealth in the 16th century, is struggling to win more army support despite pleas from the state governor.

    "Durango has been left on standby. There isn't the will to carry out that kind of military deployment in this region," said analyst Rafael Herrera, a former editor of a regional newspaper.

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• Mexico back to work;Mex open

  • From: CRYSTALCHRIS
  • Description:

    MEXICO CITY – In gleaming office towers and gritty markets, Mexicans returned to work Wednesday after a five-day swine flu shutdown, and dozens returned to a heroes' welcome from "humiliating" quarantines in China. But Mexico's death toll rose, feeding fears of more infections now that crowds are gathering again.

    The World Health Organization urged countries not to quarantine visitors or impose trade restrictions without scientific reasons. But China defiantly justified its quarantines as protection for its densely populated cities. And even impoverished Haiti turned away a Mexican ship carrying desperately needed food aid because of flu fears.

    In Mexico City, friends and co-workers greeted each other with back slaps, firm handshakes — and dollops of hand sanitizer. Some high-rises stationed doctors in their lobbies who questioned returning employees and required visitors to fill out forms stating they had no flu symptoms. Maitre d's in surgical masks stood at attention amid rows of sidewalk tables that were pulled out and washed down for the first time in days.

    The city's health secretary late Wednesday announced that all businesses — including sports arenas, dance halls, movie theaters and all restaurants — will be allowed to operate Thursday. But Armando Ahued said businesses must screen for ill people and make surgical masks mandatory for employees and customers.

    "We're returning to normal," said Eugenio Velis, 57, a graphic artist sipping coffee with friends in the trendy Condesa neighborhood.

    But Ernesto Viloria, 40, worried about his children using public transit and returning to school.

    "Nothing can be the same," insisted Viloria, who works in finance. "The virus continues, even though it's declining, and we have to pay attention."

    Mexico's government said the shutdown reduced the spread of the virus at its epicenter. Deaths have slowed as the country mobilized an aggressive public health response to the epidemic that has sickened thousands in 24 countries.

    Sweden and Poland were the latest countries to confirm swine flu cases, both in women who had recently visited the U.S.

    In Mexico, the confirmed death toll reached 42 Wednesday — mostly as backlogged cases got tested, but also two new deaths on Tuesday. It also confirmed more than 1,100 nonfatal cases. Eighty percent of Mexico's swine flu infections have been in and around the capital, and a majority of the dead were between 20 and 39 years old.

    There was some concern that Mexico was relaxing too quickly, especially with high schools and universities reopening Thursday, and primary schools reopening next week. While "filter teams" prepared to screen out sick students and teachers, epidemiologists warn that the virus has spread throughout Mexico, and could bounce back.

    "We have seen a tendency (of the outbreak) to diminish but not disappear," Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova acknowledged.

    Indeed, this swine flu seems to have a long incubation period — 5-7 days before people notice symptoms, according to Dr. Marc-Alain Widdowson, a medical epidemiologist from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now tracking the flu in Mexico City. And that means the virus can keep being spread by people who won't know to stay home.

    But from gritty taco stands to the Cartier store on Mexico City's version of Rodeo Drive, people were glad to be back at work.

    Jesus Cortez, 43, manned El Taquito Veloz, "The Speedy Little Taco," in the rough Tepito neighborhood, offering roasted pork on a spit as its specialty — tacos al pastor. Nearby, workers sliced chunks of meat from a boiled steer's skull, flanked by cilantro branches.

    "People are just starting to come back out, but they're still afraid," Cortez said. "We're going to have to open on Sundays now, and we're going to have to work really hard. If not, we're not going to make enough money."

    Cartier manager Paula Guerra, 34, waited out the furlough in Valle de Bravo, a lakeside retreat for Mexico City's well-to-do, and returned Wednesday blowing air kisses to her employees through her surgical mask. But she, too, was hoping to make up for lost sales — in Mother's Day merchandise.

    Rafael Ramirez, 65, rushed to the just-reopened Metropolitan Cathedral to pray to a Christ statue known as the Lord of Health, which the church brought out from storage for the first time in 300 years.

    "I gave thanks that the city is returning to normal, and prayed so countries stop looking down their noses at us," Ramirez said.

    Mexico has protested Chinese quarantines and China's cancellation of direct flights between the countries as discriminatory.

    First lady Margarita Zavala was up before dawn to greet 136 Mexicans who were flown home from China on a government charter. None had flu symptoms, Mexican diplomats said.

    While Zavala pointedly removed her face mask and smiled broadly as she welcomed the Mexicans home, the scene in Shanghai was far different: 119 returning Chinese gamely waved their country's flags as health workers in full body suits escorted them into a weeklong quarantine.

    Several Mexican passengers said they were treated well in China. Others begged to differ.

    "It was discrimination and humiliation in my case," said Myrna Berlanga, who said she was taken off a flight from the United States and put in a mobile laboratory for five hours without food, water or a bathroom. "They took me out because of my passport."

    Haitian officials said they would not accept a Mexican navy ship carrying 77 tons of rice, fertilizer and emergency food kits, said Mexico's ambassador, Zadalinda Gonzalez y Reynero. She said Haiti asked for the ship to come "on another occasion."

    Haitian officials had no immediate comment.

    In San Diego, Calif., the U.S. Navy canceled the deployment of the USS Dubuque, an amphibious transport ship, after a crew member was confirmed to have swine flu. About 50 others were suspected cases, and all crew members were being treated with anti-viral drugs.

    The ship was to leave June 1 on a humanitarian mission to the South Pacific, Navy spokesman Lt. Sean Robertson said.

    And the Philippines urged boxing idol Manny Pacquiao to postpone a triumphant return home after beating Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas, saying a motorcade in Manila could risk spreading the virus through adoring crowds. There are no confirmed cases in the Philippines.

    In Washington, officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they identified genetic characteristics of the virus and were in position to produce a vaccine if one is needed.

    Dr. Dennis Carroll, a special adviser on pandemics with the U.S. Agency for International Development, said investments to stave off an avian flu epidemic aided the quick swine flu response.

    Canada, meanwhile, said researchers at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba, genetically sequenced three samples of the virus from Mexico and Canada, a breakthrough they hope will answer questions about how it spreads and mutates.

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• WORLD ON ALERT

  • From: CRYSTALCHRIS
  • Description:

    MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Fears of a global swine flu pandemic grew with new infections in the United States and Canada on Sunday, and millions of Mexicans stayed indoors to avoid a virus that has killed 103 people.

    The death toll from the flu in Mexico has risen to 103 and about 400 people still are in hospitals around the country, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said late on Sunday.

    While the deaths have been limited to Mexico, the flu is spreading with 20 cases in the United States and six in Canada, and possible cases as far afield as Europe, Israel and New Zealand.

    There was a glimmer of hope, however, as the majority of the infected patients in Mexico have recovered from the illness, according to the government's figures.

    Nervousness about the outbreak knocked the dollar to its lowest level in a month against the yen, as traders in Asia fled into alternative currencies like the yen and the Swiss franc. The Mexican peso also weakened and oil prices fell as the weekend news sunk in.

    The United States declared a public health emergency and a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, said she feared there would be deaths in the United States as the new strain of flu spreads.

    The Mexican capital, one of the world's biggest cities, slowed to a snail's pace as millions of residents stayed at home, fearing infection. Many who ventured out wore masks and some companies asked employees to work from home on Monday.

    "This is the first time I've left the house in two days. I had to get some air," said Juan Casiano, a 39-year-old office worker, walking briskly through a city park.

    The Roman Catholic faithful listened to mass on the radio rather than go to church, and baptisms and confirmations were canceled. Professional soccer games were played in empty stadiums, bars were closed and cyclists stayed off the road in the normally chaotic city of 20 million people.

    Mexico's retail and leisure sector faces a hole in takings as shoppers and diners stay home next week. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebard said public closures could last 10 days.

    Finance Minister Agustin Carstens said the flu's impact would be "transitory," but the peso, already weakened by the economic crisis, fell nearly 3 percent in electronic trading on Sunday night as traders reacted to the scale of the crisis.

    The World Health Organization has declared the flu a "public health emergency of international concern" that could become a pandemic, or global outbreak of serious disease.

    A pandemic would deal a major blow to a world economy already suffering its worst crisis in decades, and experts say it could cost trillions of dollars.

    A 1968 "Hong Kong" flu pandemic killed about 1 million people globally.

    U.S. DEATHS EXPECTED

    As cases of the flu spread outside Mexico, there were worries that fatalities could surface elsewhere.

    "I do fear that we will have deaths," the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat said. Officials were readying for the flu's possible spread beyond the 20 cases confirmed in the United States.

    Eight schoolchildren in New York were confirmed as having caught the swine flu virus, although like other cases reported outside Mexico their illness was relatively mild.

    Officials said they would release a quarter of the U.S. stockpile of the antiviral drugs Tamiflu, made by Roche AG, and Relenza, from GlaxoSmithKline. Both have been shown to be effective against the new swine flu.

    Flu is characterized by a sudden fever, muscle aches, sore throat and dry cough. Victims of the new strain have also suffered more vomiting and diarrhea than is usual with flu.

    Although it is called "swine flu" there is no evidence any of the cases stemmed from contact with pigs.

    Officials could not say why deaths have only occurred in Mexico. "I think right now it is really premature to say the disease is different in Mexico from here," Schuchat said.

    The outbreak has snowballed into a major headache for Mexico, already grappling with a violent drug war and an economic slowdown. It has become one of the biggest global health scares in years.

    Mexico said it has $450,000 available to fight the flu, and the World Bank offered $205 million in loans.

    "It's very frustrating. If you go out, you get mugged -- or you get some weird virus," complained Cynthia Gonzalez, 32, a sales manager who spent most of the weekend at home.

    "We wanted to go out but we have a baby so we wanted to be sure it was safe. The doctor said it was OK as long as we're not in enclosed spaces or with infected people."

    (Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Maggie Fox, Emily Kaiser and Lesley Wroughton in Washington, Mica Rosenberg, Catherine Bremer and Alistair Bell in Mexico City; Editing by Bill Trott)

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• UPDATE 21: Mexico News. Mexico

  • From: nikciccone
  • Description:

    In addition to this story, check out my regularly updated series of blogs on the recent surge in drug cartel violence (including how it directly affects Americans): PLEASE CLICK HERE for those reports.

    ===================================

    March 23, 2009 12:42pm

    Mexico's leaders are not backing down to drug cartel leaders. In fact, they're stepping up their game. Half an hour ago, the Mexican Attorney General (last month he said that Mexico does not need U.S. troops to help with the drug war) issued a list of the most wanted drug lords in the country.

     

     

    By the way, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Mexico City and Monterrey, starting this Wednesday, March 25. President Barack Obama will visit next month. They are expected to discuss trade, border violence, and the drug war.

    The following article is from the Times of London:

    Mexico Places $2M Bounty on Heads of Drug Lords

     Wanted: the 24 men who have turned Mexico into one of the most unstable and violent countries in the world.

    Personal details of the two dozen leaders of Mexico’s major drug cartels — along with a promised reward of $2 million apiece for information resulting in arrests — were published Monday by the Mexican Government.

    An additional $1 million apiece was offered for information leading to the capture of the drug lords’ 13 top lieutenants.

    Some of the men on the list, such as JoaquÍn Guzman and Ismael Zamabada, are already targeted by $5 million reward offers from the U.S. Government.

    Endemic corruption within Mexico’s political class and law enforcement organizations has made direct action against the cartel chiefs highly risky for anyone who dares take part in it. Widespread despair within Mexico over a drugs war that has left 8,000 dead over two years, coupled with a determination by the new Obama Administration to launch a surge against the cartels, appears to have prompted action.

    The wanted list — published by the attorney general's office — revealed that amid intense pressure from the military, Mexico’s two major drug gangs, the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels, have splintered into six factions including former subsidiary groups such as the Pacific cartel and La Familia. Its publication comes before visits to Mexico City by various Cabinet members of the Obama Administration, including Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, and Eric Holder, the attorney general.

    Violence from the drugs war has been spilling over into the US: Phoenix, Arizona, has reported 700 kidnappings over the past two years, mostly related to human smugglers trying to extort money from their clients.

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• UPDATE 20: Horrible News From

  • From: nikciccone
  • Description:

    ---THIS MEXICO BLOG IS UPDATED REGULARLY, PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ MORE CURRENT ARTICLES---

                                                              ----------------------------------------

    Wednesday, March 18, 2009

    There could be a major shift in U.S. immigration and drug policy, in terms of enforcement. The Associated Press reports that Immigration & Customs Enforcement is now hoping to target drug cartels and the Mexico border region. This comes after months of quickly intensifying attacks by Mexican drug cartels; the attacks involve torture, mutilation, and murder. In 2008, more than 6,000 people were killed in drug related murders in Mexico; this year there are well over 1,000 already.... and there are mountains of evidence showing the cartels have heavily infiltrated U.S. cities.

    Leave comments and questions below or send me an email: nik.ciccone@foxtv dot com.

    The article below is from the Associated Press.

    Immigration workplace efforts may shift to border

    By EILEEN SULLIVAN and DEVLIN BARRETT

    Associated Press Writers

    WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration may shift tens of millions of dollars for enforcing workplace immigration laws to fighting Mexican drug cartels.

    An official familiar with the plan said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is considering asking Congress for approval to take more than $30 million from a program to investigate employers complicit in hiring illegal immigrants.

    If Congress agreed, the money would be used to fight cartel-related violence.

    The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the request has not yet been made to Congress.

    ICE is also considering send more than 90 more officers to the border, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is hiring 37 people to target gunrunners.

     

    (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

     

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• Drunk Driver Kills 7 Americans

  • From: nikciccone
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    Last updated at 5:00PM, Wednesday, March 18, 2009

     

    Authorities now say the tractor-trailer driver was drunk when he swerved into a tourist bus, killing 11 people. The dead include eight Americans from Texas and three Canadians. Many more were injured, including the truck driver who crossed into the wrong lane.

    Get the latest from the Associated Press report below. Photos come from the Associated Press and CTV.CA, a television station in Calgary, Canada.

    Leave any questions or comments below or send me an email: nik.ciccone@foxtv dot com.

    

     

    

     

    7 Americans Among 11 Dead in Mexican Bus Crash

    Tuesday, March 17, 2009

    Associated Press

    MEXICO CITY —  A drunken driver lost control of his tractor-trailer and slammed into a bus carrying Canadians and Americans touring northern Mexico, killing 11, officials said Tuesday.

    Seven Americans, three Canadians and the Mexican bus driver were killed, said Jose Angel Herrera, a federal homicide detective in northern Coahuila state.

    The U.S. Embassy has confirmed the identities of four of the Americans, said embassy spokeswoman Liz Detter. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to all those killed and injured in this tragedy," Detter said.

    Canadian foreign affairs spokesman Alain Cacchione said Canadians were involved in the crash but he declined to provide further details for privacy reasons.

    The Canadian Press news agency identified the Canadians who died as Robert Lacas, 56, of Quebec, Carolyn Kowaleski, 68, of Caledonia, Ontario, and Marilyn Jackson, 67, of Vancouver.

    Todd Huizinga, a spokesman for the U.S. consulate in the nearby city of Monterrey, said nine Americans were injured and that most were in stable condition.

    Herrera said the tractor-trailer driver lost control, swerved onto the shoulder to his left, then overcompensated to the right and crashed into the bus coming from the opposite direction. Sixteen people were injured, many seriously.

     

    Photos showed much of the side of the bus torn off.

    Herrera said the truck driver, who was among those hurt, had been intoxicated and would be charged with involuntary homicide.

    One of those killed was Ana Maria Bujanos, a middle-school reading teacher from Brownsville, Texas.

    Her husband, Chris Bujanos, said a friend told him Tuesday morning after hearing his wife named as one of the victims on the radio, and a U.S. consulate representative called him to confirm her death.

    "Tomorrow would have been our 33rd wedding anniversary, that's why I'm taking it so hard," Bujanos said.

    Ana Maria Bujanos, 56, who taught at Cummings Middle School in Brownsville, was traveling to Zacatecas with another teacher from Harlingen during their spring break.

    She had taken similar trips for years, her husband said. The bus picked them up in Harlingen on Monday morning and was scheduled to return Thursday evening, he said.

    Relatives identified one of the other fatal victims as Bujanos' fellow teacher, Rebecca Pemelton of Harlingen.

    The passengers were on a four-day tour of the Mexican cities of Zacatecas and Real de Catorce, according to a travel brochure from Viva Mexico Tours, which hired the bus. It was en route to Zacatecas on Monday when the accident occurred.

    The owners of the McAllen, Texas, tour business, Tomas and Aida Gonzalez, were on their way back from visiting the injured in Mexican hospitals Tuesday, said Irma Gomez, who was asked by the owners to come in and answer phone calls.

    "We're praying for the families," Gomez said.

     

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• UPDATE 19: Horrible News From

  • From: nikciccone
  • Description:

    In addition to this story, check out my regularly updated series of blogs on the recent surge in drug cartel violence (including how it directly affects Americans): PLEASE CLICK HERE for those reports.

    ============================

    This story caught my eye quickly. The violence in Mexico is so bad in some areas that members of the U.S. Military are not allowed to visit.

    The following story by the Las Cruces Sun-News explains that soldiers from the White Sands Missile Range are limited when it comes to traveling south of the border. For those of you who don't know what the WSMR is, here's how Wikipedia describes it:

    White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range almost 3,200 square miles (8,300 km²) in area, the largest military installation in the United States.

    If you have any questions or story ideas, leave them below or send me an email: nik.ciccone@foxtv dot com

    Travel restrictions updated for soldiers, Mexico off limits

    By Drew Hamilton For the Sun-News
    Posted: 03/16/2009 12:59:26 AM MDT

    WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE — Soldiers traveling into Mexico may be risking more then disciplinary action, they could be risking their lives.

    Currently, drug-related violence is at its highest around the border towns of Mexico, and all White Sands Missile Range service members are restricted from going to certain designated areas within Mexico by order of the commanding general, WSMR. According to Lt. Tom Benavidez from the Special Operations Branch of WSMR's Directorate of Emergency Services, the increase of violence in the Juárez area is part of an ongoing war between rival Mexican drug cartels and Mexican authorities. Local news media reported that in 2008 there were approximately 1,600 drug-related murders in Juárez alone, and over 6,000 drug-related murders across the country of Mexico. "It's all about territorial dominance and control over the Juárez area. Then you add Mexican authorities; the Mexican police or Mexican military... and it's basically a three-way fight," Benavidez said.

    Part of what makes the fighting so dangerous is that unlike before, the cartels aren't being as careful about targeting individuals, now they are relentlessly going after their targets. Murders have occurred in restaurants, plazas, nightclubs and even medical facilities. "In the past, people have gone to Mexico to visit family, attend funerals, go to the mercado, or to receive medical treatment because it's cheaper, but people have been killed there too," Benavidez said. With the violence spreading to public places, Benavidez is concerned that WSMR Service members, employees or their family members traveling to these areas in Mexico could get caught in the crossfire.

    Making matters worse, sources have indicated the cartels have been intimidating or bribing Mexican law enforcement officials throughout Mexico. A good example reported by local news media several weeks ago was that the police chief in Juárez was forced to resign amid threats to his life and that of other members of the Juarez Police Department. "You'll also read articles regarding corruption, where Mexican police are actually working with the cartels or cartels will kill some of the police officers and the next day the whole department quits to avoid being targeted by the cartels, leaving the city without protection," Benavidez said.

    With Mexican authorities distracted by the drug war, other crimes like kidnapping and extortion are on the rise. Crimes of this nature could involve outright kidnapping for ransom or extortion, which could be as simple as forcing someone to an ATM to make a withdrawal and then running away with the money. Kidnapping in Mexico has become especially bad. "Mexico is currently ranked the number-one country for kidnappings in the world, on that same note; Mexico City is ranked the number-one city for kidnappings in the world; Phoenix, Ariz., is ranked second." Benavidez said.

    According to the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, service members that are found to be traveling to Mexico may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

    Currently off limits to service members are the cities of Juárez, Tijuana, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Renosa, Matamoros, Las Palomas, Acuna, Piedrs Negras, and the entire state of Chihuahua. Service members that need to travel to these areas for family reasons, emergencies, or to meet critical mission requirements can request approval through their command and the Directorate of Plans Training and Mobilization. Approval for travel will be given on a case by case basis and only after the requesting service member has completed level 1 anti-terrorism training and received a threat and area brief from a qualified anti-terrorism officer.

    While military service members have been banned from travel to certain designated areas in Mexico, civilians do not have to follow this order. However, civilians are strongly encouraged not to travel to those same areas in Mexico. In addition to recommendations from WSMR commanders, both the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the U.S. State Department are advising U.S. citizens to avoid travel to designated areas in Mexico.

     

    What's Up at White Sands is a weekly feature written for the Sun-News by White Sands Missile Range Staff.

     

     

    Be prepared

    For civilians and authorized service members that will be traveling outside of the United States, Benavidez gives the following tips:

     

    •Research the area where you plan to travel, find out if the State Department has issued travel advisories or warnings for these areas. Find out if there have been any significant criminal activities or drug related activities within the last week.

    •Contact the American Consulate and get their phone numbers, store them in their cellular phone or where they have them in case of an emergency.

    •Avoid traveling alone.

    4Set an itinerary with times and dates of where you should be and your planned activities and stick to that as much as possible. If there is a change, let someone know. Have a set time to call back so that there can be a timeline in if an unforeseen event should occur. Also have a code word or phrase in the event they are under duress.

    •Avoid carrying large amounts of cash and be watchful of their surroundings.

    •Prior to leaving, if they're carrying their cellular phone, activate the GPS, in case of an emergency.

     

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• UPDATE 18: Horrible News From

  • From: nikciccone
  • Description:

    In addition to this story, check out my regularly updated series of blogs on the recent surge in drug cartel violence (including how it directly affects Americans): PLEASE CLICK HERE for those reports.

    ============================

    Sunday, March 15, 2009

    The war against drugs is a failure. Take it from some people who would know:

    "The war on drugs is a failure," the former presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico wrote in the Wall Street Journal last month. "Prohibitionist policies based on eradication, interdiction and criminalization simply haven't worked," Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Cesar Gaviria and Ernesto Zedillo wrote.

    That quote comes from an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, published today. The leaders go on to suggest legalization of marijuana as a possible beginning to a solution... that's a huge, political, complicated conundrum. I haven't seen anyone prove that decriminalization would actually help turn the tide in the war against drug trafficking. Marijuana is called the gateway to harder drug use so maybe legalization would make things worse in the long run. On the other hand, as is the case with alcohol and tobacco, the trade and consumption of pot would be somewhat controlled and managed. I'm not an expert on these issues and don't feel educated enough to say whether legalization is an intelligent proposition, but these three presidents are experts and their suggestions should at least be discussed by lawmakers who are obligated to investigate all possibilities.

    Many people believe that, despite the increased violence in Mexico, the intensifies battle front in Mexico is a sign of success. American and Mexican officials say that the increase in murders and recent arrest of some cartel leaders proves that drug organizations are becoming broken and desperate, due to the Army's new tactics. The Mexican government says that most, if not all, of the victims are directly involved in drug trafficking... I wonder if government officials secretly believe the murders are helping their cause by decreasing the amount of illicit foot soldiers-- pests exterminated. But are they merely pests or are they weeds, which are sure to return?  

    More than 6,000 people were killed in Mexico in 2008 in drug related murders. They're on pace to have more such murders this year. More evidence is revealed daily, showing how the drug war is expanding and becoming more organized in the United States . If something doesn't change here in the homeland or abroad, I believe this trend will surely continue. If nothing changes, will we start having scenes like those in Mayra Cuevas' CNN story below taking place in our own back yard?

    Place your comments, questions, and story ideas below or send me an email: nik.ciccone@foxtv dot com 

     

    Nine bodies found in common grave near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

    March 15, 2009

    By Mayra Cuevas

    CNN

    CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (CNN) -- Nine bodies have been found in a common grave in the desert south of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, according to Chihuahua state prosecutor's spokeswoman Daniela Gonzalez.

     

    Investigators have yet to determine the identities of the seven men and two women found in the grave, Gonzalez said. They have not released information on how they were killed or how long they have been there.

    Juarez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas, has become one of the major battlegrounds as drug cartels fight both each other and Mexican authorities. The conflict has made violence increasingly common in Juarez, Tijuana and other Mexican border towns.

    Extreme violence among warring drug cartels and the Mexican government has long plagued Juarez and the state of Chihuahua, but the situation has been getting worse.

    Last month, the city's chief of police was obliged to quit after threats from organized crime to kill a policeman every day that he remained on the job.  Watch as mayor of Juarez talks about who is responsible for slayings »

    Earlier this month, the U.S. Consulate in Juarez specifically warned Americans to avoid an area southeast of the city.

    The discovery of the bodies comes as 5,000 Mexican soldiers are descending this weekend on Juarez in an effort to end the violence that has claimed more than 400 lives so far this year.

    Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz told CNN he is hopeful Operacion Conjunto Chihuahua (Chihuahua Joint Operation) will be successful.

    "The reality is that the military presence in the last several weeks has caused the violence to subside," he said. "We were averaging about 10 murders a week; and since February 26, when the troops starting arriving, we have been averaging about one."

     

    Enrique Torres, spokesman for the Chihuahua Joint Operation, said by Sunday there will be 7,500 military personnel, 2,300 federal police and 1,600 city police working together to patrol the city and aggressively fight the cartels.

    "We are launching a full frontal attack" Torres said. "We will also be tackling other types of organized crime -- money laundering and kidnappings."

    Corruption among the police force has been a major concern to local and international authorities. Torres said the city has been preparing for a year to "clean up the local police."  Watch panel discuss escalating drug war »

    Already, he said, more than 500 city police officers have been fired because they failed to pass the "trust test." As part of the "clean-up," federal authorities have been requiring officers to take a polygraph test.

    To prevent corruption among the just arrived soldiers, Torres said they will be frequently rotated. "They will only work in the region one to two months and then they will be sent to other parts of the country."

    Ferriz, the mayor, said government officials are doing everything in their power to stop the violence; they have brought in consultants from Colombia and adapted programs that have proven successful there, such as a civilian corruption watchdog program.

    But he explained that a big part of the problem is coming from the north.

    "The majority of the weapons used for homicides here have been identified as coming from the United States" he said.

    Ferriz said that during a recent raid, local police confiscated two .50-caliber military-style rifles. Some weeks later they arrested another man bringing in another .50-caliber rifle.

     

    "He bought it off the internet in the U.S.," Ferrez said. "It is so easy there for organized crime to get access to these types of weapons. The arms and cash contraband into Mexico from the United States must be stopped."

    Ferriz siad he plans to travel next week to Washington to meet with U.S. lawmakers about the security situation in and around Juarez.

     

     

     

     

    
    

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• UPDATE 17: Horrible News From

  • From: nikciccone
  • Description:

    In addition to this story, check out my series of blogs on the recent surge in drug cartel violence (including how it directly affects Americans): PLEASE CLICK HERE for those reports.

    ============================

    CLINTON TO VISIT MEXICO.

    U.S. MILITARY INTERVENTION AT BORDER POSSIBLE.

    Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Mexico City and Monterrey on March 25 and 26. She's expected to cover many issues, but the main event will be expanded help from the U.S. government to fight the bloody war against drug cartels.

    Also, President Barack Obama signed a bill to give $300 million more to Mexican President Felipe Calderon's government, specifically to fight organized crime. President Obama is considering sending National Guard troops to the U.S./Mexico border, but only as a last resort if things get worse.

    These moves from the White House are in-step with two U.S. senators who, this week, requested that the U.S. obligate itself to do more to stop the illegal exportation of weapons across the border. Various reports estimate that at least 90% of the weapons used in drug related murders in Mexico actually come from the U.S. illegally. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says there are plans to have border agents search more for illegal weapons, but will this hamper their role in stopping illegal immigrants from crossing the border? There is still a shortage of help along the border, at check points and in the wild.

    The information in the preceeding three paragraphs is the consolidation of a handful of stories I read from respected news sources that I trust. Below is a story-in-full and a photo from The Wall Street Journal (plus a photo from the Associated Press) about the United States' growing, and seemingly robust, involvment in Mexico. 

    If you have questions or comments, send me an email: nik.ciccone@foxtv dot com

    Napolitano Targets Border Violence

    

    Homeland Security Chief Seeks to Stem Flow of Cash, Guns to Mexican Gangs

    MARCH 14, 2009

     

    WASHINGTON -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the Obama administration would soon unveil a plan for dealing with rising violence along the U.S.-Mexico border, including more resources to stem the flow of dollars and guns to warring drug gangs.

    "I think there will be some announcements with some specifics that either I or the president will be making in the coming weeks," Ms. Napolitano said Friday during an interview.

    Ms. Napolitano said the plan would include more resources aimed at stopping U.S.-acquired firearms and cash earned from illicit drug sales flowing back across the border. Money and guns are fueling the escalating violence in Mexico that is spilling into U.S. communities, including in Arizona. Ms. Napolitano was the state's governor before joining the Obama cabinet.

    Ms. Napolitano revealed few specifics of the new effort, but said special task forces run by DHS -- uniting federal, state and local law enforcement -- would get greater attention. Those task forces are aimed specifically at the Mexican cartels' guns and cash, but currently have no designated funding.

    Ms. Napolitano indicated there would be more so-called outbound enforcement: checking people and vehicles leaving the U.S. to see if they are carrying contraband. She said those efforts wouldn't hamper the job of stopping illegal immigration into the U.S.

    "We can do significant things," she said. "And you know we're not -- let me be very, very clear -- we are not removing border-protection agents who are between the ports of entry guarding our border. We are not doing that. We need those people....We need those boots on the ground on illegal immigration."

    Mexican drug gangs are warring over lucrative trade routes into the U.S. At the same time, Mexican President Felipe Calderon has mobilized his military in a two-year crackdown on drug trafficking. An estimated 7,000 people have died in drug-related homicides since 2008.

    Ms. Napolitano on Friday cited stepped-up planning by the Obama administration on the issue, as more public attention is directed toward Mexico's violence and its potential to spill over the border.

    "I can say that there are several cabinet- and security-level departments that are working with us now and looking at what can be done," she said, "not only to protect the U.S. side of the border and Americans on the U.S. side, but also to work with President Calderon, because it is in our joint interest that these drug cartels be demolished." She didn't give details.

    Susan Ginsburg, who heads the security program at the Migration Policy Institute, a centrist think tank in Washington, said the administration should create a plan that joins foreign and domestic policy, as well as domestic agencies that can often clash over turf.

    "There hasn't been a coordinated plan," Ms. Ginsburg said. "There haven't been enough resources. And the agencies involved don't always play too well together."

    Although there has been no new funding announced, Ms. Napolitano has asked U.S. border agents to work harder. On Friday, two of the four top issues trumpeted on the DHS Web site were gun seizures and cash seizures.

    "We already are beginning to increase our operation of looking at guns and cash going southbound, because it's those guns and cash that are fueling the battle against Calderon and...the very, very violent battle in Mexico," Ms. Napolitano said.

    She is expected to appear before the Senate Homeland Security Committee to address the issue on March 25.

     

     

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• UPDATE 4: Spring Break in Mexi

  • From: nikciccone
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    In addition to this story, check out my series of blogs on the recent surge in drug cartel violence (including how it directly affects Americans): PLEASE CLICK HERE for those reports.

    ============================

    March 12, 2009

    Below are two “live” stories I did for Good Day Austin about the violence in Mexico and whether it should or should not affect spring break plans. One story covers the general issues and touches on whether it’s safe to go to Mexico for vacation. The second story is an interview with the Consul General for Mexico in Austin, Texas; she explains why she believes it as completely safe to travel to the beaches for spring break.

    Click here for my blog on the ongoing troubles in Mexico… click here for the State Department’s travel alert for Mexico and tips for staying safe on vactation there.

    Leave comments and questions below or send me an email: nik.ciccone@foxtv dot com.

     

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• UPDATE 3: Spring Break in Mexi

  • From: nikciccone
  • Description:

     

    In addition to this story, check out my series of blogs on spring break and the recent surge in drug cartel violence (including how it directly affects Americans): PLEASE CLICK HERE for those reports. (in blogs titled "Spring Break" you'll find the U.S. State Dept's Travel Alert and info for staying safe while traveling to Mexico)

    ===================================

     

    The ABC News report below is the most drastic report I've read so far regarding spring break in Mexico, and whether Americans should go there for vacation. 

    "We are in a state of undeclared war on the southern border," Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, told Department of Homeland Security officials today.

    While the headline grabs attention, it doesn't discuss the issue of people vacationing on spring break, which typically is NOT along the border. I believe that most people fly to their spring break destinations and do not drive across the border to get there, except for some people who go to Baja California, Mexico. Headlines like these give a false sense of fear about the complex issues regarding drug cartel violence in Mexico.

    If you're a potential spring breaker, check out the State Department's Travel Alert for Mexico.
    

    The following article is from ABC News. The photo is from the Associated Press.

    Leave comments and questions below or send me an email: nik.ciccone@foxtv dot com.

    Spring Break Meets 'State of Undeclared War' on U.S.-Mexico Border

    Violence on U.S.-Mexico Border Hampering Travel and Trade With U.S.

    By JASON RYAN
    March 10, 2009

     

    Spring break and sunshine await, but today a congressional panel examined myriad reasons it still may not be safe to travel to Mexico. 

    "We are in a state of undeclared war on the southern border," Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, told Department of Homeland Security officials today.

     

    A subcommittee of the House Homeland Security panel heard from government officials about whether various U.S. government agencies are doing enough to quell violence on the U.S.-Mexico border. Concerns have consumed college campuses and student travel offices as well as lawmakers on Capitol Hill because rampant violence has killed about 7,000 people since the start of 2008. There have been 1,000 murders this year alone.

    The State Department issued a travel warning Feb. 20 urging caution, particularly along the border, for Americans traveling to Mexico.

     

    "When you also now take a look at the violence, you're seeing diminishment on the amount of cross-border travel that occurs with a lot of people who routinely go to some of these Mexican communities just south of the border for routine travel and tourism," said Jayson Ahern, acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

    He also told lawmakers the violence could have serious effects on Mexico's trade with the United States. Mexico is the United States' second-largest trading partner.

     

    "I don't think there is a realization by our government yet about the seriousness to the stability to Mexico," Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., said.

    Still, Ahern resisted the notion that guns coming into Mexico from the United Sates are to blame for the violence. He said that while there are significant numbers of guns coming into Mexico from the United States, there are also heavy weapons from elsewhere being used in the drug wars. Mexican officials have often complained about the southward flow of guns coming from the United States as a reason for the increase in violence.

    "There's a lot more military grade that are coming in from other sources," Ahern said. "We need to make a better definition [of the kind of guns] so there is not the assumption they are all coming from here."

     

    Efforts to Fight Drug Trafficking

    Ahern said most of the violence is a consequence of drug trafficking and drug cartels fighting over illegal shipments of drugs into the United States and said the United States has been aggressively trying to help the Mexican government get a handle on the violence.

    "We've had a significant undertaking with Mexico in the last several years," Ahern said. "We have been working with them on a strategic level."

     

    Marcy Forman, director of investigations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said ICE has eight task forces, established with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, to quell gun running in the border region.

    Border Patrol chief David Aguilar testified that drug interdictions are up as there have been dramatically fewer apprehensions of individuals crossing the border in the past year. Despite the drop in border apprehensions, Aguilar said that the drug cartels continue to think of new ways to get drugs into the United States and have been using ultra-light aircraft to smuggle drugs, mostly bulk shipments of marijuana, over the border into the United States.

     

    Indeed, members of the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee today expressed concern that the Department of Homeland Security was not working closely enough with other government agencies to control the drug trade and the growing violence in the region.

    "I think we are hiding our head in the sands of Cancun beach," Rogers of Kentucky said. "The U.S. intelligence community does not view this is a major threat."

    Noting a series of efforts to increase surveillance and unmanned aerial vehicles in the border region, acting commissioner Ahern said, "I think we can be more intelligence-driven."

    ABC News' Kate Barrett contributed to this story.

     

     

     

     

     

     

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• UPDATE 16: Horrible News From

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  • Description:

    In addition to this story, check out my series of blogs on the recent surge in drug cartel violence (including how it directly affects Americans): PLEASE CLICK HERE for those reports.

     

    ===================================

    Below is a great, nearly comprehensive article on the situation in Mexico. The story explains the roots of the story and goes all the way to the present, explaining why many believe the escalating violence is a sure sign of massive progress in the drug war. What's more, it shows how powerful trafficking organizations are having a profound effect on security in the United States. If the facts stated below are indeed facts, progress is truly being made in Mexico and in the United States (by the way, the U.S. is helping Mexico more and more every day), even though the article's author leaves us hanging:

    While Mexican gangs may be on the defensive for the first time since their rise to power, they are far from dead.

    There were more than 6,200 murders in Mexico in 2008. Already in January and February this year- 1,000, according to the Associated Press. 
    

    The following story by the AP is a great way to get up-to-speed on the bloodbath south of the border, as well as some insight into the source of the problem, and where it's going in the future. Check it out. If you have any questions or comments, write them below (starting an account takes about 15 seconds and you won't get any junk mail as a result) or send me an email: nik.ciccone@foxtv dot com.

     

    Progress in Mexico drug war is drenched in blood

    By TRACI CARL – 1 day ago

    MEXICO CITY (AP) — Headless bodies in Tijuana, kidnapped children in Phoenix and shootouts on the streets of Vancouver: These are the unwanted byproducts of progress in the Mexican drug war.

    While the headline-grabbing chaos creates the appearance of a drug trade escalating out of control, evidence suggests Mexico's cartels are increasingly desperate due to a cross-border crackdown and a shift in the cocaine market from the U.S. to Europe.

    Those pressures are forcing Mexico's criminal networks, once accustomed to shipping drugs quietly and with impunity, to wage ever more violent battles over scraps and diversify into other criminal enterprises, including extortion and kidnapping for ransom on both sides of the U.S. border.

    "This is not reflecting the power of these groups," Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora told The Associated Press in an interview. "This is reflecting how they are melting down in terms of capabilities, how they are losing the ability to produce income."

    As evidence of that pressure, the U.S. government says the amount of cocaine seized on U.S. soil dropped by 41 percent between early 2007 and mid-2008. Reduced supply is said to have raised street prices by nearly a third to about $125 a gram in the U.S. and lowered purity by more than 15 percent. Both the U.S. and Canadian governments are even seeing prolonged shortages of cocaine.

    "The reason you see the escalation in violence is because U.S. and Mexican law enforcement are winning," Garrison Courtney, spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Tuesday. "You are going to see the drug traffickers push back because we are breaking their back. It's reasonable to assume they are going to try to fight to stay relevant."

    Mexican cartels are being cut out of the U.S. methamphetamine market as well, the U.S. and Mexican governments say, though smuggling of marijuana from Mexico has increased steadily since 2005 as demand increases.

    The trouble for Mexico's illicit trade began on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorist attacks in the United States prompted heightened security at the border. President Felipe Calderon upped the ante by directly confronting the cartels on his first day in office two years ago, sending 45,000 soldiers and federal police to battle the cartels across the country.

    Improved cooperation with the U.S. since then led to the recent arrests of 755 Sinaloa cartel suspects in U.S. cities and towns as small as Stowe, Iowa. Mexican authorities, meanwhile, rooted out more than two dozen high-level government security officials, including Mexico's former drug czar, who were allegedly paid to protect the same gang, Mexico's most powerful.

    The U.S. Embassy reported a record 85 extraditions from Mexico to the U.S. in 2008, contributing to a power vacuum that sparked an all-out war among the cartels as they battle for routes to the U.S. and control of Mexico's growing domestic drug market.

    These successes, however, come with a brutal cost: skyrocketing violence in Mexico, with twice as many deaths last year and more than 1,000 people killed in the first eight weeks of this year; more than 560 kidnappings in Phoenix in 2007 and the first half of 2008, and more than two dozen shootings so far this year in Vancouver, British Columbia, where a shortage of cocaine from Mexico has pushed prices up from $23,300 to almost $39,000 a kilo.

    The Mexican government estimates that 90 percent of those killed are linked to the drug trade, and many kidnappings in the U.S. are also drug related.

    Mexico was just a token player in the cocaine trade some two decades ago, when the U.S. cracked down on the Caribbean routes for Colombian cocaine.

    Suddenly, Mexican cartels that already trafficked marijuana and heroin controlled the main routes to the coveted U.S. cocaine market.

    Today, 90 percent of all cocaine that ends up in the U.S. moves through Mexico, according to the U.S. State Department, and the gangs make an estimated $10 billion in annual profits.

    But the U.S. market is being eclipsed by booming demand for cocaine in Europe, where users now pay twice the going U.S. rate, and Colombian gangs don't need Mexican middlemen when shipping across the Atlantic.

    Mexican gangs have tried to develop their own routes into Europe, even forging ties to the Italian Mafia. But they have had limited success and Medina Mora predicts the Colombians will win out in the end.

    "There is no sense to ship the product north, losing value, and then ship it to Europe, if it is possible to do it straight from South America to Europe," he said.

    The Mexicans have also lost control of the vast U.S. meth market, the U.S. and Mexican governments say. In 2003, Mexico legally imported 235 metric tons of the key precursor chemical pseudoephedrine — about twice what was needed to supply its entire cold and allergy market.

    But Mexico banned pseudoephedrine imports in 2007 after the spectacular discovery of $207 million in cash in a Chinese pharmaceutical businessman's Mexico City mansion. Medina Mora says Asian smugglers have responded by shipping such chemicals directly to the U.S., where small sales of legal medicine containing pseudoephedrine are another source of the drug.

    While Mexican gangs may be on the defensive for the first time since their rise to power, they are far from dead.

    A December report by the Justice Department says Mexican cartels already pose "the greatest organized crime threat to the United States," and the U.S. Joint Forces Command recently compared Mexico to Pakistan, saying both governments are at risk of "rapid and sudden collapse."

    Many — even Calderon — believe the violence could get worse before it eases.

    To make up for lost drug profits, the gangs are morphing into powerful organized crime syndicates that are terrorizing Mexicans through kidnapping and extortion, crimes that are spreading into the U.S.

    Both Mexico and the U.S. are ramping up cooperation, using $400 million in new U.S. aid to further weed out corruption among Mexican security officials and better equip and train those that stay. The U.S. has also promised to crack down on the estimated 2,000 weapons smuggled into Mexico each day and then used in 95 percent of all killings here.

    It's a fight both countries say they have no choice but to wage. If Mexico gave up, then "the next president of the republic would be a drug dealer," Mexican Economy Secretary Gerardo Ruiz Mateos predicted last month.

    Calderon says he won't back down until Mexico's drug cartels are a problem local police can handle — and no longer a national security threat. His goal is to attain that by the time he leaves office in 2012, but he admits that may be too optimistic.

    "Yes, we will win," he said, "and of course there will be many problems meanwhile."

     

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• UPDATE 15: Horrible News From

  • From: nikciccone
  • Description:

    In addition to this story, check out my series of blogs on the recent surge in drug cartel violence (including how it directly affects Americans): PLEASE CLICK HERE for those reports.

    ===================================

    More deadly headlines from Mexico... but how much of this do you hear on broadcast news or in the newspaper? Not much, even though thousands of Americans are headed south of the border for spring break. According to the Mexican Consulate in Washington, DC, spring break hot spots are safe, but a California tourism agency cancelled its planned trip to Baja California, Mexico... get that story here. Most of the violence, including the incident in the Reuters article below, took place in areas that are not typically swarming with spring breakers.

    For more on spring break in Mexico and other news from Mexico, check out my other blog posts.

    If you have any comments or questions, comment below or send me an email: nik.ciccone@foxtv dot com

    The following article and phot are from Reuters: 

    Mexican drug gangs dump human heads in ice coolers

    Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:04pm EDT

    MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Suspected drug gang hitmen dumped five severed human heads in ice coolers on a road in western Mexico on Tuesday with a message threatening rivals, a state attorney general's office said.

     

    Police patrolling a highway on the edge of the Mexican colonial city of Guadalajara found the heads inside five coolers left on the roadside, the Jalisco state attorney general's office said.

     

    "They were recently severed heads, cut off about four hours before they were found," a spokesman said, adding police found a message left by apparent drug hitmen threatening rival gangs. The victims' identities were not disclosed.

     

    Torturing and beheading rivals is common in Mexico's increasingly vicious drug war, which killed more than 6,000 people last year and shows no sign of abating this year despite the deployment of 45,000 troops across the country.

     

    President Felipe Calderon has centered his presidency on curtailing drug war violence and reforming corrupt police forces working in league with traffickers, but the bloodshed is frightening investors and tourists from northern Mexico.

     

    Jalisco state is close to the Pacific state of Sinaloa, home to major traffickers including Mexico's most-wanted man, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, and a key transit point for drugs smuggled through Mexico into the United States.

     

    The discovery of the heads of five men between the ages of 30 and 50 follows the killing of seven people by drug hitmen in February in a restaurant in Jalisco, which had been relatively quiet in the drug war over the past year.

     

    Drug violence has spiked dramatically since Calderon took office in December 2006 and launched his army crackdown, but the government says the surge in killings shows cartels are being weakened by the offensive.

     

    (Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

     

     

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• UPDATE 2: Spring Break in Mexi

  • From: nikciccone
  • Description:

    In addition to this story, check out my series of blogs on the recent surge in drug cartel violence (including how it directly affects Americans): PLEASE CLICK HERE for those reports.

    ===================================

    So there it is. This is the first time I've heard of a travel agency cancelling trips to Mexico due to drug cartel violence. The following story is from a TV news station that serves the Los Angeles area.

    If you're a potential spring breaker, check out the State Department's Travel Alert for Mexico.

    O.C. Travel Firm Cancels Mexico Spring Break Trips

    KTLA News

    March 10, 2009

    COSTA MESA -- The crime crisis in Mexico has forced a major West Coast travel firm to cancel its upcoming spring break trips to Baja, California.

    Summer Winter Action Tours (SWAT) of Costa Mesa says the thousands of students who planned to head south will instead travel to Palm Springs.

    Travel alerts have been issued for over a year regarding rising drug cartel-related crime in Northern Mexico.  

    The Los Angeles branch of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also recently urged students to avoid northern Baja, California during spring break.

    SWAT has been sending students to Mexico for the past 12 years and, in a website post, insists that "San Felipe is one of the safest destinations in all of Baja California and Mexico."

    "However, because so many of our existing customers and their families are concerned by the recent Mexico travel alerts issued by various agencies, SWAT has made the decision to provide our customers with peace of mind for their SWAT Spring Break 2009 experience," the statement continued.

    Colleges sending students on spring break include: Cal State Fullerton, Saddleback College, Irvine Valley College, Cal State Long Beach, Orange Coast College, Cal Lutheran and Arizona State University.

    In a March 2 warning, the ATF issued a warning specifically cautioning against student trips to Tijuana and Rosarito Beach. Some students on SWAT tours would have had to pass through Tijuana on the drive to San Felipe.

    U.S. State Department alerts have urged American citizens traveling through Mexico to exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings at all times.  The alerts also noted violent attacks in cities across the country in which "Mexican and foreign bystanders have been injured or killed."

    The State Department also says dozens of U.S. Citizens have been kidnapped across Mexico in recent years.

    Mexican officials say the media has overblown the violence, which they argue is between drug cartels in areas not frequented by tourists.  

    Tourist trips to Baja, California are said to have dropped as much as 60 percent since a mid-2007 peak.

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• UPDATE 14: Horrible News From

  • From: nikciccone
  • Description:

    In addition to this story, check out my series of blogs on the recent surge in drug cartel violence (including how it directly affects Americans): PLEASE CLICK HERE for those reports.

    ===================================

    Monday, March 9, 2009

    Word came out yesterday that the U.S. military will share some of its anti-terrorism tactics with the Mexican military to fight drug cartels. Now President Barack Obama is looking for more ways the U.S. can help. According to the ___ article below, this comes after an American was found, beheaded in Tijuana.

    Will help from the American military help or complicate the drug war in Mexico? Some Colombians believe that the extensive help from the U.S. military in that country has made their fight more difficult, while other say American intervention is essential.

    Let me know what you think by commenting below or send me an email: nik.ciccone@foxtv dot com.

    Below are some short articles; the first is from Market Watch, the second is from Middle East Times.

    The third article is Pete Thomas from the Los Angeles Times. The LAT article reinforces what I wrote in a previous blog that many places in Mexico are still safe for tourists.

    Obama, Mullen meet on Mexico violence

    10:20 a.m. EDT March 8, 2009

    WASHINGTON, Mar 8, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. President Barack Obama is concerned about growing drug cartel violence in Mexico and is considering how the U.S. military can help, sources say.

    Citing an unnamed U.S. military official, CNN reported Sunday that Obama, in a meeting Saturday with Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Adm. Michael Mullen, inquired about how the United States could help Mexican forces with intelligence and surveillance capabilities.

    Mullen returned to Washington Saturday from Mexico City, where he was on a fact-finding mission about the increasingly violent and large-scale confrontations between powerful drug cartels and the Mexican army, CNN reported.

    One of the latest incidents happened last week when a U.S. citizen was found to be among three decapitated bodies discovered in Tijuana.

    General: Drug cartels linked to terrorism

    BALTIMORE, March 9 (UPI) -- The head of the U.S. National Guard Bureau said the link between terrorism and drug cartels along the United States' border with Mexico is increasingly clear.

    Gen. Craig McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, called the National Guard critical in helping protect the United States in the event of a terrorist attack and the growing threat of violent drug cartels operating along the Southwestern border with Mexico, the bureau reported.

    McKinley, who addressed the National Guard's 2009 Domestic Operations Workshop, said the drug cartels in Latin America are clearly connected to organized criminal groups who support and funnel money to terrorist organizations.

    "The Southwest border is one of the most critical areas in the nation right now," McKinley said, according to the bureau.

    "The nature of the drug cartels along the Southwest border is becoming increasingly menacing, and the linkages between drug cartels through organized crime back to terrorist organizations cannot be disputed."

    © 2009 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

    Mexico's drug war, contrary to report, does not mean all areas are unsafe for tourists
    

    8:23 AM, March 9, 2009

     

    
    

    I enjoy watching CNN and respect its journalists, but the station blundered Saturday night while addressing Mexico's drug war and the dangers facing prospective visitors to Mexico during spring break.

     

    "CNN Newsroom" anchor Don Lemon stated at the outset of a story focusing largely on border-town drug-related violence that people in the United States might want "to think twice before considering Mexico for a spring break vacation."

    This implied that all of Mexico is embroiled in such violence, and it's simply not true.

    Cabo San Lucas, East Cape and La Paz? These areas in Baja California Sur, like many areas on Mexico's mainland, have not been sucked into the drug-related violence and do not deserve to be tossed into the fray.

    Resort operators from southern Baja spent much of their time at last week's Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show in Long Beach explaining to prospective clients how far removed they are from the drug-war front.

    A sportfishing fleet owner from Cabo San Lucas told me that some business owners there are suspicious that U.S. media outlets are purposely trying to prevent citizens from spending money in a foreign country during these hard economic times.

    CNN, or the L.A. Times for that matter, certainly would not stoop to such tactics.

    To be sure, the CNN piece highlighted a serious problem that festers in border towns such asTijuana and Rosarito Beach, where violence has been steady (in the former) or sporadic (in the latter).

    But the same story also implied that beaches in Rosarito Beach are unsafe for tourists.

    In fact, not a single drug-related murder, since the violence in border areas flared up beginning in 2007, has claimed a tourist in Rosarito Beach. And I could be wrong, but I do not think a murder of any cartel member or police officer actually occurred on a beach within a tourist zone.

    I don't mean to downplay a serious issue or imply there aren't risks associated with travel south of the border. But as with the United States, some places in Mexico are safer than others, and they deserve a fair shake.

    -- Pete Thomas

    Photo (top): Rancho Leonero Resort is a sleepy fishing destination in Baja California Sur's East Cape region, far removed from the drug-related violence in Mexico.

     

    Credit: Pete Thomas / Los Angeles Times

    Photo (bottom): Matt Miller of Redondo Beach hoists a dorado, or mahi-mahi, caught on off Cabo San Lucas.

    Credit: Pete Thomas / Los Angeles Times

     

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• UPDATE 1: Spring Break in Mexi

  • From: nikciccone
  • Description:

    Thinking of visiting Mexico for spring break? First off, follow this link to the State Department. It explains why there's a Travel Alert for Mexico. Their report is wonderfully detailed and includes specific places to be wary of and specific attack/kidnapping hot spots. Examining their Travel Alert is the single most important thing you can do before deciding if you want to travel to Mexico and where you might want to go.

    Also, check out my series of blogs on the recent surge in drug cartel violence (including how it directly affects Americans): PLEASE CLICK HERE for those reports. Read this report for helpful safe travel tips in Mexico. It also  explains the difference between a Travel ALERT (like in Mexico) and a Travel Warning.

     

    ============================

    March 7, 2009

    The following post is correspondence I had with a reader about traveling to Cancun, Mexico for spring break this year and whether it is safe (drug cartel violence in Mexico is rising). After a conversation with  the communications director of the Mexican Embassy to the United States, which is in Washington, DC, I changed my opinion from a previous blog I posted.

    ------------------------------

    Hi Nik,
    
    Your thoughts?
    
    Much of the travel alerts surrounding vacationing in Mexico seem to focus on
    college students-don't go!
    
    My wife and I; and some good friends are planning a trip to Cancun.  We have
    reservations at a resort south of Cancun on Mex 317.  Our travel agent told
    me yesterday that she would take my tickets and go with her
    grandmother-confirmation of her lack of concern.  I then called my local US
    Senators office and was told to read the US State Department Website which I
    have done over the last week.  The person that I talked to at the Senators
    office did say that he didn't think it wise for students to travel to
    Mexico; but friends of his just returned without a problem.  No concrete
    recommendation from him.
    
    So, given this information, plus your experience-would you take your wife
    and go to Cancun in a few weeks?
    
    I would appreciate you honest view.
    
    Reader
    
    -----------------------------

    Reader,
    
    I called the Mexican Embassy to the United States, which is in Washington, DC. The conversation I had with the communications director really changed my perspective for spring break travel to Cancun. In my opinion, it's very safe for you, your wife, and your friends to travel to Cancun for spring break. You are "grown up" adults, but I would give the same advice to young adults who are going there to party... as long as they're not too big of knuckleheads. In their case, a safe vacation lies in behavior. In your case, a safe vacation lies in common sense.
    
    Ricardo Alday is the communications director/spokesman for the Mexican Embassy to the United States. He put the problems in Mexico in perspective for me, or as he would say, in context. As for the U.S. State Department's Travel Alert for Mexico, Mr. Alday made it clear that he does not want to diminish or ignore the fact that violence is rising Mexico, but he points out that it is unique to specific parts of Mexico, particularly to northern regions and along the border.
    
    Ricardo and I talked at length about Cancun. He says the hotels were at 90% occupancy in February, full of tourists from all around the world. In February, a Mexican Army general was tortured and murdered (he was in charge of cleaning up the city's crime and corruption)- the city's police chief and several officers were later arrested in connection with the murder. The chief and his officers were linked to drug cartels, like many similar attacks are. Alday says this is a situation where context is helpful; he points out this was a targeted attack at an official. Tourists, he says, who use common sense are safe, just as they are when traveling anywhere else in the world.
    
    The most poignant comment, to me, that Ricardo made was in relation to Washington, DC. He pointed out that there are high crime rate in two parts of DC, yet people from around the world visit the city, including dignitaries, foreign officials, and politicians... they just don't go to the bad neighborhoods. Just like Cancun, he says, the rest of the city is relatively safe for tourists and residents. According to this report from the FBI, there were 1,414 violent crimes per 100,000 people in the District of Columbia in 2007.
    
    Again, Alday, points out that he doesn't want to diminish or ignore the rising violence in parts of Mexico... he says people need to use common sense and follow the law.
    
    The bottom line is that it seems safe, to me, to travel to Cancun. In a change from a previous blog I posted, now I personally would not hesitate to go there with my family and friends (I recommend reading that blog, though, because it has tips for travel safety). I'm the kind of guy who likes to go off the map and explore cities beyond the tourist areas, but this year I would be extra careful and stick with highly populated/busy areas. In the coming days, Ricardo will send me a letter from the Mexican Tourism Board regarding spring break travel (they were in the process of writing it when we talked). I will post this letter on my blog as soon as I get it.
    
    Happy trails, soak up some sun for me,
    Nik
    
    nik.ciccone@foxtv dot com
    
    

     

     

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