8/10 News from south of the border ...

[Joann]

El Paso Times:
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Pimps force Mexican women into prostitution in U.S.**

Tenancingo, Mex., Mex. -- In this impoverished town in central Mexico, a sinister trade has taken root: Entire extended families exploit desperation and lure hundreds of unsuspecting young Mexican women to the United States to force them into prostitution...

Read more at link above

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El Paso Times
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Dismembered body of federal agent found in Juárez**

Authorities reported finding the dismembered body of a Mexican federal agent early today in Juárez. -- The remains were found near a shopping center, along with a message, purportedly from a drug cartel. Officials, however, would not disclose what the message said...

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LARGE MARIJUANA SEIZURE OVER THE WEEKEND

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La Cronica de Hoy (Mexico City) 8-9-10

Armed forces seize more than six tons of marijuana

Guaymas, Sonora – In a communication, the Secretary of the Navy said that a coastal patrol operating out of Guaymas during the weekend detected and intercepted three fast boats in the upper Gulf of Baja California and seized 591 packages of marijuana weighing more than 6,100 kilograms. (13,420 lbs.)

The fast boats were moving north at a high rate of speed just north of Angel de la Guardia (largest island in the Sea of Cortez) headed toward Baja California. Each of the three boats were powered by two 200 HP motors.

Four people were arrested and turned over to Federal authorities along with the boats and drugs.

http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=524441

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Two federal policemen murdered in Cd. Juarez

Cd, Juarez, Chihuahua – Two federal policemen were murdered last night in front of dozens of witnesses. The policemen were on their days off, according to the Assistant Prosecutor of the Northern Judicial District.

The incident occurred in the downtown district and, according to witnesses; the policemen were totally surprised by the murderers. The identities of the deceased have not been released.

http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=524443

El Diario de Juarez (Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua) 8-9-10

“Here come the gangsters!”

Palomas, Chihuahua – Upon the appearance of a strange vehicle in town, the residents started to panic. “Here come the gangsters,” some screamed while others sought cover.

This was the result of the murders and mutilation of three men whose heads were put on display yesterday morning in the largest park in this border city near Cd. Juarez.

Hours earlier, members of the Mexican Army had located a burned out truck with the bodies of three decapitated men inside.

It was not yet six in the morning when the residents of this border city became witnesses to yet another atrocious crime and saw for themselves, the brutality of criminal groups committing the murder of their victims.

An old man, a guest in a rest home, routinely went for a morning walk in the park, but this time was halted by the ghastly sight of a bloody face in front of a church. He was paralyzed by the horrific sight.

Three heads had been placed in a triangle on the kiosk in the park located at Progreso and Revolucion Mexicana.

Old men, women and children were horrified by the sight. While being interviewed by the press, the residents saw a strange vehicle in the area and exhibiting fear, almost all at the same time cried “Here come the gangsters!” and disappeared from the park.

http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.php?notaid=cd7fbe6c2d20213cbea840daa8ecd03b

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El Imparcial (Hermosillo, Sonora) 8-9-10

Reduction of day laborers in Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona - The day labor market in Arizona has declined some 90% because of SB-1070 and other laws approved over the last two years according to an investigation by the Arizona Republic.

In areas where there are usually up to 200 day laborers congregated, there are only 20 today, said the Republic.

http://www.elimparcial.com/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Internacional/
09082010/462490.aspx

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La Voz de la Frontera (Mexicali, B.C.) 8-9-10

Soldiers seize 11.5 million dollars in drugs

San Luis R.C. Sonora – One hundred ninety kilograms of cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin (418 lbs.) with a street value of 11.5 million dollars were intercepted at a military checkpoint located about 20 kilometers from this city on the road to Sonoyta. The 39 year old driver of a tractor-trailer rig from Culiacan, Sinaloa, was detained for further investigation.

At first, the soldiers found nothing illegal in the cargo, but then they found a hidden compartment containing the contraband.

http://www.oem.com.mx/lavozdelafrontera/notas/n1738552.htm

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-end of report-

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Saturday 7/7/10

El Universal (Mexico City) 8/6/10

A clear and present danger

Last April the FBI warned of the risks that criminal organizations operating along the US-Mexico border could be used by terrorist groups to provide the means for transporting weapons of mass destruction into the US. The report presented to the US Congress in April by FBI Director Robert S. Mueller establishes that the potential for terrorist related activities associated with criminal gangs and organizations goes along with the increase of human and drug trafficking over the southwest border. This is a continuing and always present preoccupation that the criminal organizations could facilitate the smuggling of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons and their materials. The report points out that “globalization makes it easier to gain access to weapons of mass destruction and the transfer of materials.” This reduces the margin of security.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/179541.html

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Narco-blockades disrupting travel in Monterrey

More than 20 foreign and domestic flights were suspended for two hours Friday morning in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, due to blockages by narco gangs on the major route to the airport. Criminal groups used large tractor-trailer trucks parked across the highway to block traffic. Because of the blockades, airport officials suspended all flights between 0600 and 0800 hours. [No arrests were reported or reasons for the disrupting activity.]

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/700112.html

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Cartel terrorist tactics worry US

Washington (from El Universal correspondent) – The US State Department expressed its preoccupation regarding the increasing use of “terrorist tactics” by drug cartels in Mexico, which represent an additional challenge to Mexican law enforcement and a threat to the security of the US. “The cartels, in an increasing way, are using a military terrorist style to attack the (Mexican) security forces,” indicated an annual report from the US State Department issued Thursday. In the section of the report dedicated to Mexico, the US government considers that, despite that organized crime and the cartels have no connections with organized international terrorists like Al Qaeda, the escalation of violence by narcotraffickers has created “potential vulnerabilities” that terrorist organizations wishing to penetrate into the US might be able to exploit.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/179525.html

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/700051.html

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Narco seeking to destabilize Tamaulipas state

The governor of the US-Mexico border state of Tamaulipas, Eugenio Hernandez Flores, affirmed that criminal groups are trying to destabilize his state, referring to a car-bomb that exploded inside the Public Security complex in Ciudad Victoria, the state capital. The governor noted that, because of violent attacks that have occurred in various cities in the state, he alerted public security offices to maintain high levels of alert and coordination of forces.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/700226.html

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Cuarto Poder (Chiapas state) 8/6/10

Commentary on potential terrorist threat

[Columnist Mario Ruiz Redondo in Chiapas, one of Mexico's southern border states, writes in part: ]

Porous southern border, ideal for terrorists. Here we have published it repeatedly: The national security of Mexico remains at permanent risk on the southern border with Central America due to there not existing even minimum control of foreigners of diverse nationalities, especially those as distant as the Arab countries, mainly Iraq, who enter Chiapas undocumented.

In fact, they have become an excellent business for those who engage in the trafficking of illegals in conspiracy with immigration authorities, federal, state and municipal police. Despite the easy detection by their physical appearance and language, they cross without major problems en route to the US.

This not so new problem is closely observed by North American agents of the CIA and FBI, infiltrated into the region without authorization by the Mexican government, a presence that reveals Washington’s preoccupation with the vulnerability of its backyard Mexicans, given the prevailing corruption among government representatives who make viable the transit of potential security risks to the North American territory. The report issued this Thursday, July 5, by the US State Department should concern Felipe Calderon’s administration since it warns that the vulnerability of Mexico’s northern and southern borders could be exploited by terrorists trying to enter the US.

[The somewhat laborious commentary continues on this theme at length making the point that porosity on both borders enhances the risks of terrorism.]

http://www.cuarto-poder.com.mx/PagP...689&idNoticiaSeccion=8&idNoticiaSubseccion=28

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El Financiero (Mexico City) 8/6/10

Democrats criticized for “border security first” policy

Washington (Notimex) – Leaders of pro-immigrants criticized Democrats who control the US Congress for backing “border security first” in lieu of an integrated immigration reform. “The Democrats in the Senate choose to ignore reality by approving a project of ‘border security first’ that will not resolve our dysfunctional migratory system,” maintains the president of the National Immigration Forum, Ali Noorani. The Senate approved a bill by Democrats Charles Schumer and Claire McCaskill that assigns 600 million dollars to increase the number of border agents and unmanned aircraft along the border, among other measures. Legislators “continue throwing money at border security” when diverse sources report a reduction of crimes in that area, the reduction of illegal immigration and the fact that violence has not increased, maintained Noorani. He points out that these measures, “without a clear strategy for an integral immigration reform, are no more than political posturing and misspending of federal resources.”

http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/ElFinanciero/Portal/cfpages/contentmgr
.cfm?docId=278451&docTipo=1&orderby=docid&sortby=ASC

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Mexican Marines 4; Zetas 0

The office of the Mexican Navy reported that its infantry troops [Marines] engaged the militant armed criminal gang, Los Zetas, in a gun battle in Tamaulipas, killing four of the Zetas. The Marines were on routine patrol near the town of San Fernando when they were attacked by gunfire. During the firefight that ensued, four of the attackers, “presumed members of Los Zetas,” were killed. No military losses were recorded. After the attackers were forced into a retreat, the military seized a rocket launcher, 7 assault rifles, 3 grenades, unused ammo and other battle equipment.

http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/ElFinanciero/Portal/cfpages/contentmgr
.cfm?docId=278415&docTipo=1&orderby=docid&sortby=ASC

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Mexican Consuls on abuse alert

San Diego (Notimex) – The five Mexican Consulates in Arizona together launched a program translating to ‘Campaign of Preventive Protection 2010′ to prevent abuses against Mexicans in the state, according to Oscar de la Torre Amezcua, Consul in Douglas. The objective is to prevent violations of migrant rights and provide consular protection in cases when, unfortunately, our countrymen are objects of violation of rights,” he said.

http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/ElFinanciero/Portal/cfpages/contentmgr
.cfm?docId=278367&docTipo=1&orderby=docid&sortby=ASC

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Excelsior (Mexico City) 8/6/10

Racial discrimination in Mexico?

Veracruz – Some 2,500 indigenous Mexicans initiated a second National Indigenous Forum in Veracruz with the objective of unifying the 62 native ethnic groups in Mexico against discrimination, subjection, exploitation and marginalization. In Mexico, with a population of 107 million, there are some 12 million

indigenous people who mainly live in poverty and exclusion. Among Mexico’s 62 native groups, there are 50 to 70 different languages.

http://www.nuevoexcelsior.com.mx/index.php?m=nota&id_nota=646879

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Sunday 8/8/10

El Universal (Mexico City) 8/7/10

Calderon blames US arms for increased violence

Mexican President Felipe Calderon reiterated to the US government the urgency of closing the lengthy common border to the smuggling of arms that are falling into the hands of narcotraffickers in his country. In an interview on the Colombian Radio Caracol network, Calderon reported that the violence in Mexico has “increased enormously” since 2004 when US authorities lifted the prohibition on sales of assault weapons. Calderon said that in his three and a half years in office, Mexico has seized 85,000 weapons, including nearly 50,000 AK-47 and R-15 assault rifles, some 6,000 grenades, and dozens of .50 caliber Barrett rifles, arms he maintains were brought in from the US across the US-Mexican border. “If they want to seal the border, seal it against arms because it is prohibited to export them to countries where their use is prohibited,” he said.

Turning to the immigration issue, Calderon said that walls and barriers on the border “are not resolving the underlying problem and are creating an enormous pressure that leads nowhere.” He said that migration, “obeys economic and social phenomena that cannot be stopped by decree.”

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/700305.html

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La Jornada (Mexico City) 8/7/10

Federal Police in Cd. Juarez protest corrupt commander

At least 300 armed Federal Police blocked Lopez Mateos Avenue in Tijuana, Baja California, to demand the dismissal of a police commander they identified as “Salomon,” accused of having ties to organized crime. According to the demonstrators, Commander Salomon Alarcon, alias El Chaman, requests money from them and obliges them to do what he says, such as carrying out kidnappings and extortions, under the threat of “planting” drugs on them if they don’t obey. The demonstrators were demanding the presence of the general commissioner of the Federal Police, Facundo Rosas, who arrived at the location to talk with them.

http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/...rales-exigen-destituir-a-comandante-en-juarez

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Monday 8/9/10

El Financiero (Mexico City) 8/8/10

Mexico seeks to sensitize US about dangers of arms traffic

Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Relations, Patricia Espinosa, said that her government seeks to “sensitize” the US Congress about the danger that arms trafficking represents to the security of both countries. She explains that the dealing of arms “not only affects Mexico, but also the US society,” where in cities like Washington and New Orleans, there are indications of “very dramatic” violence, beyond those of her country. Recognizing the divisiveness of this issue in the US, she is hoping for at least a return to the prohibition of assault rifle sales.

http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/ElFinanciero/Portal/cfpages/contentmgr
.cfm?docId=278543&docTipo=1&orderby=docid&sortby=ASC

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-end of report-

 

[Joann]

Free report from Stratfor ...

This article is best viewed at site with embedded links:

Mexico's Juarez Cartel Gets Desperate

By Scott Stewart

On Aug. 3, the U.S. Consulate in Juarez, Mexico, reopened after being closed for four days. On July 29, the consulate had announced in a warden message that it would be closed July 30 and would remain closed until a review of the consulate’s security posture could be completed.

The closure appears to be linked to a message found on July 15, signed by La Linea, the enforcement arm of the Juarez cartel. This message was discovered at the scene shortly after a small improvised explosive device (IED) in a car was used in a well-coordinated ambush against federal police agents in Juarez, killing two agents. In the message, La Linea claimed credit for the attack and demanded that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FBI investigate and remove the head of Chihuahua State Police Intelligence (CIPOL), who the message said is working with the Sinaloa Federation and its leader, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera. The message threatened that if the intelligence official was not removed by July 30, La Linea would deploy a car bomb with 100 kilograms of high explosives in Juarez.

The deadline has now passed without incident and the consulate has reopened. Examining this chain of events provides some valuable insights into the security of U.S. diplomatic facilities as well as the current state of events in Juarez, a city that in recent years has experienced levels of violence normally associated with an active war zone.

Security Standards

When considering the threats in Juarez that led to the closure of the U.S. consulate, it is useful to examine the building itself. The consulate is housed in a new building that was constructed in accordance with security specifications laid out by the U.S. State Department’s Standard Embassy Design (SED) program, standards first established by the Inman Commission in 1985. This means that the building was constructed using a design intended to withstand a terrorist attack and providing concentric rings of security. In addition to an advanced concrete structure and blast-resistant windows, such facilities also feature a substantial perimeter wall intended to protect the facility and to provide a standoff distance of at least 100 feet from any potential explosive device. This standoff distance is crucial in defending against large vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) because such a device can cause catastrophic damage to even a well-designed structure if it is allowed to get close to the structure before detonation. When combined, a heavy perimeter wall, sufficient standoff distance and advanced structural design have proved very effective in withstanding even large attacks.

The U.S. Consulate in Juarez is a well-designed building with adequate standoff. Certainly, the building could withstand the type of attacks that the cartels in Mexico have conducted to date, which have largely consisted of armed assaults, grenade attacks (the U.S. consulates in Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo have been attacked using hand grenades in the past two years) and occasional attacks involving small IEDs.

The building and its perimeter would also likely withstand a VBIED attack of the size threatened by La Linea, but such an attack is not something the U.S. government would want to risk. Despite the security design of the Juarez consulate, a VBIED attack would likely cause substantial damage to the facility and could result in the deaths of people outside the building. Perhaps the most vulnerable people during such an attack would be the hundreds of Mexican citizens (and other foreigners) who visit the consulate every day to apply for immigrant visas. Juarez and Mexico City are the only two U.S. diplomatic posts in Mexico that issue immigrant visas and both have a very heavy flow of visa applicants. U.S. consulates also frequently have a number of American citizens who visit each day in search of consular services.

Such visitors are screened at a security facility located on the edge of the consulate’s perimeter in order to keep weapons from entering the consulate complex. This screening facility/waiting area lacks standoff distance and would provide a soft target vulnerable to an attack. The local guards who provide perimeter security for the facility and screen visitors would also be vulnerable. The concern over the vulnerability of visitors was evidenced in the warden message that announced the Juarez consulate’s closure. In the message, people were urged to avoid the area of the consulate during the closure, which not only would reduce the risk of collateral damage if an attack occurred but would also give security personnel less activity to monitor for potential threats.

One other intriguing point about the security at the U.S. Consulate in Juarez and its closure due to La Linea’s VBIED threat is that the incident did not occur at a diplomatic post in a far-away terrorist hotspot like Yemen, Iraq or Pakistan. The U.S. Consulate in Juarez is located less than seven miles from downtown El Paso, Texas.

Desperate Measures

As we noted some months back, there have been persistent rumors that the Mexican government has favored the Sinaloa cartel and its leader, Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka “El Chapo.” This charge has been leveled by opposing cartels (like Los Zetas and the Juarez cartel), and events on the ground have seemingly supported the accusations, despite occasional indications to the contrary, like the July 29 death of Sinaloa operative Ignacio “El Nacho” Coronel Villarreal in a shootout with the Mexican military.

Whether or not such charges are true, it is quite evident that the Juarez cartel believes them to be so, and has acted accordingly. For example, in March, three local employees of the U.S. Consulate in Juarez were murdered, two of whom were U.S. citizens. According to the Mexican newspaper El Diario, a member of the Los Aztecas street gang was arrested and has confessed to his participation in the murders. Los Aztecas and its American cousin, Barrio Azteca, are both closely linked to the Juarez cartel. According to El Diario, the arrested Azteca member said that a decision was made by leaders in the Barrio Azteca gang and Juarez cartel to attack U.S. citizens in the Juarez area in an effort to force the U.S. government to intervene in the Mexican government’s war against the cartels and act as a “neutral referee,” thereby helping to counter the Mexican government’s favoritism toward El Chapo and the Sinaloa Federation.

Then, in the wake of the July 15 IED ambush in Juarez, La Linea left the message threatening to deploy a VBIED in Juarez if the FBI and DEA did not investigate and remove the head of CIPOL. Using an IED in an ambush to get the world’s attention (which it did) and then threatening to attack using an even larger device is further evidence that the Juarez cartel believes the Mexican government is favoring Sinaloa.

And this brings us to the current situation in Juarez. The Juarez cartel is wounded, its La Linea enforcer group and Los Aztecas ally having been hit heavily in recent months by both the Mexican government and Sinaloa forces. The last thing the group wants to do is invite the full weight of the U.S. government down upon its head by becoming the Mexican version of Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel, which launched a war of terror upon Colombia that featured large VBIEDs and resulted in Escobar’s death and the destruction of his organization. In a similar case closer to home for the Juarez cartel, one of that cartel’s predecessors, the Guadalajara cartel, was dismantled after the U.S. government turned the full force of its drug enforcement power against the organization following the 1985 torture and execution of U.S. DEA special agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Intervention by the U.S. government prompted by the Juarez cartel not only would focus on the organization in Mexico but also would likely result in U.S. law enforcement going after the organization’s assets and personnel inside the United States, which could be devastating for the cartel.

The current leader of the Juarez cartel, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, is the nephew of Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, one of the leaders of the Guadalajara cartel and one of the Mexican traffickers arrested in 1985 and convicted of killing Camarena. Fonseca Carrillo was also convicted of murdering two American tourists in Guadalajara in 1985 and a host of other charges. Now in his late 70s and reportedly suffering from cancer, Fonseca Carrillo will die in prison. Because of this family history, there is very little doubt that Carrillo Fuentes realizes the potential danger of using such tactics against the U.S. government.

And yet despite these dangers, both to the organization and to himself, Carrillo Fuentes and his followers have apparently tried to draw the U.S. government deeper into the conflict in Juarez (though they have been careful so far not to assassinate any U.S. diplomats or conduct any large and indiscriminate terrorist attacks). At present, the Juarez cartel seems to be walking a tight line of trying to get the U.S. government’s attention in Juarez while not doing anything too provocative.

These actions reflect the desperate situation in which the cartel finds itself. In practical terms, an increase in U.S. activity in Juarez would not only hurt Sinaloa but also impact the ability of the Juarez cartel to traffic narcotics. Although the FBI has already noted that it believes Sinaloa now controls the flow of narcotics through Juarez, the willingness of the Juarez cartel to suffer this type of impact on its own operations indicates that the organization believes the deck is stacked against it and that it needs an outside force to help counter the combined efforts of the Sinaloa Federation and the Mexican government.

For its part, the U.S. government has not shown the willingness to become more actively involved in Juarez, nor does it have the permission of the Mexican government to do so. The Mexicans are very protective of their sovereignty, and the U.S. government has shown that it will not overstep its bounds unless it is provoked by an incident like the Camarena murder. This means that the limited threats and attacks the Juarez cartel has been using are unlikely to result in any real increase in the U.S. presence in Juarez.

Ordinarily our assessment would be that the various Mexican cartels learned from the Camarena case and Escobar’s experience in Colombia and have been very careful not to provoke the U.S. government and to avoid being labeled narco-terrorists. It simply would not be good for business, and the cartels are, in fact, businesses, even though they specialize in an illicit trade. That said, in the recent past, we have witnessed cartels doing things inside Mexico that used to be considered taboo, like selling narcotics on Mexico’s domestic market, in an effort to raise money so they can continue their fight for control of their territory. (Their ability to make money has been affected not only by the cartel wars but also by drug interdiction efforts.) We have also seen cartels that are desperate for cash becoming increasingly involved in human smuggling and in kidnapping and extortion rackets.

It will be important to watch the Juarez cartel closely over the next few months as the United States refuses to become more involved and as the cartel becomes increasingly desperate. We believe the Sinaloa Federation and the Mexican government will continue aggressively to target the remnants of the Juarez cartel. Faced with this continued onslaught, will the Juarez cartel choose to go quietly into the night and allow Sinaloa to exercise uncontested control over the Juarez plaza, or will it in desperation undertake an even more audacious attempt to draw the United States into Juarez? Killing U.S. consulate employees has not succeeded in increasing the U.S. presence, and neither has threatening a VBIED, so it may feel compelled to take things up a notch.

Although we have not yet seen a VBIED deployed in Mexico, explosives are readily available in the country, and the July 15 attack demonstrated that La Linea has the ability to deploy a small IED in a fairly sophisticated manner. It is quite possible that La Linea could use that same technology to craft a larger device, even a VBIED. The capability, then, seems to be there for larger attacks. This leaves the intent part of the threat equation. It will be important to see, above all, if desperation pushes Carrillo Fuentes and the Juarez cartel to take the next, large step.


Reprinting or republication of this report on websites is authorized by prominently displaying the following sentence at the beginning or end of the report, including the hyperlink to STRATFOR:

"This report is republished with permission of STRATFOR"

 

[Joann]

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Foreign News Report

The National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers (NAFBPO) extracts and condenses the material that follows from Mexican and Central and South American on-line media sources on a daily basis. You are free to disseminate this information, but we request that you credit NAFBPO as being the provider.

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Cambio de Michoacan (Morelia, Michoacan) 8-10-10

Calderon challenges parties to decide of Mexico should withdraw from fighting crime

Mexico City, D.F. – President Felipe Calderon challenged political party leaders to proclaim publicly if Mexico should withdraw from its war against organized crime.

In a dialogue with all the political parties in Mexico, the PRI, PRD, PAN, Convergencia, Nueva Alianza and the Partido Verde, and Senator Arturo Escobar, Calderon challenged the leaders to decide if the federal mandate and the strategy against crime should be questioned. And, he (Calderon) asked them to express their commitment with clear objectives and proposals.

“Declare openly and publicly if the state (of Mexico) should continue to fight and complete what needs to be done to preserve the foundation of the republic. If anyone feels that the government is in error in its fight against criminality, now is your opportunity to declare that openly and sincerely,” says the presidential mandate.

http://www.cambiodemichoacan.com.mx/vernota.php?id=131281

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El Debate (Culiacan, Sinaloa) 8-10-10

Five undocumented Guatemalans captured

Los Mochis - Five undocumented Guatemalans were arrested by Federal Highway Police this morning on a bus, among them was the smuggler.

The Guatemalans were destined to Altar, Sonora, but were turned over to the state prosecutor for disposition after their sworn statements were taken.

http://www.debate.com.mx/eldebate/Articulos/ArticuloPrimera.asp?IdArt=10095494&IdCat=6087

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Three Sinaloans jailed in Nicaragua

Managua - Judicial spokesmen publicly stated that a Nicaraguan judge has ordered three Mexicans jailed for money laundering for narcotics traffickers. The men were arrested in two vehicles containing 202 million dollars north of Managua.

The judge scheduled a preliminary hearing for the 17th of August.

http://www.debate.com.mx/eldebate/Articulos/ArticuloPrimera.asp?IdArt=10095494&IdCat=6087

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El Diario de Juarez (Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua) 8-10-10

Border insecurity a myth

Washington – The results of a poll taken among U.S. border residents released today concludes that border insecurity is a myth perpetrated by U.S. political conservatives in order to put troops on the border.

This myth is propagated by political personalities, such as Republican Governor Jan Brewer, who recently spoke of “murderers, chaos and terror” in the region, but “statistics show that the border region is among the most secure areas in the nation where there has been no demonstrable rise in crime in several years,” according to the pro-immigrant organization Border Network for Human Rights in poll results released today.

The poll was taken in July from more than 1200 border residents in California and Arizona.

The results were released to the U.S. House of Representatives which approved 600 million dollars to improve security along more than 3000 kilometers of U.S./Mexico border. The House also approved the deployment of 1200 National Guardsmen to Support the U.S. Border Patrol. Since the bill with be forwarded to the U.S. Senate in September, pro-immigrant groups have labeled this action a “deceptive” and “ineffective.”

http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.php?notaid=6fa77ef7f2dbcb5201c2b19093cc53dd

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El Imparcial (Hermosillo, Sonora) 8-10-10

Calderon confirms gain

Mexico, D. F. – President Felipe Calderon says that contrary to popular belief, we are winning the war against organized crime.

“I understand perfectly that the general perception is that we are losing the war (against crime), but I also understand the general perception is that we are obligated to fight,” he said.

The number of dead reflects the disputes between the cartels and criminal groups and does not indicate that we are losing the war against criminal organizations, according to Calderon.

http://www.elimparcial.com/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Nacional/10082010/
462713.aspx

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-end of report-

 

[Joann]

CARTELS FIGHT OVER COLIMA

Posted: 12 Aug 2010 06:48 AM PDT
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FORMER BORDER PATROL OFFICERS
Visit our website: http://www.nafbpo.org
Foreign News Report

Cambio de Michoacan (Morelia) 8-11-10

Cartels dispute the area of Colima

Colima – Two simultaneous attacks on Pubic Security forces in Manzanillo prompted the Governor of the state to convene an urgent meeting of State Pubic Security Police forces.

The State Attorney General (PGJE) said that three police officers lost their lives and another was seriously wounded in the attacks which prompted an intense response of several different police agencies in this port city.

In the first attack, henchmen armed with AK-47’s and AR-15’s fired upon uniformed officers who were patrolling in the tourist zone. In that attack, two policemen fell.

In the second attack near Salahua, one policeman died and another was wounded.

After those attacks, authorities deployed checkpoints around the city in an effort to catch the henchmen.

The port (of Manzanillo) is the principal point of commerce on the Mexican Pacific coast but has been turned into a Port of Entry for massive amounts of illicit chemicals and cocaine.

The size and intense commercial activity of Manzanillo facilitates the movement of illicit cargo to the east and eventually into the United States. This has aroused the intense interests, not only of big businessmen, but of the criminal organizations and cartels who move drugs. They are fighting for control of this transportation network bringing in products from Asia and South America. This fight has cost the lives of 31 people, and wounded 22 just this year. And, this fight has caused the kidnapping of 15 innocent people, the seizure of hundreds of munitions, arms, grenades, vehicles and narco-laboratories.

Authorities are afraid that in the coming days the fight for control of this area between Los Zetas, La Familia and others will escalate.

http://www.cambiodemichoacan.com.mx/vernota.php?id=131383

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El Financiero (Mexico City) 8-11-10

Intimidation and corruption of judges a continuous concern

Mexico, D. F. – The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Mexico (SCJN), Guillermo Ortiz Mayagoitia, said that protecting judges from intimidation and corruption are the two major concerns that there are within the jurisdiction of Federal Judicial Power.

In addressing the security of the political body of the state with representatives of the judiciary, Ortiz said that the struggle against crime in the community and the judiciary must be with absolute adherence to the law and the rights of the state.

He said that in exercising judicial power, there must be no illegal action or obligation to outside influences and that all indictments must be fully investigated in his address to all 42 district judges and magistrates.

“The fight against organized crime must be conducted in absolute adherence to the law under effective prosecution while observing individual rights,” stated Judge Ortiz Mayagoitia.

Ortiz stated that the struggle against threats to the security of the Republic requires that all judges in the nation be on the same side which is the side of citizenship and democracy.

In respect to judicial power, he said that every person needs to be sure that every judge is doing his duty according to judicial standards in everything he does in conducting the business of the state.

http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/ElFi...cId=279060&docTipo=1&orderby=docid&sortby=ASC

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El Diario de Juarez (Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua) 8-11-10

Gunmen kill two men in a medical clinic

Cd. Juarez – Two men, one of them already wounded, were shot down by hit men in a medical clinic as part of a violent journey yesterday that ended with 11 dead.

Early in the morning there were five dead, by noon there were six.

First there were two brothers killed by gunshots, then the police found dead bodies on the street, killed by gunfire. Later, a body of a woman was thrown onto the street from a vehicle by several men in an industrial park.

Earlier, two men appeared at a medical clinic where one sought treatment for a gunshot wound. Later an unknown man entered the hospital and shot both of them dead.

Finally, a man riding a bicycle was shot down and his companion was kidnapped.

http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.php?notaid=e1d12ac52eaa8f4df775fb20540ff881

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Calderon lies

(An editorial)

El Diario – The triumphant statements of President Felipe Calderon that the government is winning the war on organized crime shows that the federal authority does not pay attention to the reality the country is living. The stubbornness of maintaining such a lie embarrasses our civil leaders, businessmen and lawyers here on the border.

Yesterday the Presidential address stated that, contrary to general opinion, we are winning the war against organized crime.

Journalists have confirmed that during the last two and a half years confrontations with criminal groups have resulted in more than 6,000 deaths on the border. The perception is that the government has failed to contain the violence.

Calderon assured leaders of political parties in Mexico City, “Despite the cowardly acts, like executions of soldiers and federal police officers, the truth is that in the great majority of confrontations between federal authorities and criminal groups, the government has won.”

Calderon asserted at the same time that the increase of violence is not an indicator of whether the strategy is working, although the number of homicides is spectacular, (according to CISEN, the number is 28,000) Calderon says the number is not a method to measure.

We, on a day to day basis, witness how crime is beating the government

http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.php?notaid=afc505954171cc47525e174387391107

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UPDATE FROM TODAY'S REPORT:

El Universal (Mexico City) 8/12/10

20 police resign in Manzanillo

After the assassination of three of their companions and because of the grenade attacks that security offices have suffered in the past few days in the port city of Manzanillo, Colima, around 20 officers of the police force have resigned their positions. The wave of violence by the war of organized criminals in their struggle for control of the port area is causing fear among the security forces. "We do not have sufficient equipment like firearms, patrol vehicles, protective vests and radio equipment," the police charge. The Manzanillo city officials have remained silent about the resignations.
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Armed encounter in Durango leaves 11 dead

A gun battle between a group of organized criminals and the Mexican Army in the town of Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango, left 11 people dead and 3 soldiers wounded.
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US Ambassador suggests anti-crime strategy

US Ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, proposes a security strategy in the border area that consists of Army vigilance perimeters that will gradually be increased to include complete residential areas. The plan includes a two way strategy where the US accepts as imperative the reduction of arms traffic. The ambassador recommended that police at the three levels of government, with the support of the Mexican Army, participate in a strategy of vigilance to make people feel more secure.
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El Financiero (Mexico City) 8/12/10

Anti-immigrant activities drive Latino bloc

Los Angeles, California (Notimex) - Anti-immigrant activities are making US Latinos aware of the importance of participation and the necessity of finally creating a Latino bloc, asserted a union leader, Eliseo Medina. "Measures like SB 1070 in Arizona and those of denying citizenship to children of undocumenteds are only awakening them," he said. In California there is a total of 3.3 million Latino registered voters and some million and a half who can register to vote "and to this group we are going to focus," he emphasized.
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-end of report-

 

[Joann]

Please see this cross thread for Narco blog