Murders and kidnappings hit record levels in Mexico

[controlledImmigration]

Doesn't common sense say this is what our government is importing into the US? Of course, if you live in a fortified, big white house, surrounded with steel bars, secret service agents and military guards ... you may not feel threatened.

Murders and kidnappings hit record levels in Mexico

McClatchy Newspapers
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.23.2007

MEXICO CITY — Gangland-style murders and kidnappings reached record levels in Mexico during the first half of the year, a new report from Mexico's congress has found, making Mexico one of the world's most dangerous countries.

One analyst who worked on the report said Mexico's murder rate now tops all others in the Western Hemisphere.

"In a global context, we suffer from more homicides … than any other region in the world except for certain regions on the African continent," said Eduardo Rojas, who helped put together the crime report at the Center for Social and Public Opinion Studies, a research arm of the Mexico's Chamber of Deputies.

The report, made public last week, was a setback for Mexican President Felipe Calderón, whose tough new war on drug trafficking has sent thousands of troops into the countryside and a record number of drug suspects to the United States for trial.

According to the report, major federal crimes, which include homicides, kidnappings and arms trafficking, rose 25 percent in the first half of 2007 over the same period last year. In 2006, the same crimes had risen 22 percent over 2005.

Gangland-style executions have risen 155 percent since 2001, according to the congressional report.

Crime has been on the rise in Mexico for a decade as drug cartels battle for control of lucrative smuggling routes.

But the new findings come at a politically charged time for the Calderón administration, which is also confronting a new threat from an old foe — the shadowy Popular Revolutionary Army or EPR, its Spanish acronym.
EPR's coordinated bombings of natural-gas pipelines in July and September have exposed government intelligence failures and the vulnerability of the petroleum infrastructure in Mexico, the second-largest oil exporter to the United States.

"The reality is the government has been pursuing the top EPR leaders for at least five years, and they haven't been able to catch them," said Mexican political commentator Raymundo Riva Palacio.

Experts believe the EPR, a Marxist group that traces its origins to the guerrilla movements of the 1970s, finances its activities with ransom from kidnapped businessmen.

The guerrillas say the attacks will continue until authorities release two comrades who disappeared in Oaxaca in May; state and federal officials say they're not in government custody.

The group's reach appears to be countrywide. The first blasts struck multiple locations in central Mexico. The second set hit coastal Veracruz.
On Wednesday, security was beefed up around pipelines in northern Chihuahua state after EPR graffiti appeared on installations there.
Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora recently told reporters that the guerrilla bombings "distract" authorities from their battle against organized crime.

Gangland-style executions have surged, with the report counting 1,588 in the first half of 2007. For the full year of 2001, there were 1,080 such crimes, the report said.

Kidnapping is a multimillion-dollar industry in Mexico. The report from Congress indicates there are about 4,500 kidnappings a year, about a third of which are reported.

Greg Bangs, head of the kidnapping and ransom unit at the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, said Mexico has rocketed past Colombia to become the world's ransom capital.

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/news/202639.php

[reptile09]

Gangland-style executions have surged, with the report counting 1,588 in the first half of 2007. For the full year of 2001, there were 1,080 such crimes, the report said.

Kidnapping is a multimillion-dollar industry in Mexico. The report from Congress indicates there are about 4,500 kidnappings a year, about a third of which are reported.

Greg Bangs, head of the kidnapping and ransom unit at the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, said Mexico has rocketed past Colombia to become the world's ransom capital.

Gee, and Bush wants us to merge with these wonderfu, honest, law abiding, family values type people. Family values? Maybe family values as in ransom values. Genius, sheer genius. I wonder how long it would take for the drug cartels and kidnapping rings to start targeting rich and middle class Americans? Probably about 2 seconds after the surrender documents... err, the North American Union treaty is sigend by Bush or his successor. If these criminals think that kidnapping Mexicans for ransom is worth their while, just wait until they start drivinf arounf the neighborhoods on this side of the border. They'll be like Mexicans in a WIC store on welfare check day.

[controlledImmigration]

Drug cartels, insurgents turn Mexico into one of the world’s most violent countries

By JAY ROOT
McClatchy Newspapers

MEXICO CITY | Gangland-style murders and kidnappings reached record levels in Mexico during the first half of 2007, a report from Mexico’s Congress found, making Mexico one of the world’s most dangerous countries.

[edited out same content as from original posting]

Mexico’s violence is often spectacular and lurid, with tales of street shootouts, decapitations and bomb blasts filling Mexico’s news pages and airwaves.

In May, a severed head wrapped in newspaper was left in a cooler outside the office of the newspaper Tabasco Hoy in Villahermosa, where drug violence is on the rise.

Grenades have been tossed into newsrooms from Cancun to Nuevo Laredo in the past 18 months.

The Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders reported that Mexico was the most dangerous country for journalists in 2006 after Iraq.

On May 14, suspected drug traffickers on motorcycles gunned down Jose Nemesio Lugo, a senior federal investigator in charge of gathering intelligence on drug traffickers, in Mexico City’s upscale Coyoacan neighborhood.

Two days later in Sonora state, about 20 miles south of Arizona, a five-hour shootout between heavily armed commandos and police left 20 people dead.

The bloodbath continued unabated this month, with the assassinations of two state police chiefs.

Many prominent Mexicans have sought refuge in the United States, but that is no guarantee of safety.

Mario Espinoza Lobato, a businessman and city councilman from Ciudad Acuna, was gunned down Wednesday at his home in Del Rio, Texas.

To reach Jay Root, send e-mail to jroot@star-telegram.com.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/world/story/286998.html

[camilleinchicago]

Americans need to keep a very close eye on this, IMO. As Mexico increasingly comes under the control of narco-terrorists, there is a very real danger that the US gov. could begin granting 'refugee' status to millions of Mexicans. This is how we ended up with MS-13. They were originally granted political asylum.

[Cthelight]

Camille,

I have thought the same thing. I recently read an article
about dual citizenship. I think if you are here, you must
renounce your citizenship with any other country. And I do
not think it is right for politicians,mayors,etc to be allowed to
have citizenship in any other country.

[butterbean]

MEXICO CITY — Gangland-style murders and kidnappings reached record levels in Mexico during the first half of the year, a new report from Mexico's congress has found, making Mexico one of the world's most dangerous countries.

And I bet crimes commited by Mexicans here in the U.S. have also gone up in record numbers. Why on earth would any SANE AMERICAN want Mexico's criminals? For their "good values"

[NOamNASTY]

Thats why they ae dumping all their barbareans off here .

In next couple of years, it won't be safe to walk, drive or live in this nation ,imo .

Most of our young patriotic men and women are being killed,maimed and driven insane in third world nations like Iraq while we are overcome here . Who will be left to fight when it gets worse and it will get much worse ?

[camilleinchicago]

Camille,

I have thought the same thing. I recently read an article
about dual citizenship. I think if you are here, you must
renounce your citizenship with any other country. And I do
not think it is right for politicians,mayors,etc to be allowed to
have citizenship in any other country.

I agree. No dual citizenship. If you want to be a US citizen, you are a US citizen ONLY.
The DREAM Act is on shaky ground so it is no surprise that they choose now as the time to begin telling us how terrible things are in Mexcio, how can we possibly expect these people who only want a 'better life' to return to this dangerous country, etc., etc.