Thread: Cross-border kidnappings on the rise

Cross-border kidnappings on the rise

Posted: Jan 15, 2009 04:54 PM PST
Updated: Jan 17, 2009 10:44 AM PST

By Angela Kocherga

EL PASO -- Kidnappings are on the rise in Mexico, especially in border cities like Juarez that are coping with a surge in violent crime. Now, there's growing concern in the U.S. kidnappers might go after targets north of the Rio Grande.


El Paso private investigator J.J. Armes said he's getting more calls for his services. "We have a bunch of clients out there, here in the U.S. and in Mexico that are being protected," he said, adding many are worried about their safety in Juarez, where extortion is rampant.

Armes partnet, security equipment dealer Jay J. Armes III, explained what some business owners in Juarez may be going through. "Either you pay us $2,500 a week or we'll burn your restaurant down," he said reenacting an hypothetical incident.

Still, technology is now playing a factor in capturing extortionists. Armes III said many victims are managing to catch the extortionists on tape.

Armes said many clients fear being kidnapped. Many don't live in Mexico. "I've worked on kidnappings where they've kidnapped the people in the U.S. and taken them to Juarez," said Armes, adding he's recently worked on 14 abductions involving Americans.

Local law enforcement officials said they have seen similar cases but they have not witnessed a major increase in such cases.

"We know that we've had kidnappings over here where individuals related to the drug business have been taken to Juarez," said Richard Wiles, the newly-elected sheriff in El Paso County.

Although cross-border kidnappings may not be rampant, they are extremely hard to track, said Armes. "Did they go to Juarez and disappear? Were they taken from El Paso across the bridge? You just don't know. It's hard to get a handle on just how big the problem is."

FBI officials said cross-border kidnapping are also rising in other U.S. cities along the border. Investigators in San Diego investigated several cases last year involving Americans taken to Tijuana, Mexico by force.

http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=9683316&nav=AbC0

Boy... our government LOVES drama .... am I next, are you, how about you

I dont think there would be a lot of bordom in these border states with this kind of fun going on

Hey El Presidente Bush, Conquistador Harry Reid, Conquistador Nancy Pelosi .... can we just surrender now.

You have proven the Far Superior Bandito's are no match for this former great nation

I would suggest waving the Mexican Flag along side a really, really big white flag on the Capitol Building steps to show we surrender and are subserviant and unwilling to defend ourselves

Conquistador (pronounced /kɒŋˈkwɪstədɔr/ or IPA: /kɒnˈkistədɔr/ in English; Spanish pronunciation: [koŋkistaˈðor] "conqueror") is the name given to any one of the Spanish soldiers, leaders, explorers, and adventurers involved in the conquest of the Americas following the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The leaders of the conquest of Mexico were Hernan Cortes and Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras. Francisco Pizarro led the conquest of the Incan Empire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conquistador

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-3902--0-0.html

Has anyone heard anything about these kidnappings in the USA on the mainstream media? Can it be that they are acting like it is not happening? Ignore the problem and it will go away? I used to think any kidnapping was very newsworthy, but guess the mainstream is proving me wrong.

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