Thread: Immigrant group fears Zetas if deported near border

Immigrant group fears Zetas if deported near border

By Alejandro MartÃ*nez-Cabrera \ EL PASO TIMES
Posted: 06/16/2011 03:46:47 PM MDT

A group of 21 undocumented immigrants being held in New Mexico is asking not to be deported to Mexico through the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila or Tamaulipas, where they fear they could become victims of organized crime.

The group, being detained at the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia, said in letters written to the immigrants' rights group No More Deaths that they feared falling prey to violence, extortion or forced recruitment by the Los Zetas drug cartel.

In one of the letters, a member of the group said he had been deported through Texas before and was kidnapped by local police officers upon his return to Mexico.

The letter said the man was "held hostage along with other deportees and (it) was always at gunpoint.

Some didn't have family or had no money to pay the ransom so this group killed them and the ones that paid escaped death but not a beating. É On the other side of the border of Texas is where this takes place every day."
A No More Deaths news release said the inmates are asking to be deported through the state of Sonora and called on Department of Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano to help.

"They're not asking not to be deported. The immigrants asked us to intervene to avoid being deported along the Texas and New Mexico borders because their feeling is that it's all Zetas territory," said Sally Meisen helder, a volunteer with No More Deaths.

Drug cartels are known to target undocumented immigrants who are making their way to the United States border or who have been deported.

In a recent Houston Chronicle interview, a former member of Los Zetas said the drug organization arms kidnapped bus passengers with machetes and hammers, and pits them into gladiator-style fights against each other to recruit new assassins.

"The imminent danger is not only death, but to suffer a cruel and merciless death. That's what they fear," said Leticia Calderón, a professor at the Doctor José MarÃ*a LuÃ*s Mora Research Institute and an expert on immigration.

The inmates at Estancia were arrested at separate times in the past three months for carrying fake visas or crossing illegally into the United States through the Arizona desert.

The No More Deaths news release said the deporting of the inmates might start Wednesday. It is unclear where in Mexico they are scheduled to be released.

Immigration authorities were unavailable for comment.

Alejandro MartÃ*nez-Cabrera can be reached at a.martinez@elpasotimes.com;546-6129.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_18283424

Why would they fear them? They paid the the Zetas thousands of dollars each to be snuck into America in the first place.

The Zetas will just see them as return customers.

W

They had no fear of them when they were heading north to get to the U.S. when is mexico going to stand up to these cartels I don't mean the goverment (we all know their just as corrupt) but the people I know for a fact if a gang in the US started doing to the people what the cartels are doing the average american would not tollerate that and groups would form to oppose that force. The hact that the average mexican won't stand up to these criminals is probaly the same reason our goverment wants them to become citizans!

Originally Posted by moptop

They had no fear of them when they were heading north to get to the U.S. when is mexico going to stand up to these cartels I don't mean the goverment (we all know their just as corrupt) but the people I know for a fact if a gang in the US started doing to the people what the cartels are doing the average american would not tollerate that and groups would form to oppose that force. The hact that the average mexican won't stand up to these criminals is probaly the same reason our goverment wants them to become citizans!

The gangs in Mexico are heavily armed and the law abiding citizens aren't allowed to own guns. It makes it tuff to stand up to gangs when the government won't supply them with guns of even allow them to own guns.

Well then maybe mexico needs to rethink there stance on arming their people. Probaly don't want the people to rise aginst the courrpt goverment as well. Truth is anything goes in mexico its deffenatly the wild west over there

Too bad. Have Border Patrol or ICE contact the Mexican government and as them for an escort for these people. Set the time, date and place for the deportation. If the mexicans don't respond with protection...too bad. Send em back to mexico anyway. They should neve have left there in the first place. Maybe they are scared coz they gave the Zetas a check to come to the USA and the check bounced!

That's their problem.