Thread: Killings of U.S. consular employees an ominous development

Was a message being sent?

Killings of U.S. consular employees an ominous development

By The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board,
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 12:02 a.m.

You have to wonder if there are Americans out there who still believe that Mexico’s well-publicized bout with drug violence is an internal matter and the United States should just stay out of it. If so, those people must live in some alternate universe where the daily news reports don’t circulate. They’re lucky. After all, as the saying goes, ignorance is bliss.

The rest of us are not so lucky. We have to deal with ugly and worrisome stories about Americans being killed – sometimes on U.S. soil, and sometimes in Mexico. Certainly, no life is any more valuable than another. Yet these tragic stories take on an added significance when the victims happen to be representatives of the U.S. government. Even with the high death toll in Mexico related to drug violence, this doesn’t happen very often. And so, in that case, you have to wonder if the killers were trying to send a message.

That is what authorities in Ciudad Juarez are trying to figure out. Over the weekend, suspected drug gangsters chased down and opened fire on two white SUVs carrying families of U.S. consular employees who had just left a children’s party. Three adults were killed, and two children were injured. One person who survived was an infant in a car seat. The baby’s parents – consular employee Lesley A. Enriquez and her husband, Arthur H. Redelfs – were not so fortunate. They were killed.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is helping the office of Mexico’s attorney general get to the bottom of what happened and bring to justice the guilty parties. Mexican authorities suspect the murders were the handiwork of Las Aztecas, a street gang believed to handle enforcement for the Juarez drug cartel. While U.S. officials don’t know if the victims were targeted specifically because of their affiliation with the consulate, they’re not taking any chances. They’ve issued a voluntary evacuation order for the families of employees at a number of consulates in cities along the border, including Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana. This could soon become a mandatory order.

This was not an act of random drug violence or a case of innocent people getting caught in the crossfire of warring gangs. These individuals were singled out, chased down and murdered in broad daylight. Now authorities just have to figure out why, as the motive is still unclear.

Here is what is clear: The United States needs to be a full partner in Mexican President Felipe Calderón’s war on the drug cartels. Our people are on the front lines. And the Obama administration has to continue its efforts to help Calderón win this battle by following through on the delivery of aid through the Merida Initiative and providing additional intelligence and training when needed. Promises are fine, but ultimately not worth much – especially since time is running out on the Calderón presidency and the casualties are mounting.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010 ... eing-sent/

The USA is NOT a by- stander. We are financing the Mex. military with more thaan 1 BILLION dollars.

I'll agree if it means American troops on the border to protect us from the invasion.

Originally Posted by magyart

The USA is NOT a by- stander. We are financing the Mex. military with more thaan 1 BILLION dollars.

Americans are financing the cartels too, by buying the drugs that they sell here.

Originally Posted by magyart

The USA is NOT a by- stander. We are financing the Mex. military with more thaan 1 BILLION dollars.

I'm pretty sure that the 1 billion went into the pocket of the "world's richest man" Carlos Slim Helu. Carlos' money is made by the drug war, and screwing Mexico's citizens. Citizens of Mexico need to invade his mansion and make a statement that they will no longer be taken advantage of. I guess I can't say much when American's get screwed everyday and we just beg for more instead of taking our country back.

Originally Posted by DarthIllegal

Originally Posted by magyart

The USA is NOT a by- stander. We are financing the Mex. military with more thaan 1 BILLION dollars.

I'm pretty sure that the 1 billion went into the pocket of the "world's richest man" Carlos Slim Helu. Carlos' money is made by the drug war, and screwing Mexico's citizens. Citizens of Mexico need to invade his mansion and make a statement that they will no longer be taken advantage of. I guess I can't say much when American's get screwed everyday and we just beg for more instead of taking our country back.

Slim made his money in the phone industry.

Carlos Slim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carlos Slim

Born January 28, 1940 (1940-01-28) (age 70)
Mexico City, Mexico
Nationality Mexican
Alma mater Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico – UNAM
Occupation Chairman and CEO, Telmex, Telcel and América Móvil
Net worth â–²US$53.5 billion (2010).[1]
Religion Maronite Catholic[2]
Spouse(s) Soumaya Domit (1967–1999)
Children Carlos, Marco Antonio, Patrick, Soumaya, Vanessa and Johanna

Carlos Slim Helú (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkarlos eˈslim eˈlu], Arabic: كارلوس سليم Ø*لو‎),
simply known as Carlos Slim (born January 28, 1940), is a Mexican engineer, businessman and philanthropist largely focused on the telecommunications industry. He is currently the wealthiest person in the world with a net worth of around US$53.5 billion through his holdings.[1][3]

Slim has a substantial influence over the telecommunications industry in Mexico and much of Latin America. He controls Teléfonos de México (Telmex), Telcel and América Móvil companies. Though he maintains an active involvement in his companies, his three sons—Carlos, Marco Antonio and Patrick Slim Domit—head them on a day-to-day basis.
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More info at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Slim