Thread: Mexican Police chief seeks asylum as lawlessness takes over

Police chief seeks asylum as lawlessness takes over

ALBUQUERQUE — The police chief of a Mexican border town racked by smuggling-related violence fled to the U.S. seeking asylum after his deputies abandoned him, federal officials said Friday.

Emilio Perez, the chief of Palomas, Mexico, showed up at the international port of entry in Columbus, N.M., late Tuesday, saying his two deputies had left the department and that he now needed protection, too, according to Doug Mosier, a U.S. Border Patrol spokesman in El Paso.

Perez was taken in and was believed to be in custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday, according to Mosier. Letitia Zamarripa, an ICE spokeswoman, declined to comment on the case, citing privacy issues.

“This is a little off the beaten path; I haven’t seen this before,â€

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Tension high in border villages of Columbus and Palomas
By Ashley Meeks/Sun-News reporter
Article Launched: 03/22/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT



COLUMBUS — Residents on both sides of the border are nervous after a month of border shootings, disappearances and at least two confirmed murders allegedly sparked by drug-traffickers' turf wars in the Mexican town of Palomas.

On Thursday, after reporting his two police officers had disappeared, Palomas Chief of Police Emilio Perez fled to Columbus requesting political asylum.

Perez's flight came just days after Columbus Mayor Eddie Espinoza, in the chair for a root canal, witnessed armed robbers take over Palomas dentist Felipe Salazar's office.

Rick Moody, agent in charge of the Deming U.S. Border Patrol Station, told the Sun-News on Thursday the Mexican government was in the process of responding with its own forces — a promise made to U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman weeks ago.

Repeated messages left with both Espinoza and Moody on Friday were not returned.

Mexican federal officers and state officers from Chihuahua have been moved into the area in recent weeks, but it was unclear if the Mexican military would be called in, said Alan Oliver, a spokesman for Gov. Bill Richardson.

He said the violence in Palomas was evidence of the need for a continued National Guard presence on the border.

Peter Olsen, communications director for New Mexico State Police, said although they are keeping an eye on the situation in Palomas, no additional forces were planned to be sent there.

"I don't want to go into specific numbers, but we have at least a couple officers 24 hours a day, seven days a week and often more. And that's been going on for several months," Olsen said. "We have enhanced police presence in the area in the past because of the crimes that carry over ... (but) we haven't seen an increase in violence or crime that's spilled over from the border this week."

On the same day the police chief fled, the bodies of two people were found wrapped in blankets and dumped along a road near Palomas. Several other people were seen taken hostage over the past few days by heavily armed men, the newspaper El Diario of Juarez, Mexico, reported Friday.

About 10,000 people live in Palomas; 2,500 in Columbus. Martha Skinner, former mayor of Columbus and owner of Martha's Place bed and breakfast, said everything seems to be peaceful on the American side of the border.

"We're still immune," Skinner said. But three miles south, in Palomas?

"Oh mercy, not good," Skinner said. "Poor Yvonne and Sergio (Romero) at The Pink Store ... We all went over there Sunday, after church. There were 30 of us in the place. It's usually packed. It's very sad. Some of it's gas, some of it's passports and some of it's the violence."

Her brother, Phillip Skinner, manufactures furniture in Palomas with Skinner Furniture and crosses the border almost daily. The violence, allegedly sparked by drug traffickers fighting over territory, started getting bad a month ago. Skinner said he and his dozen employees are nervous and just want the episodes of worsening violence to stop.

"We're in favor of anything that would stop it," he said. "We had an episode three months ago, it seems like, where four or five people got killed ... This time it seems to be worse and it seems to be lasting."

Columbus' city grant administrator Paul Nimick, who also does some work at the police station, says the city is quiet, tense and awaiting word on possible military presence.

"Palomas has been active in terms of what's going on down there with the border patrol and customs people. Everyone's just on alert, but we have not heard any more in activity down there," he said. "We've got friends down there and it's just a lot of concern."

Nimick said in his year of living in Columbus, the worst violence has been in the last month.

"We enjoy going to Palomas and would say they certainly need to get a handle on the violence down there. There's no police presence there right now; until they do, we will probably not go back to Palomas," he said, an opinion that seemed to be shared by other Americans. "People are just afraid to visit ... It wasn't unusual to go there two, three times a week and quite frankly, now we're just avoiding it."

Martha Skinner said the only silver lining has been in her role as the town's only real estate broker: "I've noticed a small influx of people running across the border looking for places to buy ... probably four or five."

And she said violent criminals weren't likely to dally in Columbus if they did come across: "If they're coming across the border there, they just run for I-10. They don't stop here and say "Hi.'"

http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_8657620?so ... st_emailed

I guess this is what these TRAITORS in our government want running wild all over the United States!!! Sickening!!! We have our own crime, but I'm sure the statistics show how it has increased since this invasion. These illegal aliens do NOT have the same values that Americans have in this country!! This makes me so angry I could scream...allowing this while our government KNOWS what is going on!!!!!

[quote]“This is a little off the beaten path; I haven’t seen this before,â€

Ok, why is it presumed that his only option is to run North to seek asylum? Why not run south to another state in your own country and start a new life? Your countries violence is not my problem.

Sorry, I may have felt some sympathy for you, but not now after 20-30 million of your people are living illegally in my country and act as if they are entitled to be here. I have little sympathy for you or any of your people.

And don't blame me for my attitude as it's your people's fault that I now feel this way.

More proof of the rotton state of affairs in Mexico's government and their efforts to export their problems into the US and non-efforts to take care of their people. Sadly, the US is on the same path. Our ultra rich believe that the ultra rich in Mexico 'have it down pat'.