Thread: Area law enforcement groups discuss contingency plan for bor

Area law enforcement groups discuss contingency plan for border violence
By Kevin Buey/For the Sun-News
Article Launched: 05/13/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT



DEMING — Area law enforcement personnel met Monday morning at the Deming U.S. Border Patrol Station to discuss the latest violence in Palomas, Mexico, and contingency plans for if that violence spills across the border.

Seven men were killed between Friday afternoon and early Sunday morning, each death believed related to the continuing crime wave blanketing Mexico as drug cartels battle each other and Mexican authorities for turf control.

"There is a multi-agency response contingency plan," Rick Moody, agent-in-charge of the Deming Boarder Patrol Station, said of securing U.S communities.

The Border Patrol, New Mexico State Police, Luna County Sheriff's Office, Deming and Columbus Police and Port of Entry personnel met Monday.

"We keep assessing the situation," Moody said. "We've always done that, shared assets as needed."

A father and son were killed Friday afternoon in Palomas. Authorities said 67 shell casings were found in the area in which Armando Carreon Renteria, 57, and Armando Carreon, 25, died.

Five men were killed at about 2:20 a.m. Sunday, reportedly after leaving a wake for Friday's victims. Officials said 162 casings were found in the area in which Leonel Martinez Chacon, 30; Gabriel Martinez


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Chacon, 28; Armando Carreon Caraveo, 41; Luis Carreon Caraveo, 39; and Eduardo Salvidar Porras, 25, were slain.
Casings at each site are believed from AK-47s or other automatic weapons.

The LCSO said the Caraveos were related to the two victims killed Friday and those four were related to Epifiano Carreon, killed in Palomas, May 7, 2007, under similar circumstances.

As area law enforcement stands ready to protect the U.S. side of the border, the violence in Palomas has not spilled into the U.S., expect in the instance of wounded people brought to the Columbus Port of Entry for medical treatment at Mimbres Memorial Hospital or El Paso's Thomason Hospital. Some of those shot, though, were U.S. citizens. Renteria and his son, the latter an alumnus of Deming schools, were reportedly getting into their pickup, which displayed a New Mexico license plate.

Moody said the Border Patrol is continually in contact with Mexican counterparts.

"The purpose is, again, to make sure our borders are safe, that our communities are safe," he said.

Moody noted while Palomas has a law enforcement presence tied to the military, its personnel cannot be everywhere simultaneously.

"It looks as if the violence has been very specified and targeted," he said.

Responding to pressure from U.S. officials in March, Mexico deployed 2,000 military troops across Chihuahua state in an effort to control the violence. That included as many as 200 assigned to the Palomas area.

Despite military troops, violence has escalated across the country, with killings in Mexico City and Juarez of high-ranking officials and fatal and non-fatal attacks on civilians and police in Juarez within the past week.

"We certainly aren't happy with the situation that is on-going with the cartels in Mexico," Moody said. "We do stand with those people who want to prevent that. We want to make sure our communities are safe."

Gov. Bill Richardson's office issued a press release Monday evening saying the governor planned to ask the Legislature for funding to increase state and local law enforcement on the border.

The U.S. Department of State lists a travel alert for Mexico, particularly for border areas: "U.S. citizens are urged to be especially alert to safety and security concerns when visiting the border region. While Mexican citizens overwhelmingly are the victims of these crimes, this uncertain security situation poses risks for U.S. citizens as well. Thousands of U.S. citizens cross the border safely each day, exercising common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas of border towns during daylight hours. It is strongly recommended that travelers avoid areas where prostitution and drug dealing occur."


Kevin Buey writes for The Deming Headlight, a member of the Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership, and can be reached at kbuey@demingheadlight.com.

http://www.lcsun-news.com/news/ci_9239376

Today is the 13th and just a few days ago, May 8th, Gov. Richardson declared the border was secure and was going to ask the Ambassador to 'reevaluate' the travel warning in Mexico. He also arranged new commercial flights between Albuquerque and Chihuahua, Mexico.

Richardson: Border more secure
By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO / Associated Press
Article Launched: 05/08/2008 05:18:39 AM MDT

CHIHUAHUA, Mexico - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson says he has seen an improvement in security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Problems remain, but increased policing by state and federal authorities has significantly helped, said Richardson, a former U.N. ambassador and former Democratic presidential candidate.

"In my opinion, there has been a dramatic improvement in the last two months," Richardson told reporters Wednesday in the Mexican border state of Chihuahua, across from New Mexico, where he met with Chihuahua Gov. Jesus Reyes Baeza.

Richardson said he would ask U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza to reevaluate a travel alert, issued by the U.S. State Department in April, that warned U.S. citizens of rising violence in northern Mexico but stopped short of suggesting that Americans avoid traveling in the region.

The alert reflected an increase in drug-related homicides, shootouts, kidnappings and car thefts near the border, particularly in the cities of Tijuana, Chihuahua and Ciudad Juarez.

Ciudad Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferris, who also met with Richardson, said Mexican federal officials will evaluate all 1,700 police officers in his city, to weed out those with ties to organized crime.

More than 200 people have been killed so far this year in Ciudad Juarez, a city of 1.3 million across from El Paso, Texas that is home base for the Juarez cartel.

A wave of organized crime and drug-related violence has shaken Mexico in recent years, killing more than 2,500 people in 2007 alone. President Felipe Calderon sent more than 20,000 troops and federal agents to areas plagued by drug violence, including Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez.

Richardson, during his meeting with Reyes Baeza, also signed memos of understanding that ranged from a new rail crossing between New Mexico and the state of Chihuahua to a health agreement that aims to improve public health conditions in the border region through cooperation among health authorities in both states.

The governors also signed a joint proclamation creating a Chihuahua-New Mexico Partnership for Innovation, which will focus on aerospace, energy, water, environment and advanced materials and nanotechnology.

Richardson and Reyes Baeza also announced an agreement to establish new commercial flights between Albuquerque and Chihuahua City. Richardson said the flights would be a "big boost" for New Mexico's tourism industry and would open other possibilities for expanding the economy.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_9189108?s ... st_emailed