Thread: South Padre Island / Precinct One Corruption & Border Wa

Because collusion, apathy, and appeasement never work, I propose we rename the Queen Isabel Causeway after a Texan Hero, instead of a Spanish Monarch: The Lieutenant George C. Kimble Memorial Causeway.

SONS OF DEWITT COLONY TEXAS
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Alamo Defenders-Index

The DeWitt Colony Alamo Defenders
Members of the Garrison & Surviving Couriers & Fogagers
Alamo Widows & Mothers

The Immortal 32 Gonzales Rangers A-E F-K L-Z

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William Fishbaugh/Fitzbaugh/Fishbach/Fishbaigh was a rifleman in the Gonzales Ranging Company listed from AL on the Alamo Memorials. He was a member of Major Robert McAlpin ("Three-legged Willie") Williamson's Ranging Company while stationed in Gonzales and volunteered to join Travis' command on 24 Feb 1836.Â* A William Fishbaugh was listed as a deserter as of 23 Nov 1834 from Co B, 3rd US Army Infantry.Â* He was a frequent customer of Joseph Martin's store between 19 Mar and 1 Oct 1835. Items purchased on credit and for which his estate paid off with interest in 1841 from the ledgers of Joseph Martin give a glimpse into his lifestyle. In Mar for $11.75, he bought a pair of pantaloons, roundabout coat, shoes, shirt, hat, two handkerchiefs, suspenders and a pound of tobacco. Early April he bought shoes and a vest for $1.12 and early May another pound of tobacco, 2 pairs of shoes, socks, side combs and four scains of thread for $5.37. In early June he bought one fourth pound of tea and an ounce of "allows." On the same day he bought on another visit to the store 2 pairs stirrup leathers, a butcher knife, looking glass, 2 saddle rings, pair of stirrups for $4.25. He bought more thread on 1 Jul and on the 25th of Jul bought a pair of boots, 6 yards brown lining, 2 pairs pantaloons and 1 pound tobacco for $16.50. In apparent multiple visits through October, he bought three pounds more tobacco, borrowed $5.00 to pay off John McCoy, a pencil, bridle, three shirts, thread and needles, a blanket and more combs. Fishbaugh was a voter for the representative from Gonzales to the Consultation of 1835.

John Flanders/Flandres, 36, was born 1800 in NH (memorials say MA), arrived in Texas in 1832 and at one time a resident of the Austin Colony. He was a Private in the Gonzales Rangers. In 1839 his estate was certified to receive one third league in Harrisburg County on Carpenter's Bayou, a branch of Buffalo Bayou as bounty for service by the Republic of Texas, the tract was bought for $120 by a W.D.C. Harris of Houston from administrator of the Flanders estate, Allen Vince. In 1851, Flanders heirs received an additional 1920 acres of land "for having fallen with Travis in the Alamo."

Dolphin Ward Floyd, 32, born 6 Mar 1804 (some records say 1807) in NashCo NC, a farmer and resident of Gonzales, member of the Gonzales Rangers who came to the DeWitt Colony in 1832 or 1833 from Alabama. Floyd purchased lots 3 and 4 in block 16 of inner Gonzales town on St. Michael St. and four lots south of East Avenue in outer town east of Water St. on 24 Dec 1833. He was the son of Thomas Penuel and Mary Sarah Beckwith Floyd. He had a sister Sarah and brothers John, Penuel and Thomas B. in AL who had lost contact until a letter from Thomas B. reached Dolphin Floyd's remarried widow, Esther Berry House Floyd Clark in 1855. Floyd married widow Esther Berry House (1808-1870) in Gonzales on 26 Apr 1832. She was the daughter of one of the earliest residents of DeWitt Colony, Francis Berry (1760-1853) who came with a family of six from MO in 1825. They had children John W. Floyd and Elizabeth Whitfield Floyd (m. William Kilpatrick Hargis), the latter born on 16 Apr after Dolphin Floyd’s death while the family was fleeing east on the Runaway Scrape. Widow Esther Berry House Floyd later married Capt. John Clark of Kentucky in 1838 who was listed as agent for Dolphin Floyd and Isaac House, both deceased husbands of his wife Esther on the Gonzales Tax Rolls of 1838. Floyd County, Texas was named in honor of Dolphin Floyd.

Floyd's horse was commandeered to carry messages and requests for reinforcements from the Alamo on to San Felipe de Austin from Gonzales as indicated by the following filed by Floyd in the Alamo 2 Mar 1836:

"Appraised by the undersigned: a horse belonging to Dolphin Floyd. Taken from him for Govt. use valued seventy five dollars. Gonzales August 23rd 1836. I. A. Eggleston (signed) James Gibson (signed)." A document "Recd of John W. Moody a draft in favor of Dolphin Floyd for $75.00 on account of which I promised to keep him harmless. Mar 1836. John Fisher (signed)."

This indicates the obligation was met. Archival records indicate that Floyd's widow Esther Berry House Floyd Clark as administratrix of his estate petioned for and received $2.93 backpay for his service in the Alamo in which he paid the ultimate price. A response to widow Esther Floyd's appeal in 1838 to the Board of Land Commissioners in Austin indicates that Floyd's full headright was granted

"This is to certify that Esther Floyd, administratrix of the estate of a Dolphin Floyd decd, has appeared before us the Board of Land Commissioners for the County of Gonzales and proved according to law that he emigrated to this country in the year 1833 and that he was a married man entitled to one league and one labor of land upon the condition of paying at the rate of three dollars and fifty cents for every labor of irrigable land and two dollars and fifty cents for every labor of Temporal or arable land; one dollar and twenty cents for every labor of pasture land that may be defined in the Survey secured to her by this certificate. J. D. Clements, President; Adam Zumwalt, Associate Commissioner; Sam Williams, Clerk."

The field notes on the survey of the land were filed by Charles Lockhart, County Surveyor, in Gonzales 18 Aug 1838.

In 1855, twice-widowed and once abandoned Alamo widow Esther Berry House Floyd Clark received the letter below (unedited) from Dolphin Floyd's brother, Thomas B. Floyd in AL, describing his brother Dolphin Floyd before he went to TX:

Georgia Troup County June 15th 1855
Dear Nephew & Sister, for such as I shall call you, Very recently Sister Sarah Received a letter from North Carolina bearing some intelegence of our Deceased Brother Dolphin Floyd. How they got information of you and your whereabouts I cannot tell unless through the politeness of Mr. Davis Bunting. If it be the Bunting I knew in NoCa he is a man of 40 or 45 years of age. If it be the man I think he is he is well acquainted with me and all the rest of the family. I have written two letters since 1830 to my Brother, one addressed to Orleans. That was before annexation of Texas to the States. Some time in 35 I wrote one and Directed it to Nachadoces but never received no answer & give up all hope of ever hearing from him again but always inquiring. I have given the-----of my Brother to many travelers but never could get any information. I saw in some gazet of the United States but not Recollect what one; the Names of the persons of thoes that were Massacred in Texas and my Brother was one. The date of the schedule that contained the Names of the Slayn I do not recollect. I very Recollect the Name of my Broth.& David Crocket. My Mother Received one Letter from him after he went to Texas Stating to her he was Married and had one child 18 Months old & that he Married a Widow Jones. He also wrote that he used to tell us all, while joking and talking about Marying, that he intended Marrying some old Rich widow that she might Die directly & then he would be independant. Though he had Marred, as he always had said, a Widow and that she was not very old nor very Rich. So we have never heard any more about him untill now. Therefore I take the privilege of writing to you both Requesting you write to me as soon as these lines of my best love and Respects Reaches you and particular on the acount of my poor old aged Mother for since she has heard this much about him she is very desirous to hear more. She is now in her 86 year & lives within 1/4 of a Mile of me with my Brother Penuel & Sister Sarah both single. So far as Respects the goods of this world they are independant. My Mother is well taken care of as Respects the comforts of this life. In fact we that are here in Georgia are all getting along well. Brother John is very Rich. I have plenty my self for my children to do well on. Now there is one or two things I do wish to know. First I wish to know how you are situated and what your condition is Relative to living & making out in this life. Secondly what it was when you Married my Brother. Thirdly what his condition was when he Married you. Fourthly what was his reputation, whether good or bad. I wish to know whether he stood fair to the world as Respects truth and varasity & what was his general deportment. You may think I am too scrupulous & wish to know to much. My Dear Nephew & Sister, this is a great request, too much, you may think, to be revealed, but nothing less than the Revelation will satisfy me. Now for my Reasons to wish to know them is this: to see if a person once pure as vain Mortal can be can become adulterated by leaving his county and family Circle. When He left NoCa, Novr. 22nd 1825, and took a last shake of the hand from his poor old Mother & his Brothers & Sisters, With the exception of Sin, Stain was not to be found on him. He indulged in no bad practices save that of the folly of youth. He Drank no ardent Spirits, chew no Tobaco, nor used Sigrs. When he left us He made no pretentions to Religion of any sort. He was always lively and very good of company and had the good will of all that knew and was much beloved. He was very Industrous though subject to waist as we all thought. Now I wish to know some more things. I want to know whether he was a good Husband, a kind father, a good provider & if a master a good Master neighbor, whether he was charitable, Benevolent so far as in power. I wish to know something Relative to your Birth, where you were born and of what nation. We understand you have Married since my Brother got killed to a Mr. Clark. We do not blame you for that as it is reasonably supposed that every Body tries to do the best they can. I want to know how John is getting along. It would do me so much good to hear he was doing well. We understand you had a Daughter by my Brother and she had married and since Died as her name was Elizabeth. We have two samples of Hair to be John's and Elizabeth's. Now my Dear Sister & Nephew these Requests you may think to be Exaggerations and Spiculative. But they are the pure desiers of my heart and no speculative design in them, no farther than to know the truth. Now if you want to know my Brothers age he was born March 6th A.D. 1804. The times in Georgia are hard. Money is scarce. Provisions of all kind, scarce. Corn $5 per bushel, Bacon 12[1/2] cents pr. lb; Wheat has been 2 pr. Bush, Wheat Crops good. Other growing crops looks promising. I am older than Dolphin. He was next to me. I was born Feby. 27th 1802. When he left Northcarolina we were both about one Weight, say 125 lbs. Though at this time I way 190 lbs. I am corpulent and clumsey and feel my age much. The rest of our family is all small. Brother Penuel will weigh not more than 120 and is about 45 years of age. I have 6 living Children, 4 Sons & Two Daughters. One is dead, my oldest son. There Names are as follows. 1st De Witt Clinton oldest dead. 2nd John Curtis Elliott. 3rd Henry Drew. Thomas Penuel. James Dolphin. Rebecca Ann Priscilla. Martha Elizabeth Savanah. There Mothers name was Martha Daniel Hunter. She died Octr. 14th 1840. Born Decr. 16th 1807. I Married my present wife Feby. 1lth 1841, name Ann Sharp; never had but one child, stilled born. If these lines ever Reach they leave all your connections in this county well. May they find you enjoying the same blessing is my prayr. So I Subscribe my self your affectionate Brother and uncle untill death. So fare well, Thos B. Floyd. (From Alamo Legacy by Ron Jackson, whereabouts of original unknown)

Galba Fuqua, 16, was born in Alabama, a Gonzales resident and Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. The Fuqua family are said to have originated with French immigrant William Fuqua (Farqua) (married Jane) to the American colony of Virginia as early as 1685.Â* According to descendant Gerald Duvall, William Farqua came to America fleeing Catholic persecution, had a son Ralph Fuqua who had a son Joseph, the father of Silas, Benjamin and Ephraim Fuqua.Â* Both Ralph and Joseph served in the American Revolution against the British.Â* Galba Fuqua was the son of Silas and Sally Taney Fuqua. After wife Sally’s death between 1825 and 1828, Silas went to Texas with his children where he died in 1834. A letter to Stephen F. Austin from Silas Fuqua of 28 Mar 1828 expressed satisfaction with Texas and inquired about assistance and information. Silas Fuqua’s land grant was on the east bank of the San Marcos River in current CaldwellCo on the GonzalesCo line. According to his land certificate, Silas Fuqua arrived in the DeWitt Colony with a family of 6 on 11 May 1830. Galba Fuqua’s single uncle Benjamin Fuqua also came to the DeWitt Colony in 1830 where he received a quarter sitio of land on the west bank of the San Marcos just north of the Silas Fuqua league. Ben Fuqua was purported to be a mechanic and mercantile business man who owned a structure called "Luna" in inner Gonzales town on his brother Silas Fuqua's town lots. It may have been a blacksmith or mercantile business although some have speculated that it might have been a Grog Shop alluded to by author Edwards in his 1836 Texas which he critically termed "the center of attraction for both young and old of the Texians". Benjamin Fuqua married Nancy King (they had a daughter Mary), older sister of William King, also a member of the Gonzales Relief force. Family legends say that both Galba and Benjamin Fuqua were treated like sons by John and Parmelia King after the death of Silas Fuqua and the marriage of Benjamin to Nancy King. Legend says that teenage Relief Force members John Gaston, Galba Fuqua and William King were all good friends as well as the three families. Susannah Dickerson, a survivor of the Alamo related that during the battle Galba Fuqua burst into the Alamo chapel where she was hiding and he tried to tell her something. Because both jaws were broken, she could not understand him before he rushed back to the battle.

John E. Garvin, probably born sometime between 1794 and 1806 in Abbeville, AbbevilleCo, South Carolina or ElbertCo, Georgia.Â* He was a Gonzales resident and Private artilleryman in Capt. Carey’s Company. He received one fourth sitio on the Guadalupe River southeast of Gonzales as single settler in the DeWitt Colony arriving 20 Feb 1831.Â* Dates on his land grant records including arrival in the colony coincide withÂ* those who arrived with the Tennessee-Texas Land Company which included colonists Mathew Caldwell, Silas and Spencer Morris, Michael Gillen and Almeron and Susannah Dickinson. Garvin enlisted in the artillery unit of Col. Neill in Bexar 14 Feb 1835. A series of promissory notes written while on duty in Bexar indicate that Gavin was conscientous about paying off obligations back home in Gonzales. A note to Byrd Lockhart of 1 Dec 1833, witnessed by Almeron Dickinson says:

"Dear Sir, be so good as to pay Stephen Smith or bearer Two dollars and in so doing you oblige yours."

Another states "Due A. Zumwalt or bearer nine dollars and twenty cts for value recd. May 13 1835" and "On demand I promise to pay to Adam Zumwalt Eight Dollars for value receive this the 28th day of August, 1835."

Another which came due while the Alamo was under siege "On or after the first day of March next I promise to pay Jos. Kent Three gentle Cows and Calves and Two Heifer yearlings for value recd this 26th day of Sept 1835."

Two promissory notes were written from within the Alamo to comrades in the garrison or Bexar, the first witnessed by colleague in arms James L. Ewing

"One day after date I promise to pay unto James C. Neill or order the sum of one hundred and seventy five dollars bearing eight per cent until paid for value received this Fifth of February 1836" and "Bexar, February 5th, 1836. One day after date I promise to pay unto L. Johnson or order the sum of fifty dollars bearing Eight per cent interest untill paid for value received."

Garvin was at home in Gonzales when the Alamo was surrounded and he joined the relief force to return to his post. James Tumlinson petitioned for administration of his estate 26 Sep 1838 in Gonzales Probate Court.

According to Gonzales County probate records (Probate #3, Robert M. Garvin and Mrs. Ann M. Smith of Tuscaloosa, Alabama petitioned the Probate Court in Gonzales to deliver Garvin's estate to them as the only surviving heirs. They claimed to be his brother and sister.Â* Judge DeWitt granted their petition in 1848.Â* According to a subsequent request for "augmentation" of the land she was to receive as John E. Garvin'sÂ*"sole surviving heir," she stated she wasÂ*his sister and that she lived in Starkville, OktibbehaCo, Mississippi (Starkville is just across the state line from Tuscaloosa). According to Pioneers of Tuscaloosa County Prior to 1830, a Daniel and Jane Manley Garvin were residents of Tuscaloosa and the couple had four children: Robert M., John E., Nancy Ann and William. Â* The 1800 Census for Abbeville, SC indicated that Daniel Garvin was married with two children and held 5 slaves.Â* He was listed in the 1790 census as single.Â* Robert M. was born in 1794.Â* It is unclear whether John E. or Nancy Ann were the other of the two children born in Abbeville.Â* If Nancy Ann was the second child then it is likely that John E. was born in ElbertCo, Georgia.Â* Daniel Garvin participated in the Cherokee land lottery in 1805 in ElbertCo, Georgia across the state line from Abbeville, SC that required residence for 3 years.Â* The family probably moved to ElbertCo between 1800 and 1802.Â* Daniel Garvin is believed to have died in ElbertCo, GA and Jane remarried a man named William Dunlap in 1806 after which they moved to Tuscaloosa and may have participated in the Creek land lottery.Â* William and Jane Dunlap had a child named William Dunlap, but Robert, John E. and Nancy Ann retained Garvin as their surname.Â* From the research of Jim Garvin.

John E. Gaston, 17, born abt 1819 in KY, resident of Gonzales and Private in the Gonzales Rangers. He was the son of Rebecca Warfield Gaston (1796 WashingtonCo, PA-1846) and G.P.B. Gaston who were married in Lexington, KY in 1814. John Gaston’s stepfather was George Washington Davis (1797-1853) who married widow Rebecca 8 Oct 1820 in Cincinatti, OH. John Gaston was said to have served as lookout on the Guadalupe River for movement of the Mexican force under Lt. Francisco Casteneda who demanded delivery of the Gonzales cannon from the settlers. The family moved to TX from JeffersonCo, KY in 1831 and received a league of land on the east bank of the Guadalupe River north of Cuero in the DeWitt Colony. John’s stepfather, G.W. Davis was one of the original 18 in the Gonzales cannon confrontation, a delegate to the TX Consultation of 1835 and holder of multiple public service positions in Gonzales. John Gaston had two older sisters, Susan A. (abt 1815-1847) and Sidney (Sidna) (abt 1816-1837) and two stepbrothers, Eugene (1828-bef 1850) and G.W. Davis, Jr (1831-188. After the breakup of her first marriage to Thomas Miller, Sidney married John Benjamin Kellogg Jr. Both also died in the Alamo. Legend says that teenager John Gaston was fond of his brother-in-law Kellogg and probably followed him to the Alamo for that reason. John Gaston is sometimes confused with the John Davis who also died in the Alamo since he may have used the Davis surname. On 5 Jan 1839, George W. Davis was named administrator of the estates of John Gaston and Benjamin Kellogg by the probate court of Gonzales. There is a TX Highway Historical marker in DeWittCo 7 mi north of Cuero on Hwy 183 honoring the George W. Davis family. George and Rebecca Davis are buried 1.8 mi west of the site.

James George was a resident of Gonzales and rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers.Â* According to Adina de Zavala in History & Legends of the Alamo & Other Missions in & Around San Antonio, James George was Sargent under Lieutenant George Kimble of the Gonzales Rangers as they left Gonzales in relief of the Alamo.Â* According to some records James George was born in 1802 in VA and was the son of William and Elizabeth Bland George, descendants of Henry George, one of the founders of the Jamestown Colony of VA.Â* The research of other descendants contend that James was not from the line of Henry George of Jamestown.Â* It is thought that James George may have been born in Pennsylvania, but the exact site has not been located.Â* James George's father was Robert George, thought to be an Irish immigrant in the period 1794-1796 who was naturalized in 1805 and died in 1806. Â* He was at one time a resident of CumberlandCo, PA.Â* James George's mother is thought to have been named Mary.Â* He had an older sister named Jane, a younger one named Elizabeth and a younger brother named John.Â* The 1800 census indicates he had five other older sisters.Â* PA records indicate that James George, over age 14 and son of Robert George, deceased, was seeking a guardian.Â* John Boden, believed to be an uncle, was appointed guardian.Â* Two daughters of Robert George were assigned to John Jackson as guardian, believed to be their stepfather.Â* After moving to GreeneCo, Ohio he bought several tracts of land and married Elizabeth Dearduff of Ohio or VA in 1821. He arrived in the DeWitt Colony 20 Feb 1830 according to his land grant title with wife and three children.Â* Orphans of James George were listed as Mary Jane, Margaret, Rachel, Matilda and Henry, who was possibly named after a grandfather. Henry died at age 19.

According to some family historians, the George family of five came to Texas from Fayetteville, FayetteCo, Tennessee, but others contend there is no evidence that the Georges or Dearduffs were ever in Tennessee. One researcher suggested that George first made a trip to Texas in 1829 from Missouri and returned for his family after choosing the place on Plum Creek south of current Lockhart. The Georges and Almaron Dickinson families are thought to have come to TX together. They are said to have come via the Mississippi River then by land across Arkansas through Nacogdoches along the Trammell Trace. James George's league on Plum Creek in northern CaldwellCo borders the Byrd Lockhart league on which the town of Lockhart developed. With the help of brother-in-law William Dearduff, they build their first dog-trot cabin on the grant. George also owned lots in the west outer Gonzales town tract on the San Marcos River. On 10 Dec 1835 James George sold three pounds of powder, twelve pounds of lead and 1.75 bushels of peas to the provisional government of TX. He was paid $59 for for 14 days service with a wagon and two yokes of oxen and 2 ox bows furnished to San Antonio and La Bahia. It is thought that this indicates that the Gonzales cannon was utilized in the Battle of Bexar and at La Bahia and James George may have been there with it.Â* A document signed by Col. Neill certified that the unit ordered one yoke of oxen and gearing for hauling the Gonzales cannon and the oxen are now crippled beyond use. Upon his departure for the Alamo, James George enjoined the aid of periodic hired hand John A. Rowe to look after the family's safety in his absence. After the Alamo defeat, his widow Elizabeth Dearduff George and children joined in the flight to the Sabine River (Runaway Scrape) with a cart containing some belongings and some cows. At one point the two younger girls, Mary and Rachel, fell from the cart and became mired in mud in the confusion and separated from their mother and sister Margaret who was tending the cows. Fortunately, accompanying settlers spotted them and returned them to their mother. Widow Elizabeth George returned to the devastated Plum Creek homestead and later married Fredrick Rowe who acted as agent of James George in the Gonzales Tax Rolls of 1838. Rowe petitioned the probate court of Gonzales on 25 Jun 1838 for administration of the estate of his wife's slain husband James George and brother William Dearduff. Notice was given in the Telegraph and Texas Register 7 Jul 1838. Known relatives were listed in the Austin City Gazette. (Updated and revised material on the background of James George and family as described above relative to the article below was provided by Joyce Speer Moore).

James and Elizabeth Dearduff George. James William George was born in Virginia in 1802, the descendant of Henry George, one of the settlers of the Jamestown Colony [see correction above]. He married in 1821 Elizabeth Dearduff of Ohio or Virginia. The Georges were Baptists and Masons. On February 20, 1830 James George arrived in Gonzales, Texas with his wife, Elizabeth Dearduff George, and children Mary Jane, Margaret and Rachel, all three born in Ohio. He was given one sitio of land on Plum Creek as one of the original settlers of DeWitt's Colony. In 1831 a son Henry was born and another daughter, Matilda, was born in 1834. On December 10, 1835 James George sold three pounds of powder, twelve pounds of lead, one and three-fourths bushels of peas to the provisional government of Texas, and "….rendered fourteen days service with waggon and two yokes of oxen and 2 ox bows furnished to San Antonio and La Bahia…" for which he was paid $59.50 according to documents in the Texas State Archives. Another document stated "This is to certify that I demanded and received, unto the public service, for halling the Gonzales Cannon to San Antonio: one yoke of oxen and all necessary geering; belonging to James George and that said yoke of oxen is now so much cripled as to render it unfit for service. November 23, 1835, H. Neill, Capt." On February 24, 1836 James William George along with his brother in law William Dearduff joined Major Williamson's command as privates and left for the Alamo where they both died March 6, 1836. Elizabeth Dearduff George, widow of James George, married Frederick Rowe after George's death sometime before 1838 when she filed papers claiming land as his heir. While married to Rowe she had a daughter Elizabeth. Rowe was apparently drowned in Plum Creek while searching for cattle in 1840. On January 21, 1841 Elizabeth George Rowe married Thomas Hoskins. Mary Jane, oldest child of James and Elizabeth George, married John W. Craig May 27, 1839. Mary Jane was dead by 1850 as her mother Elizabeth Hoskins was listed in the 1850 Caldwell County, Texas census. Also in her household were Matilda George sixteen, Elizabeth Rowe eleven, Sara Ann Hoskins nine, John T. Hoskins five and Elizabeth Craig five months. In 1853 Charles Hood filed for guardianship of minors James, Mary Ann and Elizabeth Craig. In February, 1855 Robert Happ was appointed administrator for John W. Craig, deceased. Margaret, second child of James and Elizabeth George, married Simon Fraser September 20, 1844. In December, 1849 Simon was dead and Margaret was left a widow with Henry four and Elizabeth two in the 1850 census. She must have been pregnant at the time of his death as she had Simon in 1850. Margaret married Charles Hood after the death of Simon Fraser and had children Rachel (1852), Emily (1856) and Charles (1859). Charles Hood Sr. died in Atascosa County, Texas in 1861 leaving Margaret a widow again. In 1862 Margaret watched from across the river while an Indian killed her oldest son Henry Fraser. She hid in the brush while holding her hand over baby Charles' mouth to keep him from crying out. Henry was buried in the Devine, Texas Cemetery. Margaret later married Doctor Wilkerson, died in 1896 and was buried at Devine. Rachel, third child of James and Elizabeth George, married James Brown from Scotland. In 1850 they were living in Caldwell County with son Allen four months, Henry George, James Craig and Mary Ann Craig. She later moved to Atascosa County, Texas. Matilda, the fifth child of James and Elizabeth George, married Joseph Alexander May 20, 1852. They remained in Caldwell County and she was buried in the Dale, Texas Cemetery. Henry, the only son of James and Elizabeth George, died December 15, 1853 at the age of twenty-two. The cause of death was unknown or was it known whether he married. His mother, Elizabeth Dearduff George Rowe Hoskins, died in January, 1854. Thomas Hoskins was appointed the guardian of the Hoskins minors. J. Alexander was appointed guardian of Elizabeth Rowe, a minor daughter. Joyce Spear Moore. (From The History of Gonzales County, Texas. Reprinted by permission of the Gonzales County Historical Commission).

A memorial to Alamo Defender James George and widow Elizabeth Dearduff was dedicated at the Dale, CaldwellCo, TX cemetery on 4 Mar 2000.

Thomas J. Jackson was born in Ireland, a resident of Gonzales and Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. DeWitt Colony land grant records show he entered the colony 6 Jul 1829 with a family of four and received a sitio of land. His league was southeast of Gonzales next to his father-in-law Jonathan Cottle's league on the west bank of the Guadalupe River. On 18 Sep 1830, he registered his mark and cattle brand in Gonzales witnessed by Gonzales District (San Felipe Ayuntamiento) Comisario James B. Patrick "....his ear mark a swallow fork in the right ear, and a half cross in the left ear and his brand the letter T and J united which he says is his true mark and brand and that he has no other." He was married to Louisa Cottle, sister of Alamo defender, George Washington Cottle. After Thomas Jackson’s death in the Alamo, she married James B. Hinds. Jackson was also among the Old 18 who confronted the Mexicans at Gonzales over the Gonzales cannon. Brother-in-law Almond Cottle represented the heirs of Thomas Jackson on the Gonzales Tax Rolls of 1839.

John Benjamin Kellogg II, 19, born 1817 in KY and a resident of Gonzales. He was a Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. His father, John Benjamin Kellogg I (d. Oct 1836), received Lots 4 and 5, Block 10 in inner Gonzales town on 25 Sep 1834. In 1835 John B. Kellogg II married Sidney Gaston (1816-1836) in Gonzales, the former wife of Alamo defender Thomas R. Miller and sister of John E. Gaston who also died in the Alamo. Sidney Gaston was the daughter of Rebecca Warfield Gaston Davis and stepdaughter of George Washington Davis of Gonzales. Pregnant Sidney Gaston Kellogg is thought to have left Gonzales in the Run Away Scrape with her in-laws, John B. Kellogg I and family. She lived with them in WashingtonCo, TX where she died six months later. Six days after John Kellogg II’s death in the Alamo, they had a son, John B. Kellogg III. John B. III was raised by his grandmother, Ms. John B. Kellogg I until she died in Jan 1838 at which time stepgrandfather, George Washington Davis, was named guardian. On 5 Jan 1839, George W. Davis was named administrator of the estates of his stepson, John Gaston, and Benjamin Kellogg by the probate court of Gonzales. In the 1850 census of DeWittCo, TX, 13 year old John B. III was living with the George W. Davis family. Grandmother Rebecca died when John B. III was ten and stepgrandfather G.W. Davis died when he was 17.Â* Author Tom Lindley in Alamo Traces: New Evidence and New Conclusions contends that Alamo Defender Johnny Kellogg died at Harrisburg in 1836 months after the Alamo battle.Â* This may be John Benjamin Kellogg II's father of the same name who may have died at that time.

Andrew Kent, 44, born 1791 in MadisonCo, VA came to the DeWitt Colony in 1830 with wife Elizabeth Zumwalt and 8 children. He settled on his league of land on the lower Lavaca River in current LavacaCo south of Hallettsville. The fourth greatgranduncle of the author (WLM), his story is told in detail in Andrew Kent (1791-1836) Alamo Defender Gonzales Relief Force. Kent County in west TX was named in his honor.

George C. Kimble (Kimbell, Kimball), 33, born 1803 (some records say abt 1810) in PA, a resident of Gonzales and Lieutenant and a commanding officer of the Gonzales Rangers. He came to the DeWitt Colony in 1825 from NY where as a single man he received one fourth sitio of land which was on the east bank of the San Marcos River in CaldwellCo. He owned a hat factory on Water Street south of the Fort in inner Gonzales town together with Almeron Dickerson. On 26 Jun 1832, he married widow Prudence Nash. They had a son Charles Chester (b. 1834) (photo below from Alamo Legacy by Ron Jackson, original from Linda Halliburton, Luling, TX, 4th greatgranddaughter of George C. Kimble) and twin girls Jane and Amanda born in June after the death of their father in the Alamo. Twice widowed, Prudence Nash Kimble also had three children from her first marriage. Family legend says that the Kimbles lived on property in Gonzales town owned by Prudence's former husband Nash who had died from an accidental shooting in Gonzales. According to family historians, pregnant Prudence was washing clothes in icy creek water with 2-year old Charles Chester nearby when husband George announced the plans of the Gonzales Rangers to answer Travis’ appeal for aid to the surrounded Alamo garrison in San Antonio. Among them were business partner Almeron Dickinson and his wife and child. His parting words indicated that he felt he probably would not return.

On 27 Feb 1836, he signed a document:

"Rec'd Gonzales 27th Feb. 1836 of Stephen Smith 52 lbs Coffee Being for the use of the men that has volunteered to go to Bexar to the Releaf of our Boys." G.C. Kim (signed).

An additional affidavit of 1837 verified the signature:

"This is to certify that the above is the signature of George C. Kimball he was in the habit of abbreviating his signature."

Signed by Jno. Fisher, William J. Fisher, Charles Mason and G.W. Bull in Houston 29 Apr 1837. Along with Capt. Albert Martin and John W. Smith, members of the Alamo garrison on leave in Gonzales, Lt. Kimble led the Gonzales Rangers to San Antonio de Bexar and through surrounding Mexican lines into the Alamo on 1 Mar 1836. Kimble County in southwest TX was named in honor of George Kimble's service to Texas. Charles Chester Kimble (b. 1834) (left) was two years old when his father departed Gonzales in relief of the besieged Alamo. Alamo widow and mother of six, Prudence Nash Kimble fled with George Jr. and the other children from Gonzales east to Louisiana in the Runaway Scrape. She returned to their devasted home in Gonzales in 1837. Kimble descendants say that Charles, who was six foot two inches tall and weighed over 200 pounds, closely resembled his father who was even larger in stature.Â* Sometime after 1847, Prudence Kimble married widower Claiborne West, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.Â* They lived in GuadalupeCo in 1850 with assets of $3000 and nine slaves.Â* Prudence Nash Kimble West died abt 1861 after which Claiborne West married the widow of George W. Day, Florinda McCulloch Day.Â* West died in 1866.

From the Audited Claims Archives of the Republic of Texas is the following certificate:

THIS CERTIFICATE Entitles George C. Kimbell to pay from the date of the last payment made him to Sixth March 1836, as a Second Leiut in Captain --------------'s Company, (Â*Â*Â* ,) of Ranger [Regiment] Command by Major R.M. WilliamsonÂ* He entered the service on the 24th of Feby 1836.Â* Charles Mason, Actg., Secretary of War.Â* Houston, Mar 29 1839.Â* C.J. Woodlief is the Attorney for Administrix Prudence Kimball.

The above is a printed certificate with the entries noted in bold italics.

Bounty and donation land grant records of Texas indicate that heirs of "George C. Kimbill" heirs received warrant 4480 for 1920 acres on 1 Dec 1838 for his service from 24 Feb to 6 Mar 1836 and having been killed in the Alamo. The land in KimbleCo was patented on 1 Jun 1846 (Pat 66 Vol. 2 Abst 375 GLO File Bexar Bty 191). Heirs of "George C. Kimbell" also received donation certificate 644 for 640 acres in KimbleCo which was patented 13 Jul 1846. (Pat 5 vol 2 abst 374 GLO file Bexar don 190).

William Phillip King, 16, born 8 Oct 1819, a resident of Gonzales and Private rifleman in the Gonzales Rangers. He was the son of John Gladden King (1790-1856) and Parmelia (Milly) Parchman who married abt 1818 in GilesCo, TN. John King received a league of land arriving on 15 May 1830 with a family of nine. His league was on the east bank of the Guadalupe River in GuadalupeCo northwest of Gonzales and southeast of Seguin. His neighbors were the Sowells on the northwest and Umphries Branch on the southeast. Col. John G. King contributed to the early Texas cattle industry and after the Alamo he moved the family to MontgomeryCo. He was a friend of local Indians in the area and highly regarded among particularly the Lipans and Tonkawas. John G. King is also listed in the Gonzales relief force in older records. Son William King is said to have joined the force so that his father could look after the family, some of which were ill, during the emergent crisis. According to Lord’s A Time To Stand, young William King approached the Gonzales relief force among which was his father John King as they passed by the King place north of Gonzales on the way to San Antonio. After some emotional discussion, father John agreed to allow son William to take his place in the force to which Capt. Kimble agreed. Father John King remained with the family on the homeplace. William King was the youngest member of the Alamo defenders. King County on the lower plains of west TX was named in his honor.

From the Audited Claims Archives of the Republic of Texas is the following certificate:

THIS CERTIFICATE Entitles John G. King to pay from the date of the last payment made him to Sixth March 1836, as a private in [Captain Lt. Kimble] Major Williamson's Command ['s Company,] (Â*Â*Â* ,) [Regiment] Ranging Service He entered the 24th of Feby 1836--J.W. Robinson has filed a power of attorney from J.G. King.Â* A. Sidney Johnston, Secretary of War.Â* Houston, Jany 15--1839.

The above was a printed certificate with the entries shown in bold italics.Â* Bracketed areas were crossed out, note that the unit was at first noted as that of Lt. Kimble, then stricken and replaced with Major Williamson's command.

In 1858, the Seguin Mercury reported the eloquent speech of State Senator Henry E. McCulloch:Â* "From an eloquent speech of our State Senator, Captain H. E. McCulloch, delivered in the Senate the 22nd of July last, on the bill for the purchase of the Alamo monument, we make the following extract:Â*

I will relate a circumstance which occurred in my presence, with one of these mothers of our country; and, sir, I shall never never forget my feelings upon that occasion, and can scarcely control them now sufficiently to speak. She was the mother of one whose youthful blood was mingled with that of Travis, Crocket, Bowie, and others, to water the tree of liberty which sprang up on their graves; the blood that bought our country, (Texas), and made us free.Â* In the fall of 1942, General Wall, a Mexican general, at the head of a band of Mexican robbers, (for I can call them by no milder name), some 1,200 or 1,500 strong, led, in part, by heartless traitors---and when I say that, I mean what I say, and will name Colonel Juan N. Seguin, who now lives on the San Antonio river, and Captain Antonio Perez, who is dead, as the leaders I refer to---made a descent upon San Antonio, when the district court was then in session, and overpowered and took the place, making prisoners of all the Americans that were there, robbing and plundering the town, and spreading alarm through a sparsely populated and defenseless country, causing the settlers to leave their homes and flee to places of safety.

Women were flying, and men whose hearts beat high for their country, were gathering together and hurrying to meet and drive back the dastard foe; I was sent forward by my captain, the noble and lamented Matthew Caldwell, to get every man on or near the road, to join us; and calling at the residence of one, who when young and able to perform his part, had rendered good service to his country; to see if I could get some one at that place; I told him my business, and said:Â* "I know you are too old to go now," and asked him if there was any one who could be spared to go. He hung his head, evidently struggling between his feelings as a parent and love for his country. The only son he had old enough to bear arms and take the field in defense of his country, was, standing impatient for the answer, when the mother spoke and said:Â* "John might be spared from home a few days very well."Â* "But," said the old man, the tears filling his eyes, "we lost William at the Alamo; can we see John go, too?" Â* The mother looked him full in the face, and in a firm, mild voice, said: Â*Â* "Tis true, that William died at the Alamo, and we have no son to spare, but we had better lose them than our country."Â* He went, and like a true son of a noble mother, who had voluntarily offered him, if need be, upon the altar of her country, he stood amid the clangor of arms and din of battle, side by side with the descendants of the heroes of the Alamo, and other citizens of the country, numbering 202 men, till victory perched upon our standard---till the Lone Star waved in triumph over the battle-field of the Salado. Such, sir, are specimens of the widows and descendants of the men whose names are inscribed upon that monument, and it is with pride and pleasure I discharge my high duty to them and my country, by casting my vote for the bill, and I hope it will pass.

Next page--Gonzales Rangers L-Z

Alamo Defenders-Index
SONS OF DEWITT COLONY TEXAS
© 1997-2006, Wallace L. McKeehan, All Rights Reserved
http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/gonzalesrangersf-k.htm

Or at least the Jose Maria Guerrero Memorial Causeway.



http://hotx.com/Alamo/defenders.html

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-180489.html

In my opinion, the unprofessional and history of out-right corruption leaves little public trust that Cameron County Law Enforcement can be adequate to handle the National Epidemic of Illegal Immigration and Drug Smuggling--with locals so emersed in criminal culture as a means of economic advancement, it seems to me, only an American military presense will make any progress in solving our border insecurities.

Obama, catering to special interests is not making my home safer for my children:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-197884.html

Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 12:10 amÂ*Â* Â*Post subject:
Ok, let me get this straight, the White House is celebrating the defeat and removal of a French Hapsberg prince, who was asked to rule Mexico by rich aristocratic Mexicans because they believed this prince could stop the constant civil war happening in Mexico, even though he did not speak English, but then the prince was overthrown by the same revolutionaries who raped and pillaged before the prince left France:

And the White House is celebrating this?

Do they even know Cinco de Mayo was hardly a celebration of independence, but of a failed cease fire, and a continuation of political instability, which continues to plague Mexico today, in the shapeshifter's form known as the cartels.

Pathetic & sad.

The USA is so very mislead! its just

Do not misinterpret my postings, I do not proscribe to any racists ideologies, I have loved all colors and creeds, and have all colors of the rainbow in my family--and know we are all the same:

I believe the corporate and criminal business cartels use the illegal immigrant card as a weapon against the working class citizens--often citing union initiated inflated wages as justification: Why hassle with the expense of utilizing NAFTA when NO ONE In Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, who is in favor of NAFTA, is going to have concern how such policies affect an American Working Class.

Unfortunately, the American Citizen Working Class will not understand how they were sold out by both the Democrats and Republicans, through NAFTA and the policy of hiring illegal immigrants, until their jobs are gone, they are on welfare, and further economically and politically neutralized.

Border Lawmakers Meet with Secretary Napolitano, Mexican SecretaryÂ* to Discuss Mutual Concerns, Border SecurityÂ*& Trade
Washington, DC – Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-2 today joined southern border lawmakers and top security officials from the United States and Mexico to discuss the state of affairs between the two countries on Cinco de Mayo, a day which marks the historic triumph of the Mexican people over the French Army in the battle of Puebla in 1862.
Congressmen Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) and Harry Teague (D-NM) hosted the Capitol Hill meeting between the group of border lawmakers and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Mexico Interior Secretary Fernandez Gomez-Mont, Mexico Ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhan, ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton and CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin.
“Today, we celebrate the important contributions of Mexican Americans throughout this country and we recognize the mutual priorities shared between the United States and Mexico,â€

To view or print the PDF content on this page, download the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®.

March 24, 2010
TG-605

Treasury Targets Perpetrators of Mexican Drug Trafficking Violence Tied to Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel

WASHINGTON – On the heels of Tuesday's U.S.-Mexico Merida High Level Consultative Group meeting in Mexico City, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today designated 54 Mexican principal lieutenants and enforcers for Mexico's Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas – groups that are responsible for much of the current bloodshed in Mexico –as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act).Â* Both the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas were previously identified by the President as significant foreign narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin Act. Today's action builds on the unprecedented efforts of Mexico and the United States to target Mexican drug trafficking organizations and protect citizens on both sides of the border. Â*U.S. persons are prohibited from conducting financial or commercial transactions with the designees and any assets that the designated individuals may have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.Â*Â*

"The United States remains deeply committed to collaborating with Mexican authorities and President Calderon's unwavering efforts to end the brutality imposed by these ruthless criminal organizations," said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin. "The Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas have terrorized innocent people in Tamaulipas and throughout Mexico. Today's action amplifies Treasury's ongoing efforts to target the support networks of drug organizations worldwide and to deny these criminals access to the international financial sector."

Today's action targets the narcotics traffickers, assassins, money launderers, and enforcers that comprise the support network and underpinnings of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas. Â*Many of the individuals designated today control the drug trafficking activities in cities and towns largely in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon but also elsewhere throughout Mexico. Â*In June 2009, 11 of today's designees were indicted for narcotics trafficking in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia: Â*Jaime Gonzalez Duran, Samuel Flores Borrego, Mario Ramirez Trevino, Alfredo Rangel Buendia, Gilberto Barragan Balderas, Juan Reyes Mejia Gonzalez, Omar Trevino Morales, Jesus Enrique Rejon Aguilar, Eleazar Medina Rojas, Aurelio Cano Flores, and Sigifredo Najera Talamantes. Â*Other individuals designated today who have faced federal indictments for violating U.S. narcotics laws include Dimas Gonzalez Rodriguez, Victor Manuel Vasquez Mireles, and Rogelio Gonzalez Pizana.

The President identified the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas as significant foreign narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin Act in 2007 and 2009, respectively.Â* In July 2009, OFAC designated the four principal leaders of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas.Â* Today's action is the latest in a series of efforts by OFAC to thwart Mexico's drug cartels.Â* The Gulf Cartel is responsible for smuggling and distributing significant amounts of cocaine and marijuana to the United States.Â* Historically, Los Zetas was considered to be the enforcement arm of the Gulf Cartel, but now it operates independently and is waging a fierce battle to control lucrative drug routes.

The U.S. Department of State is offering up to $5 million for information leading to the capture of Omar Trevino Morales, Juan Reyes Mejia Gonzalez, Mario Ramirez Trevino, Gilberto Barragan Balderas, Jesus Enrique Rejon Aguilar, and Samuel Flores Borrego.Â* In March 2009, Mexico's Office of the Attorney General announced rewards ranging from $1.2 million (15,000,000 pesos) to $2.4 million (30,000,000 pesos) per individual for information leading to the arrest of certain principal members of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, who have been designated today by OFAC, including Omar Trevino Morales, Ivan Velasquez Caballero, Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa, Flavio Mendez Santiago, Sergio Enrique Ruiz Tlapanco, Lucio Hernandez Lechuga, and Sigifredo Najera Talamantes. Â*Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa, Sigifredo Najera Talamantes, and Sergio Enrique Ruiz Tlapanco are among those that have been captured by Mexican authorities since March 2009.

Today's action is due in part to OFAC's cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and DEA's Special Operations Division and is part of ongoing efforts under the Kingpin Act to apply financial measures against significant foreign narcotics traffickers worldwide.Â* Internationally, more than 600 businesses and individuals associated with 82 drug kingpins, 37 of which are based in Mexico, have been designated pursuant to the Kingpin Act since June 2000. Â*Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties.Â* Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $5 million.Â* Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals face up to 10 years in prison for criminal violation of the Kingpin Act and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code.

A full list of the 54 individuals designated today can be viewed by clicking here.

###

REPORTS

Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas members
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg605.htm

Last updated May 5, 2010Â*Â* Â*Â*The drug war at our doorstep

A team of Los Angeles Times reporters has been covering Mexico's drug war from both sides of the border since June, 2008.
Latest stories
» Mexico army handling of civilian death inquiries questioned
» Gunmen kill 4, wound top security official in Michoacan
» 8 killed in ambush in Ciudad Juarez
» Drug war ensnares Morelos state
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COMPLETE SERIES
Use the list below to sort and view all Los Angeles Times coverage of Mexico Under Siege
DATEÂ* DATELINE BYLINE TYPE HEADLINE
May 5, 2010 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico army handling of civilian death inquiries questioned
A military-led inquiry and another by the attorney general find the army not responsible in recent cases of civilians being killed amid the war on drug cartels. But their credibility is questioned.
April 25, 2010 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Gunmen kill 4, wound top security official in Michoacan
The state public security minister had just left ceremonies launching a state fair in Morelia when her armored SUV and bodyguard escort came under fire.
April 24, 2010 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story 8 killed in ambush in Ciudad Juarez
A 17-year-old passerby and at least seven officers are slain as two police cars are attacked. Officials say the midday assault may have been retaliation for recent arrests targeting drug gangs.
April 21, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Drug war ensnares Morelos state
Violence has increased recently in Morelos due to a battle for control of a drug cartel. Nearly 50 people have been killed in the state this year, newspapers say.
April 16, 2010 Bridgetown Julian Barnes Story Caribbean countries seek anti-drug assistance from U.S.
Officials say in a meeting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates that a Washington-based crackdown in Mexico has pushed traffickers into their region.
April 15, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Deadly street shootout strikes fear in Acapulco
In the Mexican resort city, gunmen fire at two men in a car and federal police officers. They also shoot at other vehicles, leaving behind casings from AK-47s, which are favored by drug hit men.
April 14, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico death toll in drug war higher than previously reported
More than 22,000 have died since President Felipe Calderon launched his crackdown on drug trafficking gangs, according to news reports citing confidential government figures.
April 5, 2010 El Paso Richard Serrano Story Key figure in Juarez violence eludes capture
Eduardo Ravelo is believed to have helped turn Ciudad Juarez into Mexico's homicide capital, with more than 600 slain there this year. Now he's linked to the recent U.S. Consulate slayings.
April 2, 2010 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico drug gangs turn weapons on army
In northern states this week, gunmen fought troops and sought to confine some to their bases by cutting off access and blocking roads. The aggression shows they are not afraid to challenge the army.
March 31, 2010 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Suspect details U.S. Consulate-related shootings, officials say
An Aztecs drug gang member says a consulate official's husband, an El Paso corrections officer, was the target of the Ciudad Juarez attack that left three dead.
March 30, 2010 Mexico City Cecilia Sanchez, Tracy Wilkinson Story 10 youths slain in Mexico
The students, ages 8 to 21, were on their way to pick up scholarships when apparent drug gang members opened fire and threw grenades when their vehicle didn't stop at a checkpoint.
March 26, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico arrests alleged major heroin trafficker
Jose Antonio Medina, called 'the king of heroin,' was arrested in the state of Michoacan. He is suspected of heading a smuggling network that brought the drug to Southern California.
March 24, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Clinton pledges more U.S. help in Mexico war on drug violence
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton leads a large U.S. delegation to Mexico City, reaffirming that the battle against violent gangs is one shared by both countries.
March 23, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico military faces political risks over drug war
As the death toll keeps climbing in Calderon’s crackdown on the drug trade, there is a growing feeling that the army has been less than effective as a police force.
March 18, 2010 Nuevo Laredo Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico border city relives nightmare of violence
Renewed feuding in Nuevo Laredo between drug gangs spurs old fears amid dozens of deaths.
March 17, 2010 Ciudad Juarez Tracy Wilkinson Story President Calderon visits an angry Ciudad Juarez
In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico’s president faces citizen outrage amid new signs his war on drug gangs is failing.
March 17, 2010 Ciudad Juarez Tracy Wilkinson Story Consular slayings spotlight Mexico’s failures in fighting drug gangs
On a visit to Ciudad Juarez in the wake of the killings of an American couple and a Mexican, President Calderon is confronted by angry demonstrations and a tense, frustrated citizenry.
March 16, 2010 Ciudad Juarez Tracy Wilkinson Story Attack on a U.S. official is rare in Mexico
If drug traffickers in Ciudad Juarez deliberately targeted diplomatic personnel, it would mark a significant departure in tactics.
March 15, 2010 Mexico City Richard Serrano, Tracy Wilkinson Story 2 Americans and a third victim are killed in Mexico shootings
Two of the victims worked for the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez. Gunmen targeted the two cars involved as the people left a child’s birthday party.
Feb. 26, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico puts its drug suspects on parade
Critics of the media events say human rights are also on the line, along with the country's efforts to establish the rule of law. But Mexico wants to show victories in its drug war.
Feb. 26, 2010 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico president says all cartels are pursued equally
President Felipe Calderon confronts an allegation long circulated that his government has gone easier on the Sinaloa cartel. 'It is absolutely false,' he says.
Feb. 25, 2010 Oaxaca Associated Press Story U.S. warns Americans to avoid Nuevo Laredo
Nineteen killings in three days in the region prompt the U.S. Consulate in Monterrey to issue the warning.
Feb. 20, 2010 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Juarez massacre may mark a turning for Mexico
The January killing of 15 young people has created a furor and left some wondering whether it’s a tipping point, a moment when Mexicans overcame their fear and fatalism to confront the violence.
Feb. 14, 2010 Los Angeles Sam Quinones Story A lethal business model targets Middle America
Sugar cane farmers from a tiny Mexican county use savvy marketing and low prices to push black-tar heroin in the United States.
Feb. 12, 2010 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Calderon visits Ciudad Juarez
In the traumatized border city, he talks of social programs aimed at boosting the fight against drug cartels.
Feb. 9, 2010 Tijuana Richard Marosi Story 2 suspected drug gang leaders held in Tijuana
Raydel Lopez Uriarte and Manuel Garcia Simental are believed to be top lieutenants in a cartel blamed for a string of massacres, police killings, beheadings and kidnappings in Tijuana.
Feb. 5, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico massacre response fails to convince
Officials’ suggestions that slain Ciudad Juarez teens had drug ties anger relatives.
Feb. 3, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico kidnapping attempt leaves 8 dead
A Mexico federal police officer and seven gunmen are killed after a kidnapping at a mall in Torreon. The two kidnapping victims are freed. Officials blame the Zetas drug gang.
Feb. 3, 2010 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Telephoned abduction claims bedeviling Mexico
A cottage industry has exploded alongside the skyrocketing kidnapping rate: telephoned shakedowns that play on fears, in which the perpetrators scamming for pesos make random, scattershot calls.
Feb. 3, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico arrests suspect in Ciudad Juarez shooting attack on party
The man tells reporters that assailants targeted the high-school party because members of a rival trafficking group were said to be in attendance.
Feb. 1, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Ciudad Juarez police baffled by shooting of teens
The attack on a party attended by mostly high school and college students has 'no apparent motive,' the mayor says. The death toll rises to 16.
Feb. 1, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story As Mexican teens celebrate school soccer win, gunmen open fire
Fourteen people are killed in Ciudad Juarez during a party in a private home, the latest victims of the drug war. More than 3,700 people have been slain in two years in this violent area of Mexico.
Jan. 21, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico prison riot leaves at least 23 dead
All of the dead in the Durango prison uprising are inmates. The fighting is said to have been between members of rival drug-trafficking cartels.
Jan. 13, 2010 San Diego Ken Ellingwood, Richard Marosi Story Mexican drug lord Teodoro Garcia Simental, known for his savagery, is captured
The crime boss 'El Teo,' who authorities say is responsible for massacres and beheadings, is quietly arrested in Baja California. Hundreds fled Tijuana to avoid being kidnapped.
Jan. 11, 2010 Tijuana Richard Marosi Story New years see Tijuana slip into cycle of violence
After some gains in Mexico’s drug war in 2009, Tijuana has had a bloody turn of events in the new year. More than a dozen people, four of them students, were reported slain in the last week.
Jan. 5, 2010 Los Angeles Times staff Story Mexico's drug violence respects no borders
The slaying of an El Monte educator visiting Mexico's Durango state brings the drug war toll home to Southern California.
Jan. 3, 2010 Durango Tracy Wilkinson Story Wife of slain El Monte civic leader didn't think drug war would touch her family
Betzy Salcedo knew of the drug violence in her home town of Gomez Palacio, but like many in Mexico, she was sure she could steer clear of it. The kidnapping and execution of her husband, Augustin Roberto "Bobby" Salcedo changed everything.
Jan. 1, 2010 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Book takes Mexico drug war to task
The book by two former Mexican government officials criticizes President Felipe Calderon’s campaign against the drug cartels. The authors say the focus should be on smaller-bore crimes.
Dec. 30, 2009 Nuevo Laredo Ken Ellingwood, Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico's public is missing in action in the drug battle
Faced with drug-cartel violence and signs of vigilantism against the gangs, ordinary people would argue that it doesn’t pay to get involved.
Dec. 29, 2009 Durango Tracy Wilkinson Story Crime reporters face deadly perils
As many as 12 reporters and media workers have been slain this year. The steady intimidation of journalists has caused many of them to pull their punches and refrain from writing the whole truth.
Dec. 23, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico drug raid hero’s family slaughtered
Hours after the burial of a marine who died in a raid that killed drug lord Arturo Beltran Leyva, gunmen burst into his home and killed family members.
Dec. 22, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Staged photos of slain drug lord stir controversy
Images of Arturo Beltran Leyva's corpse covered with blood-stained peso and dollar bills and jewelry raise concerns that law enforcement is adopting the tactics of hit men. An inquiry is underway.
Dec. 20, 2009 Tijuana Richard Marosi Story Tijuana's security chief need all of it he can get
Julian Leyzaola lives with threats and worse, plus the accusations.
Dec. 18, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood, Josh Meyer, Tracy Wilkinson Story Cartel chief is dead, but now what?
Officials herald the killing of Arturo Beltran Leyva as a coup. Still, the drug violence could grow.
Dec. 14, 2009 Rosarito Beach Richard Marosi Story One man's war zone is another's paradise
From the insulated safety of Baja's luxurious seaside gated communities, American expatriates say reports of kidnappings and violent drug cartels seem a world away.
Dec. 9, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Rights group faults Mexico over alleged army abuse
Amnesty International, citing cases of alleged slayings by the military in the drug war, criticizes civilian officials, saying they fail to properly investigate or prosecute crimes by the army.
Nov. 25, 2009 Tijuana Richard Marosi Story Mexico tightens security at U.S. border crossings
The new infrastructure -- including gates, cameras and vehicle scales -- aims to hamper the smuggling of drug money and weapons to Mexican cartels. Businesses are protesting the increased wait times.
Nov. 17, 2009 San Luis Potosi Ken Ellingwood Story Fixing Mexico police becomes a priority
Reversing police corruption that has tainted whole departments, shattered faith in law enforcement and compromised one of society's most basic institutions is proving difficult, but not impossible.
Nov. 9, 2009 Culiacan Tracy Wilkinson Story Women play growing role in Mexico's drug war
Addiction, the economy and the lure of living well have sucked many into the narcotics underworld. The trend threatens the foundations of Mexican society.
Oct. 29, 2009 Mexico City Cecilia Sanchez, Tracy Wilkinson Story Song banned, band pulls out
Los Tigres del Norte are initially barred from playing their latest drug-trade lyrics.
Oct. 28, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Grim glossary of the narco-world
Average words aren't sufficient for the over-the-top violence of Mexico's drug war, so new ones have been invented.
Oct. 23, 2009 Culiacan Tracy Wilkinson Story In drug-trafficking hub, artist is in demand
Between mansions for the living and mausoleums for the dead, there is work to be had in the Sinaloa capital for painter and sculptor Jose Espinoza, who says of his patrons: 'I don't probe.'
Oct. 17, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Gruesome slayings add to Guerrero’s toll
The mutilated corpses of nine people were found in plastic bags in the bed of a pickup, authorities said. The area where they were discovered is known for its drug trafficking.
Oct. 12, 2009 Culiacan Ken Ellingwood, Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico's 'narco-lawyers' risk everything
One 'Bulletproof Lawyer' survived four assassination attempts before being gunned down. Such unsolved killings highlight the violence within a judicial system manipulated by powerful drug cartels.
Sept. 16, 2009 Mexicali Richard Marosi Story One Mexico border city is quiet, maybe too quiet
Mexicali seems an oasis from violence, but some U.S. officials suspect that the peace comes at a high price.
Sept. 4, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story 18 killed in Juarez clinic for addicts
The systematic execution of clients in one of the many treatment centers for addicts that have sprouted in Ciudad Juarez suggests smuggling gangs may be fighting over local markets.
Aug. 31, 2009 Culiacan Tracy Wilkinson Story 8 killed at street party in Mexico
Four gunmen leap from a pickup truck and fire semiautomatic weapons at the revelers in the town of Navolato in Sinaloa state. The shooters escape.
Aug. 23, 2009 Mexico City Richard Marosi, Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico shifts tactics in the drug battle
Allowing possession of small amounts frees resources for fighting cartels and traffickers, the government says.
Aug. 22, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Actually, violence is down--so say the numbers
The attorney general points to statistics that indicate homicides have declined in the last 15 years. Critics dismiss his argument as so much spin.
Aug. 14, 2009 Los Angeles Richard Marosi Story 17 charged in string of brutal kidnappings and slayings in San Diego suburbs
n a spillover of Tijuana violence, Mexican gang members posing as U.S. law enforcement personnel abducted and killed 9 victims.
July 30, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Police figures slain in separate attacks
An investigator and a commander and his family are killed at their homes as drug crackdown continues.
July 21, 2009 Washington Richard Marosi Story U.S. indictments target Mexico's Gulf cartels
Gulf cartel and a brutal mercenary group are targeted in an effort that could lead to the seizure of U.S.-held assets.
July 18, 2009 Sonora Sacha Feinman Story Drug cartels imperil immigrants
Tighter border enforcement has driven narcotics smugglers to share territory with migrants, adding to the dangers of the journey and possibly contributing to a drop in immigration.
July 17, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Forces hiked to counter drug gang
Mexico is to deploy 5,500 security personnel to the western state of Michoacan, where a series of recent attacks has killed 16 police officers. The La Familia drug gang is suspected in the slayings.
July 16, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Politician is tied to gang targeting police
Congressman-elect Julio Cesar Godoy is suspected of helping protect the La Familia cartel, accused of killing 16 officers in recent days. That has brought pressure on his sibling, Michoacan Gov. Leonel Godoy.
July 15, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story 12 slain in Michoacan were federal police officers
The attack continues a spree in Michoacan by the La Familia drug cartel, officials say.
July 13, 2009 Ciudad Juarez Ken Ellingwood, Tracy Wilkinson Story Drug offensive stirs ‘wasps nest’
The 2 1/2-year offensive has uncovered deep corruption and sparked violent gang wars, presenting a stark reality: The longer and harder the war is fought, the more complex and daunting it becomes.
July 10, 2009 York, Maine Scott Kraft Story Small-town cops in coastal Maine face a big problem
A heroin overdose leads detectives to unravel a growing addiction problem in small New England towns. Maine is now on the drug mainline from Mexico.
July 9, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Protest leader, relative shot to death in Mexico
The attack on Benjamin LeBaron, a U.S. citizen, and his brother-in-law bore the signs of an organized-crime hit. LeBaron had led a demonstration in May against kidnapping.
July 3, 2009 Los Angeles Paul Pringe, Richard Winton Story Bentley driver's slaying in L.A. might have cartel link
The wild pursuit that ended on the 101 freeway may have been the result of a rivalry between alleged members of the Arellano Felix drug-smuggling organization, according to an affidavit obtained by the Times.
June 30, 2009 Abbotsford Kim Murphy Story Drug war on another border: Canada
Pressure on the U.S.-Mexico border makes the Vancouver, Canada market all the more lucrative and dangerous as narcotics traffickers battle for market share.
June 27, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story At least 12 die in Mexico shootout
The deadly clash in the state of Guanajuato is said to have occurred when security forces sought to search a home. Elsewhere, in the state of Sonora, a congressional candidate escapes assassination.
June 21, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story A quiet move to decriminalize minor drug use
President Calderon, who wants to focus on trafficking, is set to sign the law decriminalizing minor drug use. But critics say letting off users caught with limited amounts of cocaine or other substances will increase use and encourage 'drug tourists' from the U.S.
June 19, 2009 Washington Josh Meyer Story Designated immigration agents authorized to participate in drug enforcement
Homeland Security and Justice departments repair schism with an accord to interchange staff and better share information.
June 12, 2009 Washington Josh Meyer Story Gun flow south is a crisis for two nations
The U.S. government lacks a coordinated strategy to combat the flow of arms into Mexico, where 90% of the seized weapons that can be traced are linked to U.S. sales, watchdog report says.
June 9, 2009 San Diego Tony Perry Story Mexican national arrested trying to smuggle marijuana ashore on a surfboard
Suspect tosses duffel bag as authorities approach, but the bag washes ashore at Imperial Beach. Officials say it contained 24 pounds of marijuana with a street value of about $74,400.
June 8, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Acapulco shootout leaves 18 dead
The hours-long battle that killed two soldiers and 16 gunmen took place several miles from the main strip of tourist complexes.
June 7, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story At least 18 killed in shootout in Acapulco
An hours-long gun battle erupts when government troops approach a home in a beachfront neighborhood of the Mexican resort. No tourists are reported hurt.
June 4, 2009 Amatitlan Ken Ellingwood Story Drug violence spilling into Guatemala
Mexican drug gangs under pressure at home are moving operations to Guatemala, whose proximity, weak law enforcement and deep-rooted corruption provide fertile ground, officials and analysts say. By Ken Ellingwood
June 4, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story 47 police officers questioned in disappearance of Mexican customs official
The customs administrator in Veracruz has not been seen since an apparent traffic collision Monday night. On a security video, several police cars are seen arriving at the scene of the crash.
May 31, 2009 Patzcuaro Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico drug traffickers corrupt politics
The cult-like La Familia Michoacana has contaminated city halls across one state, federal officials say. It sometimes decides who runs and who doesn't, who lives and who dies.
May 28, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Detention of local officials marks shift in anti-drug efforts
Calderon had been focused on a military offensive targeting drug figures and corrupt police. Now officials are being questioned to see how far the cartels have penetrated 'local political elites.'
May 27, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story 10 mayors, other Mexico officials detained
The sweep targets local officials in the state of Michoacan, home to La Familia, a fast-growing group of drug traffickers.
May 21, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico senator takes leave amid scandal
Senator Ricardo Monreal of Zacatecas steps down temporarily to clear his name after an official acknowledges an investigation into a family property where tons of marijuana were found.
May 21, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico jail break video shows "inside job"
Reforma newspaper publishes surveillance video showing guards apparently helping drug suspects escape from a prison in Zacatecas state.
May 20, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Reputed up-and-coming cartel figure held
Rodolfo Lopez Ibarra and 12 other people with him are seized by soldiers when he steps from a plane in Monterrey, where he allegedly was assigned to take over cartel operations.
May 18, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico sees inside job in prison break
An armada of 17 vehicles, backed by a helicopter, sweeps down on a prison holding drug convicts. The warden and two top guards are arrested and another 40 are questioned in what authorities say was an "inside job."
May 15, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story 4 Southern California residents slain in Tijuana
The bodies of two men and two women, bearing 'signs of violence,' were found over the weekend in a car. The circumstances are being investigated.
May 12, 2009 Antelope Wells, New Mexico Scott Kraft Story Pursuing smugglers, border agents become trackers
New fencing and high-tech devices make it difficult for drug traffickers to cross the border. So smugglers hoist packs and take to the desert on foot. Agents use century-old tracking skills to follow.
May 11, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story A trip to Mexico's museum of drugs
Mexico displays confiscated guns and gadgets from its struggles against narcotics traffickers. Just don't call it the Narcomuseum.
May 6, 2009 Arizona Josh Meyer Story Sinaloa cartel may resort to deadly force in U.S.
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mexico's most wanted man, reportedly meets with his lieutenants near the Mexico-Arizona border and tells them to meet force with force north of the border.
April 30, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Army needs oversight, Human Rights Watch says
Report lists 17 allegations of serious human rights abuse by the Mexican army, including torture and murder.
April 29, 2009 Tijuana Richard Marosi Story 7 police officers die in Tijuana attacks
The bold assaults by heavily armed gunmen are said to have been aimed at intimidating the force.
April 21, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Drug cartels keep Catholic officials in fear
In one case, Archbishop Hector Gonzalez calls attention to a drug trafficker in his neighborhood and accuses the government of ignoring the situation. The prelate later apologizes for his comments.
April 18, 2009 Tijuana Richard Marosi Story General battles Tijuana drug traffickers
General Alfonso Duarte Mugica is held up as a model in the army effort to stem drug violence and take on the cartels. He says there’s nothing personal in his hunt for one of Mexico’s most wanted.
April 15, 2009 Ixtapan de la Sal Ken Ellingwood Story Mayors on front line of the drug war
Mayors say they are the ones personally confronting the toll of drug violence on the streets. Yet they lack any meaningful role in the federal government's battle against organized crime.
April 3, 2009 Rio Grande City, Texas Scott Kraft Story On the borderline of good and bad
Starr County, Texas had two consecutive sheriffs tied to drug trafficking from neighboring Mexico. The county finds itself wedged between a relentless supply of drugs to the south, and an insatiable appetite for them to the north.
April 3, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico arrests suspected No. 2 in Juarez drug cartel
Vicente Carrillo Leyva, son of the late kingpin Amado Carrillo Fuentes, is arrested in Mexico City. His capture comes as top U.S. law enforcement officials meet in Cuernavaca.
April 2, 2009 San Diego Richard Marosi Story Napolitano promises more agents at San Diego-area checkpoints
The homeland security secretary visits the Southwest border for the first time since the Obama administration announced a new anti-smuggling strategy.
March 31, 2009 El Paso Sam Quinones Story Senators hear testimony on border danger
John Kerry and others on the Foreign Relations Committee are told Mexico is not in danger of becoming a failed state.
March 27, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Hillary Clinton wraps up Mexico visit, calls drug violence 'intolerable'
The secretary of State tours a high-tech police facility in Mexico City and meets with university students in Monterrey.
March 26, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story U.S. shares blame for Mexico drug violence, Clinton says
A voracious appetite for illegal narcotics and liberal gun-sale rules are funding and arming smugglers locked in a drug war south of the border, the secretary of state says on her first visit to Mexico.
March 25, 2009 Washington Josh Meyer Story White House unveils plan to fight border drug cartels
The $700-million multi-agency plan targets drug and human trafficking and money laundering and aims to curb spillover of violence from Mexico onto the U.S. side of the border.
March 25, 2009 Los Angeles Sam Quinones Story Family members allegedly ran heroin smuggling ring
An extended family of immigrants from Oaxaca is charged with running a heroin empire that relied on an obscure indigenous language and transactions in public places.
March 24, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico offers $2-million rewards for top drug suspects
The rewards are for information leading to the capture of the 24 most-wanted, including Joaquin 'Shorty' Guzman and Ismael Zambada, leaders of the so-called Sinaloa cartel.
March 22, 2009 Washington Josh Meyer Story Drug cartels raise the stakes on human smuggling
Drug-smuggling gangs appear to be muscling in on the brisk business of smuggling illegal immigrants across the U.S. border.
March 21, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Abuse allegations rise against army
Since President Calderon’s deployment of troops in the war against drug trafficking, allegations of illegal searches and arrests, rape and torture have risen, rights groups say.
March 20, 2009 Tijuana Sam Quinones Story In Tijuana, opera offers a refuge from violence
On the streets, drug smugglers and gangs are fighting a war. But inside a modest cafe, the drama is make-believe and accompanied by sweet music.
March 20, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexican drug figure's son is arrested
Vicente Zambada is arrested in a posh area of Mexico City. He is the son of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, a suspected drug kingpin in Sinaloa who is said to be an expert on opium cultivation and heroin smuggling.
March 19, 2009 San Diego Richard Marosi Story U.S. sues Union Pacific over cross-border drug trafficking
Federal officials say Union Pacific failed to keep smugglers off its trains, but railroad casts blame on its Mexican affiliate.
March 18, 2009 Washington Josh Meyer Story U.S. shares blame for Mexico drug violence, senators say
Decades of drug use in the U.S. and the smuggling of guns and money into Mexico have fueld that nation's spiraling violence, witnesses tell Congress.
March 17, 2009 Tijuana Richard Marosi Story Killing of Tijuana pizzeria owner leaves family, Mexican authorities at odds
George Norman Harrison, a San Diego County native, was found decapitated. Authorities consider his death drug-related; his family disagrees.
March 15, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood, Tracy Wilkinson Story Drug cartels' new weaponry means war
Narcotics traffickers are acquiring firepower more appropriate to an army -- including grenade launchers and anti-tank rockets -- and the police are feeling outgunned.
March 13, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story The barrio gets behind the cartels
The Gulf cartel showed its pull in the impoverished neighborhoods around Mexico's richest city, calling them to the streets. Protests spread to border and port cities.
March 13, 2009 Washington Associated Press, Times staff Story U.S. may deploy troops if Mexico border violence escalates
Homeland Security official tells Congress that National Guard may be needed if security deteriorates at U.S.-Mexico border, a day after President Obama makes a similar suggestion about drug-related violence.
March 10, 2009 Tijuana Richard Marosi Story Dozens arrested in Tijuana raid
A major army-led operation targets organized crime.
March 9, 2009 Rosarito Beach Christopher Reynolds Story Rosarito Beach regulars won't stay away despite Mexico's drug war
U.S. tourists who enjoy escaping to this seaside city are continuing to do so despite the recent travel warnings. 'Drug people are fighting the drug people,' goes the thinking.
March 7, 2009 San Diego Richard Marosi Story U.S. citizen beheaded in apparent drug hit
A former Chula Vista resident is identified as one of three men who were found decapitated this week in Tijuana.
March 6, 2009 Cancun Ken Ellingwood Story Tourists weigh Mexico drug violence
Mexico's rampant drug violence has put the issue of safety front and center for would-be vacationers, and put the country's publicity-sensitive tourism promoters on the defensive.
March 5, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story 20 killed in riot at Ciudad Juarez prison
It takes forces nearly three hours to contain the gang unrest. Bodies are reportedly thrown from windows.
March 4, 2009 Texas Andrew Becker, Patrick J. McDonnell Story Mexico's drug war creates new class of refugees
Business owners, law enforcement officers, journalists and other professionals are among those seeking asylum in the U.S. -- even when it means sitting in jail.
March 3, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico sending more forces to Ciudad Juarez
As violence spirals, Mexico dispatches another 1,000 federal police to the border city of Juarez, where 2,000 additional soldiers arrived earlier this week. More than 1,600 people died last year in drug-related violence in the city, across the border from El Paso, Texas.
March 3, 2009 San Diego Associated Press Story Warning issued on Mexico trips
The Justice Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has taken the unusual step of urging college students to avoid parts of northern Mexico during spring break.
March 2, 2009 Cancun Ken Ellingwood Story Killings uncover seamier side of Cancun
The killing of a newly-hired security official, Gen. Mauro Enrique Tello, and two others raises questions about the drug trade's impact on the popular resort, especially with suspicions falling on then-police chief, Francisco Velasco.
Feb. 26, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Mexico to send up to 5,000 more troops to Ciudad Juarez
The increase would triple the law enforcement presence in the border city, which has been racked by drug violence. Its police chief quit recently and its mayor has received threats.
Feb. 25, 2009 Villanueva Tracy Wilkinson Story Town fed up with violence turns to army
In the state of Zacatecas, residents of Villanueva demanded that the military take over. The soldiers came, but drug war violence got worse.
Feb. 25, 2009 Washington Josh Meyer Story Hundreds arrested in U.S. probe of Mexican drug cartel
Fifty arrests in California and elsewhere are the latest among 730 targeting the Sinaloa cartel in a 21-month crackdown.
Feb. 23, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Governor of Mexico's Chihuahua state downplays attack
Gov. Jose Reyes Baeza Terrazas says gunmen who fired on his convoy weren't aiming at him.
Feb. 21, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Ciudad Juarez police chief quits after killings of officers, threats
Posted signs say a policeman would be killed every 48 hours unless Roberto Orduña Cruz resigned.
Feb. 19, 2009 New Mexico Scott Kraft Story Border drug war is too close for comfort
A quaint but quirky border town in New Mexico casts a wary glance at its neighbor over the border, fretting over whether drug-related violence will cross over to its streets.
Feb. 16, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Gunmen kill police officer, 10 relatives in Tabasco
Gunmen hit the homes of Carlos Reyes Lopez and his extended family; a 2-year-old nephew and five other children are among the dead. Reyes Lopez was a member of an elite agency tackling police corruption.
Feb. 12, 2009 Phoenix Sam Quinones Story Phoenix, kidnap-for-ransom capital
Juan Francisco Perez-Torres was abducted last month in front of his home and ransom demanded. Hundreds of such incidents occur each year in Phoenix, and Mexican drug-smuggling is usually involved.
Feb. 8, 2009 Tijuana Richard Marosi Story Families want answers from man who says he dissolved 300 people
Santiago Meza Lopez, known as El Pozolero (the Stew Maker), says he stuffed bodies into barrels of lye for drug cartels. He may be a good source of information about missing loved ones.
Feb. 6, 2009 Chihuahua Ken Ellingwood Story Openness is the new order in the courts
Closed-door, written trials give way to U.S.-style proceedings in Chihuahua state. The overhaul could help fight corruption and organized crime, analysts say.
Feb. 4, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Ex-general, 2 others found shot to death near Cancun
Mauro Enrique Tello is one of the highest-ranking officials to be killed in the lawlessness fueled by drug trafficking and other gang crime. Elsewhere in Mexico, 14 people are reported killed.
Jan. 29, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Mexico drug bosses may have set truce
According to news reports, trafficking chiefs in the state of Sinaloa agreed last month to curb their bloody rivalry. Killings there have declined sharply.
Jan. 25, 2009 Mexico City Ken Ellingwood Story Calderon seeks to dispel talk of 'failing state'
Two recent U.S. reports paint a dire picture of Mexico as its battle against drug crime grows more bloody, but Mexican officials say that though some cities are in trouble, the state itself is strong.
Jan. 24, 2009 San Diego Richard Marosi Story Mexico army nabs vats-of-lye suspect
The man arrested in Baja California is said to have dissolved hundreds of bodies as part of Tijuana's drug turf war.
Jan. 17, 2009 Los Angeles Evelyn Larrubia Story Parents' quest helps identify remains in barrel
The LaPortes’ search for their son ends when Mexican officials confirm the remains found in Rosarito are of their son Daniel. They also learn that he was apparently smuggling marijuana.
Jan. 15, 2009 Mexico City Denise Dresser Story Reality check for U.S.-Mexico relations
Calderon must face facts in Mexico, and Obama may find the drug war a tough foreign policy issue.
Jan. 13, 2009 Mexico City Tracy Wilkinson Story Vatican suggests excommunicating Mexican drug traffickers
Vatican's second-ranking official suggests severe penalty for drug thugs responsible for thousands of deaths in Mexico.
Jan. 13, 2009 Washington Ken Ellingwood, Frank James Story Obama, Calderon meet in Washington
Cooperation in drug war on agenda as Mexican president meets president-elect.
Jan. 8, 2009 Mexico City Associated Press Story More U.S. funds freed for Mexico's drug fight
Washington releases an additional $99 million as part of an aid package to help security forces in their battle with drug cartels.
Jan. 8, 2009 Mexico City Reuters Wire Story Mexico arrests a founder of “Zetasâ€

As Manuel exited the Radio Shack in Phoenix with his family one afternoon last month, a group of Hispanic men standing in the parking lot watched him closely. "Do it now, do it now," one said to another in Spanish, according to a witness. One of the men approached Manuel, pointed a revolver at his head and tried to force him into a Ford Expedition parked close by. "Please, I'll get into the car, just don't touch me," Manuel pleaded as he entered the vehicle, his wife told police. Nearby, she said, another man in a Chrysler sedan aimed a rifle or shotgun out the driver's side window. At some point, shots were fired, said witnesses, although apparently no one was hit. Then the vehicles tore off with a screech of tires.

Later that evening, the phone rang. When Manuel's wife picked up, a male voice said in Spanish, "Don't call the police," and then played a recording of Manuel saying, "Tell the kids I'm OK." The man said he'd call again, then hung up. Despite the warning, Manuel's wife contacted the cops. In subsequent calls, the kidnappers told her Manuel owed money for drugs, and they demanded $1 million and his Cadillac Escalade as ransom.

When two men later retrieved the Escalade and drove off, the cops chased them and forced them off the road. Both men, illegal immigrants from Mexico, said they'd been paid by a man (who authorities believe has high-level drug connections) to drive the vehicle to Tucson. So far, police say, Manuel hasn't reappeared, and his family has been reluctant to cooperate further with law enforcement. "He's a drug dealer, and he lost a load," says Lt. Lauri Burgett of the Phoenix Police Department's recently created kidnapping squad. "He was probably brought to Mexico to answer for that."


Surprising as it may seem, Phoenix has become America's kidnapping capital. Last year 368 abductions were reported, compared with 117 in 2000. Police say the real number is likely much higher, since many go unreported. Though in the past most of the nabbings stemmed from domestic-violence incidents, now the majority are linked to drug-trafficking and human-smuggling operations that pervade the Arizona corridor. It's still unclear to what extent the snatchings are being directly ordered by Mexican cartels, but authorities say they're undoubtedly a byproduct of the drug-fueled mayhem south of the border. "The tactics are moving north," says assistant police chief Andy Anderson. "We don't have the violence they have in Mexico yet—the killing of police officers and the beheadings—but in terms of kidnappings and home invasions, it has come."

That raises an unnerving prospect: that the turmoil in Mexico—where drug violence claimed more than 6,000 lives last year—is finally seeping across the border. According to a December report by the Justice Department's National Drug Intelligence Center, Mexican drug-trafficking organizations have established a presence in 230 U.S. cities, including such remote places as Anchorage, Alaska, and Sheboygan, Wis. The issue is preoccupying American officials. "This is getting the highest level of attention," including the president's, says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. She tells NEWSWEEK that the administration is dispatching additional Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel to the border, and it's reviewing requests from the governors of Arizona and Texas for help from National Guard troops. Earlier this month, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Mexico to discuss assistance and to share potentially relevant lessons that the United States has learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, says a senior Pentagon official familiar with details of the trip who wasn't authorized to speak on the record.

All the attention has stoked public debate on a particularly fraught question—whether Mexico is a failing state. A U.S. Joint Forces Command study released last November floated that scenario, grouping the country with Pakistan as a potential candidate for "sudden and rapid collapse." Such a comparison is excessive, says Eric Olson of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Mexico Institute in Washington, D.C., though the Mexican government confronts "real problems of sovereignty in certain areas" of the country. Administration officials are striving to tone down the rhetoric and focus on ways to help. Among the priorities, says Olson: to cut American demand for drugs, to provide additional training and equipment to law-enforcement and military personnel in Mexico, and to clamp down on drug cash—an estimated $23 billion per year—and assault weapons flowing into the country from the United States.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/189246