Mexico Violence Increases and Spreads to Tourist Areas

ArdraF said:

Richard, I'm only seeing one graph now so I guess it's repaired.

ArdraF

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Looks like Tom fixed it for me. Thanks Tom.

Richard

Yes I did Richard, and you're welcome.

Leethelund,

Please stop defending Mexico by saying that the U.S. is just-as-bad or worse.

JerryF

Sunday's newspaper brings an AP article about the new reforms in the Mexican justice system: "Mexico has eight years to replace its closed proceedings with public trials in which defendants are presumed innocent, legal authorities can be held more accountalbe and justice is equal."

The reforms include pretrial detentions only for those who are flight risks or suspected of organized crime; giving defendants access to the information that the prosecution uses to make its case; the right to a trained lawyer and translator; trial within a year of arrest; and the requirement that "judges must ask defendants if officers read them their rights and must scrutinize evidence to determine its legality." (Arizona Daily Star, Sep. 2, 2008, p. A16.) Presumably, those things are not among the benefits of the Mexican legal system at this time (think about that!), and won't be for awhile to come at least.

I've heard more tourista horror stories than you want to know about. I'm not going there. The people absolutely can be wonderful and the scenery beautiful, but I'd like to keep my civil rights as they exist right here, thank you.

Their legal system is changing from the Napoleanic "guilty until proven innocent" to the American "innocent until proven guilty."  Thankfully.  Apparently many of the young lawyers were educated here in the U.S. and want to get it restructured to something more similar to ours.  Truly hope they succeed.  They recently amended their constitution to implement the change but there's a huge educational factor in making the transition.

ArdraF

One thing they really need to work on is clean up their police and government and stop the bribe required thing.

From M3 Report

Reports of killings have resumed with 18 killed in the last three days. Graph updated accordingly.

Good news:

Police and government officials are being arrested all over Mexico.

?        In addition to the arrest of the Chief of Police in C?rdenas, Tabasco reported Friday, Mexican Federal agents of the organized crime unit (Seido) continued their operation against suspected corrupt  officials by arresting the director of the State Police of Tabasco, Jes?s Arellano Flores. 

?        Last Thursday, the Regional Commissioner of Federal Police, Arturo Herrera Valles, was arrested on suspicion of having links with the Zetas Cartel. 

?        The police commander of Veracruz, Veracruz has confessed to his involvement in the kidnapping of a rancher rescued by state police yesterday. 

?        Sergio Humberto Ortiz Ju?rez, an ex-agent of a Mexico City Police investigative unit, has been arrested as the leader of the band of kidnappers known as ?La Flor.? 

?        Mexican Army troops have taken control of police duties in Balanc?n, Tabasco.  The town is one of the 11 in the state of Tabasco where officials are believed to be on the payroll of the Gulf Cartel.

Bad news:

Another complaint has been filed about the conduct of Mexican Army personnel participating in Operation Culic?n-Navolato. [M3, 9/3/08]  This time, a businesswoman returning from a five-day trip found her house in Culiac?n, Sinaloa  surrounded by uniformed soldiers using vehicles with the identification numbers covered by tape.  Entering her home, she surprised soldiers rummaging through her bedroom and other areas of the house.  When she asked the soldiers for a search warrant, they could not produce one.  They then left and her inspection of the house not only revealed damage and disorder throughout, but also that they had stolen two computers, two televisions, new clothes, bottles of wine, a matched set of cooking utensils and even food supplies from the pantry.  Her neighbors said the soldiers broke in through the locked door and then destroyed the alarm system.

Richard

There's new action in the Mexican Drug Wars.  Gunmen killed the Police chief of Nogales, three Detectives in Guanajuato, 6 men in a warehouse in Tijuana, and another 3 men in a bullet-riddled SUV also in Tijuana.  Here is a link to the story.

Fortunately this does not involve tourists, it seems that the drug cartels are targeting their own as well as the Police.  Mexico has their hands full with this one.

Steve

Luca1369 said:

Fortunately this does not involve tourists, it seems that the drug cartels are targeting their own as well as the Police.  Mexico has their hands full with this one.

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But there I doubt they would even care if collateral damage occurred so anybody unfortunate enough to be in the area could end up dead too.

The attached write up was in todays Las Vegas Review Journal (11/4/2008).

JerryF

That is a very sad event. One wonders how any human could do such a terrible thing.

JerArdra said:

The attached write up was in todays Las Vegas Review Journal (11/4/2008).

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You have to wonder...why would anybody do that?  It certainly couldn't be for ransom, how much could a fruit vendor come up with?  Sick puppies.....

Steve

Luca,

The drug cartel may be trying to scare the people just like the Islamic extremests do.