Posted on 04/29/2006 9:17:23 AM PDT by dvan
An assassination attempt against a high-ranking Baja California official in Mexicali on Tuesday did little to alter perceptions about the border city as a safe place to travel through, many interviewed Wednesday said.
In Calexico, a steady stream of U.S. citizens made their way across the border in vehicles and on foot.
Imperial County officials and other Southern California county and city leaders met in Mexicali as scheduled for an economic summit.
There were few signs that a broad-daylight, well-orchestrated ambush against the Baja California secretary of public safety had created any fear at all among border crossers.
“I don’t feel unsafe; I was there today,” said Victor Carrillo, Imperial County Board of Supervisors chairman, who attended an economic development meeting at a Mexicali hotel.
Carrillo said the attack could be a detriment to marketing for the city of Mexicali, but he said the shooting hasn’t altered his opinion of the border city.
The shooting occurred about 9 a.m. Tuesday on a busy Mexicali roadway along the U.S.-Mexico border fence.
Secretary of Public Safety Manuel Diaz Lerma was on his way to work as part of a caravan of vehicles that included his security officers.
At one point, a massive barrage of ammunition was fired at the caravan over a six-block stretch, and Mexican state police suspect there were as many as 20 gunmen, though no arrests have been made.
Lerma was not injured but three members of his security detail were wounded, two critically.
High-powered weapons, including reports of a grenade launcher, were used in the attack, which officials suspect was orchestrated from Tijuana by the Arellano Felix drug cartel.
While acknowledging the shooting may not change public perceptions about Mexicali, Imperial County Supervisor Larry Grogan said he is disturbed by the amount of suspects reportedly involved.
“That is just staggering,” Grogan said, speaking of reports that 20 gunmen were involved.
“I don’t know how you can downplay a small army willing to accomplish a goal. The magnitude of this is unbelievable. That is substantial firepower,” Grogan said.
Grogan spoke of a recent meeting Imperial County officials had in a Texas border city where the sheriff there said his deputies are finding themselves outgunned by drug cartels. He said the Texas sheriff told Imperial County officials the border problems in Texas will move to California.
“This is just a step up of potential violence,” Grogan said of the shooting Tuesday.
Imperial County residents interviewed in Calexico on Wednesday said the shooting is not going to change their travel in Mexicali.
“I would be careful going into Mexicali, but I will not stop from going,” said Paul Nuñez of El Centro, who visits Mexicali frequently. “We shouldn’t let stuff like that hinder our visits to other countries or what we do in our daily lives.”
Nuñez has visited several different cities throughout Mexico and will continue to do so, he said.
Calexico resident Rose Marie Zepeda, who was shopping in the downtown area, said, “It’s scary.”
Zepeda visits relatives and sees her son plays soccer once a week in Mexicali and will continue to do so, but with a little more trepidation, she said.
A Yuma woman shopping downtown said she has three sons living near where the Mexicali shooting took place.
Camerina Geraldo was visiting one of her sons at the time of the shooting and said she had to take her high blood-pressure medication because of the fear she felt at the time.
“I do not feel comfortable knowing that my children and grandchildren have no protection in situations like this,” Geraldo said.
When asked if she would continue to visit her children in Mexicali as much, she said, “I will visit them even more now because I don’t want anything happening to my family.”
>> Staff Writer Darren Simon can be contacted at dsimon@ivpressonline.com or at 337-3445.
>> Staff Writer Leo Miramon can be contacted at lmiramon@ivpressonline.com or at 337-3442.
We are looking into the crystal ball. This is in the U.S. future. Crime Corruption, oh, we have it here already. It is called illegal immigration.
Time for MASSIVE DEPORTATIONS NOW.
To late on May 1 they offically hijack this country
There have recently been a number of kidnappings in the southern San Diego area. They seem to be related to illegal alien smuggling rings. Either it's a turf war or people who haven't paid the coyotes for bringing them across the border.
I wonder why Clinton was so preoccupied with coordinating N. Mexican relations in the last few months of his administration. Later Richardson became NM governor and Carville, if my memory serves me correctly visited the area several times before they left office. IMHO, I've always sensed some relationship between the Clinton/socialist democrat power structure and Mexican socialist communist power brokers.
If there is a large drug trade controllership scramble, it would fit nicely into the timing of other Mexican-American relationship events.
If an isolated event, one wonders why it didn't occur Monday instead of this week so as to divert attention from the criminal source.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.