Mexican Troops Kidnap Texas Family?

newsmax.com ^ | Thursday, Dec. 4, 2003 | Jon E. Dougherty

[VU4G10]

As many as eight armed Mexican soldiers crossed the border near a tiny Texas hamlet and kidnapped an American family of five last week, and are still holding one of them, sources tell NewsMax. According to a law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity, the incident was reported to local authorities by family members upon their release the following day. From there, local officials reportedly contacted the FBI; federal officials are said to be looking into the incident.

The source said the Mexican unit may have been prompted to cross into the U.S. because the family – a father, mother and three minors – were shooting rabbits on their property near Candelaria, Texas, which is located along the border in Presidio County, about 170 miles south-southeast of El Paso.

A law enforcement bulletin describing the incident said the "family of five kidnapped … by Mexican officials at gunpoint" occurred around 5 p.m. local time Nov. 24. U.S. border authorities were notified the next day.

The family was "taken by gunpoint by Mexican officials to Mexico," the bulletin said. "As of Nov. 25 … four of the family members – one female and three minors – were released, while (the father) Escarcega, Ladislado remains in custody."

Presidio County, Texas authorities confirmed to NewsMax the incident had been reported to the sheriff's department, but a spokesman there said the FBI had taken over the investigation and referred questions surrounding the report to them.

An FBI spokeswoman in Washington, D.C., referred NewsMax to the bureau's El Paso, Texas office, but no one there returned calls seeking comment.

Nevertheless, the bulletin provided more specifics.

Shooting at Rabbits

"It's believed that the family members were shooting at rabbits along the [Rio Grande] river at the time of their kidnapping," the bulletin said. "Local law enforcement was contacted after the release of family members."

In the meantime, said the bulletin, "sector intelligence is continuing to gather information on the occurrence where … follow-up information is needed."

Law enforcement sources said the family was not shooting into Mexico or otherwise threatening Mexican military or civilian personnel.

The latest incursion into the U.S. by armed Mexican troops follows a series of similar incidents directed against U.S. civilians and law enforcement authorities. The most high-profile kidnapping occurred in August 1985, when an eight-man squad of Mexican troops crossed the border onto private property in San Diego County.

The troops came looking specifically for Robert Maupin, the land owner, after he reported the presence of a met amphetamine lab to the Drug Enforcement Agency, which in turn reported it to Mexican authorities. The lab, Maupin told officials, was visible from his land inside the U.S.

More recently, in May 2002, three armed Mexican troops in a military Humvee on the U.S. side of the border near Ajo, Ariz., fired on a Border Patrol agent in his vehicle. As the agent drove away from the scene, a bullet shattered the back glass of his Chevy Tahoe patrol vehicle, which as clearly labeled with U.S. Border Patrol markings.

House Immigration Reform Caucus chairman Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., told the Washington Times in a year ago his office had documented 118 instances where Mexican military or law enforcement had been seen on U.S. soil. In 60 percent of those cases, he said, the Mexicans were armed.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Just a reminder that it cuts both ways...

Alvarez-Machain v. Sosa

Mexican Abductee Wins Right to Seek Damages

Appeals court sides with doctor kidnapped in 1990 on DEA orders and later acquitted.

By Henry Weinstein
Times Staff Writer
http://sdshh.com/articles/alvarez.htm

June 4, 2003

A Guadalajara physician who was kidnapped from Mexico in a scheme orchestrated by Drug Enforcement Administration officials has the right to sue the U.S. government for damages, a sharply divided federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco held 6 to 5 that Dr. Humberto Alvarez Machain should get his day in court against the government stemming from his April 1990 abduction by a former Mexican police officer hired by a DEA operative.

The judges in the majority rejected arguments that the war on terrorism might be impeded.

Three months before he was kidnapped, Alvarez had been indicted in Los Angeles on charges that he was involved in the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena Salazar.

His kidnapping precipitated an outcry from the Mexican government and several other nations, which said the DEA's actions violated international law. Eventually, Alvarez was acquitted and returned to Mexico.

His subsequent civil lawsuit has been pending for more than a decade and has been the subject of ferocious litigation.

SEE LINK FOR REMAINDER

[Jimmy Valentine]

Oh, MAN!! Great picture! And of course the man in the middle is.........you know who! The "Mexican Centaur" himself!

Regards,

[FITZ]

were released, while (the father) Escarcega, Ladislado remains in custody

The family doesn't have a very typical American name --- maybe they're some of those new "dual citizens" and they are just as much under the jurisdiction of the Mexican government if they are. I have a feeling this is a family that belongs to a drug cartel --- the Mexican army doesn't just come over and take Americans for shooting rabbits. They often protect one drug cartel's interests from competing drug cartels.

[FITZ]

No --- you're right --- that family --- especially the father has been up to something in Mexico and they may be citizens of Mexico. Not that the Mexican army should cross the border to come after them and the Mexican army is guilty of a lot of things ---- but this isn't some innocent family who just got apprehended for no reason.

Many of the drug cartels believe they can avoid justice for crimes they commit in Mexico by moving to the US side and obtaining US citizenship.

[Dog Gone]

That makes sense to me. Thanks.

[No Blue States]

Still no confirmation from other sources in the kidnapping?

At $65 an acre you can hardly go wrong, they stopped making land a long time ago. Ive often wanted to buy some even as an investment. We may eventually retire to west Texas but its too far to drive now.

If we ever really secured the southern border land values might increase.

[No Blue States]

Interesting Post.
We need more details to pass judgement.

[Cooter]

Check your geography. The Rio Grande does not separate Mexico from New Mexico - the location referenced in post 56.

Map of Rio Grande

[No Blue States]

You are right, thanks for the correction.
It slipped by me that one happened in NM not Texas.
That being the case, maybe the border isnt clearly marked there which would make their "i got lost" story more credible.

[archy]

Time for our special ops to go huntin' for some Federales . . . "Show me your badges . . . Not good enough!" BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Lines and shadows. It's been done. Looks like someone needs reminded again.

-archy-/-

[mercy]

I just love it when a so called conservative goes ballistic in defending the worlds oldest and most corrupt institution. The Messiah left us a church without a building or any institution constructed or maintained by man but rather soley of His Spirit .... but RCs prefer the decrepit whited sepulchre full of dead men's bones THEY call The Church. I suppose if you still accept the covering power of the blood of Christ I will have to share heaven with you ... but I doubt it.

Everywhere the RC church has slithered it leaves men in ignorance and pathetic vulnerability to enslavement... as in Mexico. One can come up with absolutely no good reason why Mexico cannot simply look North and fashion some copy of the immeasurable success we freely offer them ... except that they have been rendered incapable of entering the modern world by their backward looking religion. Rather like the Moslems. NO, EXACTLY like the Moslems.

[No Blue States]

Notes: Wait and see if a story pans out completely before jumping to conclusions.

Confirmation takes patience. And facts are very important. The story may not be false, I just dont know how true. Thats the problem.

It seems if the story was true it would have legs by now.

Wishing one could download patience and discretion.

But some here are great Teachers of the above.

Learn from them.

;o->-<

[Sabertooth]

More recently, in May 2002, three armed Mexican troops in a military Humvee on the U.S. side of the border near Ajo, Ariz., fired on a Border Patrol agent in his vehicle.

I just checked with Karl Rove. As long as they had U.S. driver's licenses and insurance, this is a non-issue.

[PRND21]

Your tagline is nearly as ridiculous as this article.
Don't worry, you might be right one day.

[Sabertooth]

Your tagline is nearly as ridiculous as this article.

Schwarzenegger wouldn't get on board with the Save Our License referendum, but that was the loaded gun the legislature was looking at when they repealed SB60.

Schwarzenegger still won't unequivocally state that he is against giving CDLs to Illegals.

Why not?

[karen999]

Unfortunately, no.

Unfortunately, your reading comprehension was below par in responding to fr_freak for taking a poster to task on said statement....

[karen999]

The Messiah left us a church without a building or any institution constructed or maintained by man but rather soley of His Spirit .... but RCs prefer the decrepit whited sepulchre full of dead men's bones THEY call The Church. I suppose if you still accept the covering power of the blood of Christ I will have to share heaven with you ... but I doubt it. I guess your version of the bible left out Matthew 16:18-19 Jesus didn't just up and split and say "good luck, guys." That "keys of the kingdom" reference would have been some- thing that Jews would have also tied to Isaiah 22:15-25 and the HEREDITARY office of Eliakim. The founding fathers didn't just write the declaration of independence and leave it with a "good luck" either. If they're smart enough to do that, then Jesus isn't any dumber. If Peter was a "nobody" why did Jesus tell them he had the power to bind and loose "ON HEAVEN" and "on earth?"

Your sect's mileage obviously varies from what was taught. Not MY problem.

[Dan Evans]

Isn't the act of taking hostages..... ...........a terrorist act???

I would guess it's an act of war.

[RandallFlagg]

I'd say that it was time to modify the axis of evil and replace Iraq with....

WAIT! Can't do that! There's OIL in Mexico!

And you know what they'll say then....

[Dan Evans]

On August 19, 1919, troopers of the Eighth Cavalry crossed into Chihuahua at Candelaria on the last American punitive expedition into Mexico during the Mexican Revolution

Oh, I see, it's payback after 84 years.