Posted on 03/07/2005 8:45:17 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
NUEVO LAREDO This border city held hostage by violence could be freed if the 700 federal and state police officers that entered the city Sunday are successful in their fight against organized crime.
The reappearance of the federal presence comes on the heels of the citys 19th and 20th homicide of the year.
The citys mayor has demanded state and federal intervention in helping to combat crime, much of which is said to be drug-related.
"We expect direct, concrete action against the criminals," Mayor Daniel Peña Treviño said. "We now have in the city representatives of the Federal Preventive Police, State Preventive Police and the Municipal (city) Police."
Peña Treviño said he was satisfied with federal intervention.
"We are happy. Their presence gives us confidence. We are confident we can reclaim our city," he explained.
Federal officials told reporters at a Sunday morning press conference the agents are in the city to seek out members of criminal gangs and jail them.
They acknowledge the city is in the middle of a turf battle between members of the Gulf Cartel, whose leader, Oziel Cardenas, now in prison, and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who is said to be wanting to take control of lucrative drug smuggling routes through the city.
Agents of the Federal Preventive Police entered town at early Sunday. They were accompanied by state police officers. Members of the Mexican Army joined them.
The soldiers are to patrol poorer, more violent neighborhoods.
Federal agents and the military have been deployed in Nuevo Laredo in the past, as recently as January. They generally spend a few days patrolling the city, making arrests, and then leaving.
Arturo Jimenez Martinez, a commander of the Federal Preventative Police, said in addition to the massive mobilization of forces, investigators would begin interviewing Nuevo Laredo municipal police officers and state prosecutors in search of those who may be taking bribes from drug smuggling gangs.
"Its difficult to combat crime when there are a lot of allies of organized crime who block our efforts," Jimenez told the Associated Press, who was sent to oversee the Nuevo Laredo crackdown by Mexicos Public Safety Secretary Ramon Huerta.
Another Federal Preventative Police official, Arturo Jimenez Martinez, later said Nuevo Laredoans want a peaceful city and dont want the worry about becoming a statistic in the wave of violence.
Through early Sunday afternoon, one group of state and federal officers had arrested 41 people for possession of prohibited weapons, auto theft and violation of public security. In addition agents closed nine pharmacies for illegal sales, having expired or no licenses and faulty bookkeeping.
Another group of state police officers has arrested 12 for vehicle thefts, nine for burglary of business establishments, one for homicide, another for violation of the health code and four for carrying firearms.
In addition, the group recovered 10 vehicles reported stolen, and confiscated 82.5 pounds of marijuana, 110 pounds of cocaine and 41.25 pounds of heroin.
The actions of the officers, Jimenez Martinez said, "is proof of our convictions that the federal government, in coordination with local authorities, can confront organized crime."
Residents like Antonio Segovia said it is the job of the police to confront criminals.
"Look, we cannot be outside after 10 at night," Segovia said. "We want to believe (federal police) have come to combat organized crime."
The homicides Saturday follow the shooting deaths of two men Friday night sitting inside a car in the Victoria neighborhood, by a man on a bicycle. Another man, a bystander, was wounded.
Thursday evening, a woman standing outside of her home was shot to death. Another woman was wounded.
In Saturdays incident, State Ministerial Police received a call at 9:30 p.m. reporting gunfire.
Officers found dead two men, 25 and 30, who were sitting in a grey, 1988 Nissan with Texas license plates.
The unidentified suspects were located near a hotel on the Monterrey highway.
Police reportedly found bullet casings from an AR-15 "cuernos de chiva," as well as .223 caliber, .45 caliber, 7.62-mm and 9-mm at the scene.
Officials ordered autopsies on the body.
Translated by Assistant Copy Editor Mark Webber 03/07/05
I dont mean to be critical but, If they arrested all of the Federal State and Municipal cops in Mexico it would go a long ways towards stopping the crime wave.
ping
Sucks to have been number 18 it appears...
Southern Border Ping!
Please let me know if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
It is against the law to posses firearms in Mexico. I don't understand how these people are being murdered.
legalize and tax drugs, win the WOD and its accompanying violence and battle of the budget at the same time....
In addition, the group recovered 10 vehicles reported stolen, and confiscated 82.5 pounds of marijuana, 110 pounds of cocaine and 41.25 pounds of heroin.
>>>
Has anyone alerted the intellectually dishonest, slithering, America-hating FROBLs yet?? This highlights much of the Bravo Sierra slapped around an important thread last night...
Grow your own drugs! Why involve our borders???
I've had it with stoners that can't grasp reality.
I wonder how much C4 they recovered?
I'm sure that stuff isn't reported for fear of having to raise the Terror Alert color up...
Let's Nation Build Mexico. It's a closer threat...
---yeah-- "hostage", "freed",---like Chicago has been "freed" from the crime wave that started in 1919----
Really, we should. It is a disgrace as a nation. The banking system is totally non competitive. PEMEX is neglecting new exploration for oil because the constitution forbids any foreign ownership of oil so the reserves keep falling. The politicians are so thoroughly corrupt, that they make ours look like pikers. It is an oligarchy of elites.
We really should.
Let's try a system of barricades on the borders first though, maybe?
The Mexican Government isn't leaving Americans much choice.
They act as our enemy the world over as well. That border is such a soft underbelly that it's not surprising that a sleeper ARMY of Mujahideen have Criminally Invaded America, happening as we sit here typing.
"In addition, the group recovered 10 vehicles reported stolen, and confiscated 82.5 pounds of marijuana, 110 pounds of cocaine and 41.25 pounds of heroin."
Hey, these fine folks are taking only cars Americans don't want and delivering drugs Americans do want.
Let's Nation Build Mexico. It's a closer threat...
I agree, there is no reason that a nation as resource rich as Mexico should be using us as thier unemployment and welfare office so they can maintain a corrupt government.
Bump
LOL
Yup.
I agree.
I cant disagree with nation building here on the western hemisphere, It could stand a lot of it, Mexico Venezuela, Cuba. Sometimes its hard to understand why we have troops fighting for the Europeans in the Middle-East and Kosovo when we have enough problems closer to home.
P,S. Wont be too long before Canada is just as bad.
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