Posted on 05/16/2008 7:26:49 AM PDT by SJackson
(CNSNews.com) - The U.S. State Department has issued an alert, warning travelers that the "equivalent to military small-unit combat" is taking place across the southern U.S. border in Mexico and that Americans are being kidnapped and murdered there.
"Recent Mexican army and police force conflicts with heavily-armed narcotics cartels have escalated to levels equivalent to military small-unit combat and have included use of machine guns and fragmentation grenades," said the State Department alert.
"Confrontations have taken place in numerous towns and cities in northern Mexico, including Tijuana in the Mexican state of Baja California, and Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez in the state of Chihuahua," reads the alert. "The situation in northern Mexico remains very fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements there cannot be predicted."
The State Department particularly urged that Americans be wary when traveling in that part of Mexico closest to the United States. "U.S. citizens are urged to be especially alert to safety and security concerns when visiting the border region," said the alert.
Murder and kidnapping of Americans has become routine in Tijuana, which sits just across the border from San Diego, California, according to the State Department, and sometimes heavily armed attackers wear the uniforms of the Mexican police or military.
"Dozens of U.S. citizens were kidnapped and/or murdered in Tijuana in 2007," says the alert. "Public shootouts have occurred during daylight hours near shopping areas. Criminals are armed with a wide array of sophisticated weapons. In some cases, assailants have worn full or partial police or military uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles."
The alert also warns Americans to avoid areas where drugs and prostitution are evident and to "refrain from displaying expensive-looking jewelry, large amounts of money and other valuable items."
In light of this alert, which was first issued on Apr. 14, and was listed as "current as of today, Thursday May 15 17:51:35 2008" on State's Web site on Wednesday, Cybercast News Service submitted a number of questions to the State Department via e-mail, and received non-responsive answers the next day. Cybercast News Service's questions were as follows:
-- "The alert says 'attacks are aimed primarily at members of drug trafficking organizations, Mexican police forces, criminal justice officials and journalists.' Can you provide more details about who has been attacked and the result of those attacks, including injuries, fatalities and legal ramifications?
-- "The alert says violence has 'escalated to levels equivalent to military small-unit combat and have included use of machine guns and fragmentation grenades.' Can you provide more information, including the number of incidents involving these kinds of weapons and the number of weapons confiscated?
-- "The alert says that violence not related to drug trafficking has increased in Tijuana and Ciudad Jarez, with 'dozens of U.S. citizens ... kidnapped and/or murdered in Tijuana in 2007.' How many people were kidnapped or murdered and how do those numbers compare with the numbers in prior years?"
-- "The alert recommends that Americans avoid areas where prostitution and drug dealing occurs. Where are those areas?"
-- "How many incidents in 2007 and other years are recorded that show U.S. citizens being followed or harassed in the border areas, including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros and Tijuana?"
-- "How many kidnapping cases of U.S. citizens remain unsolved?"
-- "What actions is the state department taking to reduce the violence on the border?"
The State Department's written answer to those questions is as follows:
"The State Department's Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security.
"Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information about short-term conditions, generally within a particular country, that pose imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or violence, and high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alert.
"The travel alert is a collaborative effort based on media reports and other information released within a particular country. It is provided so that American travellers (sic) can make an informed decision about their plans to visit a particular location at a particular time.
"For various reasons, American citizens often choose not to report their involvement in activities while abroad.
"Your best source for detailed statistics and information about specific locations would be from sources within Mexico."
Shooting someone who was not threatening them.
And yes, I know they claim that their lives were in danger.
Of course, if their lives were in danger and the shooting was eminently justified one must ask: why tamper with evidence at the scene? Why fail to fire a full report?
That's the question the court had to consider.
A fleeing drug smuggler is certainly a danger to them when they claim they saw him turn around with something in his hand. Even if it was later found to be a rock, rocks can kill.
Add to that the prosecutor suppressing evidence at the trial and this whole thing looked much worse than it was.
If the jury had known that the perp was a drug smuggler and that the agents were at least part right they would not have gotten such long sentences.
Probably no jail time just some punishment for the reporting problems.
Sounds like a great time for a Soldiers of Fortune reunion.. or two or three or four at different spots along the border. ;-)
In other words, the defense should have been able to make an emotional appeal to the jury - hoping that the fact that the complaining witness was a dirtbag would convince the jury to ignore all the rest.
I reiterate: if it was a clean shoot - as they claim now it was - then they would have been zealous in making sure the scene of the incident was kept pristine and they would have been eager to set down every last detail of what they saw and did in writing so that they wouldn't forget any facts that would help exonerate them.
Instead, they tampered with the scene and they avoided their obligation to file a report.
“The way I heard it, they told their supervisors what happened on the scene, in person, immediately after the incident.”
Well, someone lied to you. When asked what happened at the scene by a Supervisor they said “nothing”. When asked again back at the station they again said “nothing”. This was of course after Compean picked up and disposed of some of his shell casings and after he asked another agent to get the ones he missed...but to wait until everyone else had left the scene so he wouldn’t be seen.
Yes, these are the actions of innocent law enforcement officers who have nothing to hide.
“From what I’ve read all they needed was to tell their immediate superiors in the field what happened since they did not believe they hit the perp with any shots.
And they did tell their immediate superiors.
So your left wing propaganda is a lie.”
I see you’ve been reading World Nut Daily and/or underground “border security” memos. They told no one, someone has been lying TO YOU.
“But I wouldn’t send them to prison for over a decade if they failed to do so.”
They weren’t sent to prison for not filling out paperwork, they got the 1 and 2 years for attempted cover up, destruction of evidence and obstruction of justice. The ten years was a mandatory sentence after the jury convicted them of assault with a deadly weapon when they found no justifiable reason for the officers to draw their weapons and trying to kill the perp.
The 10 year mandatory is where the conflict lies. Personally I do not think it should be used against LEO’s who make an honest mistake during the course of their duties...but should be used in the case of a dirty cop.
Of course, but the jury didn't buy it and frankly neither did I after I read the trial transcripts. They just made it up.
"Add to that the prosecutor suppressing evidence at the trial and this whole thing looked much worse than it was."
The prosecutor didn't suppress any evidence, it was brought up by the defense and the judge ruled it inadmissible because one it was only a statement by another drug smuggler and had nothing to do with whether the shoot that day was good.
"If the jury had known that the perp was a drug smuggler and that the agents were at least part right they would not have gotten such long sentences."
The perp admitted in court he knew he was smuggling drugs that day so the jury knew he was a drug smuggler. No matter how many times he smuggled drugs it had nothing to do with whether Ramos and Compean engaged in a cover up, tampered with evidence or whether they had justifiable cause that day to shoot him.
"Probably no jail time just some punishment for the reporting problems."
They were convicted of engaging in a cover up, tampering with evidence and trying to kill a fleeing suspect without justifiable cause. It had nothing to do with a reporting problem.
Do you consider the National Border Patrol Council’s writeup on Congressman Rohrabacher’s website to be an “underground ‘border security’ memo”?
Well, I don’t know. Got a link to that article so we can determine if they were telling the truth or whether it was another case of a labor union “spinning” for a couple of their members?
Okay, I read the whole thing and no where does it state that Ramos and Compean notified their supervisors at the scene about the shooting. I am tired of R&C supporters making false claims then sending people off on wild goose chases. You are too lazy to read the evidence yourself, hear false claims from dubious sources then regurgiate the misinformation over and over as if it were fact.
How about this side of the border. There are roads you need to stay off off. Organ Pipe NM is a wonderful place, but American's haven't been able to safely use it for years.
You got a link to the trial transcript?
I’m looking for the part where their supervisors(s) state, under oath “No, neither Agent Ramos nor Agent Compean gave any indication that anything out of the ordinary occurred on their shift”.
Penny needs to get out more.
Dude, if you run for president, you've got my vote.
These aren't 'peace officers', they're agents at our border entrusted with the duty of thwarting an invasion that will ultimately partition our southwest like a bat on a pinata.
Thanks for the vote (of confidence!)
Sadly, I’m un-electable in today’s America.
I have too much common sense. I’m too blunt, and loathe Socialist/Marxist scumbags & their toadies in the press & academia.
I couldn’t get elected dog-catcher.
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