Inside Mexico's drug war, Americans allege abuse

The Wall Street Journal / online.wsj.com ^ | JULY 17, 2010 | By NICHOLAS CASEY

[thecodont]

(via The Drudge Report)

CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico—Two Americans were driving back to El Paso, Texas, last December after an afternoon across the border in Ciudad Juárez. A few blocks from the border, they were surrounded by Mexican army trucks and pulled from their Dodge Ram.

Mexico's military says it found two suitcases full of marijuana in the cab of the pickup truck. Two soldiers later testified that they drove the two Americans to a military compound on the outskirts of town, questioned them briefly, then turned them over to civilian authorities. The Americans were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell.

Those two men—Shohn Huckabee, 23 years old, and Carlos Quijas, 36—are being held in a Ciudad Juárez jail. They tell a different story about what happened that night. They say Mexican soldiers planted the marijuana in their truck. When they arrived at the military base, they say, they were blindfolded, tied up, hit with rifle butts, shocked with electricity and threatened with death.

Mexico's military is leading President Felipe Calderón's war against the nation's drug cartels, and Ciudad Juárez has emerged as one of the bloodiest battlegrounds. Nationwide, drug violence has claimed more than 25,000 lives since 2006—with government security forces accounting for an estimated 7% of the dead. In June alone, 103 police and soldiers were killed.

[thecodont]

Julian Cardona for The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Huckabee, left, and Carlos Quijas, right, say Mexican soldiers planted two suitcases of marijuana in their truck, then abused them during interrogation, allegations denied by the army.

[Gay State Conservative]

Any civilized person who voluntarily sets foot anywhere in Mexico deserves everything he/she gets....for sheer stupidity.

[demshateGod]

I wouldn’t say that but it’s awfully easy to say, “They planted the drugs.” I guess it’s also awfully easy for the corrupt Mexican government to plant some drugs on some gringos too. It is very very stupid to go to Mexico right now if you don’t have a good reason to be there.

[aliquando]

My thoughts exactly.

[jessduntno]

Shit, guys in jail who claim that they were framed...get Ripley’s Believe it or Not on the phone...has this ever happened before? They must be innocent! Probably went for a tuck and roll in their truck...

[demshateGod]

If it turns out the drugs were planted, that should make every American angry.

[Tex-Con-Man]

If they actually did go down there to buy 2 suitcases full of weed and bring them back, would their story be any different?

[phockthis]

I wonder if they have learned the definition of “profiling”...

[ronnietherocket2]

Yes lets condemn a couple of young people who have never had to take responsibility for anything before in their lives, for not acting responsibly.

That said, this excuse is older than the book.

[Gay State Conservative]

I wouldn’t say that but it’s awfully easy to say, “They planted the drugs.”

That's true.So in *this* case my attitude is that if they're truly guilty (certainly possible) then they deserve what they get for being criminal bums.And if they are,in fact,telling the truth then all I'd say to them is "hey,excrement happens when you're in a violent,corrupt,Fourth World country".

[piytar]

Can’t tell who is telling the truth. Regardless, it is INSANE to enter Mexico these days!

[Gay State Conservative]

That said, this excuse is older than the book.

See post #10.

[piytar]

And if it turns out the drugs weren’t planted, I have no problem with whatever the Mexican army did/does to them to extract intel and/or punish them.

[I cannot think of a name]

“Any civilized person who voluntarily sets foot anywhere in Mexico deserves everything he/she gets....for sheer stupidity.”

MASSIVE DITTO! I live 150 miles from the border and haven't set foot in Mexico since the 1970’s. Nor is there ANY reason on earth I would, unless it was because I was recalled into the service and we were invading the place. (And believe me, it will take an invasion to straighten that screwed-up country out).

[Responsibility2nd]

Why?

Why should I be angry over the stupid, reckless foolishness of two idiots who walked into a trap?

[Gritty]

Why would anybody be stupid enough to go into Mexico if they absolutely didn't have to? This is akin to going hiking in Iran.

[La Lydia]

I am sorry, but I simply don’t believe this. The cartels are setting off car bombs in Cd. Juarez, there are shootouts in public places, people are getting killed on the streets daily, public officials are assassinated, there is chaos and mayhem, and the Mexican Army takes time out of its busy schedule to go after and set up two guys from the US who are obviously not big time cartel members? I don’t think so. I think they did a very dumb thing, and now it is going to cost their families some bucks to get them out of there. Unless the Mexicans decide to make an example of them, which I really doubt they will do because they have bigger, nastier fish to fry.

[ronnietherocket2]

That post still offers no explanation as to why this should happen to someone.

[Gay State Conservative]

That post still offers no explanation as to why this should happen to someone.

It can happen because Mexico is,as I suggested earlier,a violent,corrupt Fourth World country.And that corruption isn't restricted to the civilian population...cops,judges and politicians are all tempted by bribes as well.

[Tammy8]

Mexico is so corrupt it is possible the drugs were planted as a means to get whatever they had- vehicle, etc.

If they were smuggling drugs they are incredibly lucky to have landed in jail instead of dead as most Americans that try to compete with the cartels end up.

Either way they are burned up with stupid for being there to begin with.