Mexican massacre investigator found dead

[mike r]

Source: The Guardian

The body of an official investigating the massacre of 72 Central and South American migrants killed in a ranch in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas was found today dumped beside a nearby road alongside another unidentified victim, according to local media.

Earlier, two cars exploded outside the studios of the national TV network Televisa in the state capital, Ciudad Victoria. There were no casualties, but the blasts added to a growing sense of fear in the aftermath of the worst single act of violence in the country's raging drug wars.

Meanwhile, investigators under armed guard continued the process of identifying the victims, with 20 named by midday on Friday, local officials said.

The migrants, 14 of them women, came from at least four countries, including Honduras, El Salvador, Brazil and Ecuador. They were found bound and blindfolded by the wall of a barn after navy personnel stormed the ranch on Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/27/mexico-massacre-investigator-migrants

[demosincebirth]

1. Maybe they ought to suspend some civil rights in order to get

the upper hand on these narco-terrorists.

[Warpy]

3. Maybe they need to abandon the fucking drug war and black market

system, which is where these narco terrorists get their funding.

[kenichol]

4. Amen, Warpy.

I cannot imagine any other solution...and I'm not so naive as to think even the end of the 'war on drugs' will end the violence overnight, but it will begin to end as we take the criminal element out of people's desire to self-medicate.
This was our second year to have a LEAP speaker at the Otero County fair, continuing the discussion about this failed, violent 'war on drugs.' I can think no other current problem where part of the solution is so clear (to me!). lol

[demosincebirth]

5. I hope your're referring to the U.S. where 95% of the drugs are used and sold

[Warpy]

6. I'm talking about BOTH countries

Mexico has decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs. They've taken the first step.

It's really up to the US to recognize at long last the drug war has been an expensive FLOP and that we can no longer afford it in any way, shape or form.

The only thing we need to do about any adult's recreational use of psychoactive drugs is to tax them just enough that the few people who run into trouble with them can get treatment.

Every drug you take out of the black market is millions out of the pockets of thugs worldwide, from Mexico to Afghanistan. Keeping drugs illegal doesn't keep a single person from using them. It just makes them more expensive and that makes the worst men on the planet rich.

[WheelWalker]

9. +1

[toppertwot]

12. BUT WE HAVE THE BIGGEST & BEST PRISONS

in the whole wide world! In the USA, we have about 5% of the world population, and 25% of the prisoners in the world. The prison industry is hiring every day, because they have lots of jobs, and our prisoners do a lot of slave labor for corporations for free free free! Since over half of the prisoners are non violent pot puffers and such, they are in high demand for slave labor. The drugs are not important - look at Afghanistan - Bush increased herion production over there over 6,000%, and then put our soldiers to guarding the poppy fields, heroin manufactoring plants and distribution centers, and Obama continues this program today; and we can proudly say that the USA/Afghanistan junta produces around 90% of the world heroin supply. How can we do WITHOUT a drug war?

[BeHereNow]

18. Spot on and Welcome to DU.

:thumbsup: :hi:
BHN

[happyslug]

34. This is more then the war on drugs, much more

We have had illegal drugs since 1912 (when the First Federal Food and Drug Act was passed), yet it was NEVER this bad. Violence was not this bad during prohibition. This is NOT just drug lords fighting over who controls what drug route, but something more. Drugs are a factor, but appears to be a source of Income for a raising war against the ruling class of Mexico. Thus the drug wars is NOT being fought by people who just want to make money, but by people who sees the drugs as a way to pay for some other fight.

Mexico has gone through two severe problems in the last 10-20 years (And 30 years ago its economy almost collapsed), The first is NAFTA. The negative side affect of NAFTA on the small farmers of Mexico was to see their main product, Corn, having to compete with excessive amount of corn exports from the US. Prior to NAFTA such US Corn was kept out of Mexico. Since NAFTa Thousands (if not millions) of poor Mexican Peasants have been seen their income collapse. This had lead to the movement of Mexicans into the US (Mostly form Southern Mexico and Central America then North of Mexico City). This has been disruptive not only economically, but socially, men have gone to the US to look for employment while their wives and children remain in Rural Mexico (This is the norm among immigrants even in the 1800s, Families would follow their father/husbands AFTER he had steady employment, till then they stayed home). Thia has left a lot of male teens without father figures and as such such teens wander into violence. A more severe problem is such teens joining revolutionary groups. The US Media prefers to call them Naroc Groups, for the simple fact no one, including the Mexican Government wants to call them revolutionary groups (Especially since it is the 200th anniversary of the First Mexican revolution and the 100th anniversary of the second Mexican Revolution).

The other problem is the on-going problem of a fall in Oil Revenue do to a drop in oil production. The Central Mexican main source of revenue is oil profits and that is on a steady down hill slope. Oil Production peaked about 2006 and has fallen dramatically since that date. Prior to 2006, the general increase in oil prices hide the fact that Mexico was spending more and more money to get less and less oil, thus reducing revenue for the Central Government. With the decline in oil prices since 2008, revenue from the Mexican oil fields have gone down. This is made worse by the need for massive investment into Mexico's remaining fields just to slow down the overall decline in oil production (Which means even less money for the Central Mexican Government).

Thus Mexico is seeing a decline in revenues at the same time its peasants are in need of massive support. Something has to give, and what appears to be giving is the control of the Country. Mexico appears ready to dissolve into areas controlled by Warlords. So far the Central Mexican Government had prevented this using its revenue from oil, but as that declines further how long can it stay in control?

My point is the problem with Mexico is NOT the Drug Cartels. If the Government had a strong source of revenue it could attack the cartels AND help the Mexican Peasants, but the Mexican Central Government has no such long term source of revenue (Independent of oil). The dRug cartels seems to be groups who are looking for any source of revenue so to support their position within the Mexican Social system. I.e. NOT money for money sake, but money to be used for some other agenda. Some of these groups are tied in with the various large land owners in Mexico, others with the left wing opposition (and thus the fight, often more about other factors then who controls what drug route). Thus the drug Cartel are a symptom of a greater problem, and we have to address those greater problems (The fall and increase in the price of Corn AND decline in Oil Revenue) more then drug use.

More on Mexican Oil Production:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_reserves_in_Mexico

Nafta and Mexican Social Stability:
http://www.thenation.com/article/36330/retreat-subsistence
http://onthecommons.org/nafta-mexican-corn-and-commons

[SocialistJan]

35. +2

[valerief]

15. The only difference between Mexico and the US is that Mexico has affordable health care. nt

[Throd]

17. Yes, aside from that, they are exactly alike.

[TheWraith]

11. + Infinity.

Legalize the drugs. End the black markets. Starve the gangs. Watch violence right here in the US drop by 75% or so.

[valerief]

14. +666 trillion

[Soylent Brice]

8. what the fuck. seriously??

[TheWraith]

10. Have you read much about their police system?

Even what few rights they have are pretty much ignored by the cops. The idea that an even worse police state would somehow help is bullshit of the highest order.

[jobycom]

2. Wow.

Welcome to Hell.

[Javaman]

7. This isn't the half of it...

living here in Texas we are privy to a lot of stuff that is never reported to the rest of the nation.

[dkf]

13. OMG. How awful.

All the good, decent and brave public servants are being killed.

Can't we do something? They need help.

[brentspeak]

16. What a horrible mess Mexico is.

Might as well legalize the drug industry down there (and probably here in the US, as well).

[BeHereNow]

19. It's not just Mexico- the cartels RUN Los Angeles.

The Latino gangs here in Los Angeles and other cities work for the Cartels.
They OWN the gangs and the gang members are terrified of them.
It's the Prohibition on crack.

The solution is simple.
Legalize.

BHN

[inwiththenew]

20. Mexico has a full blown Narco insurgency on their hands

How long until the ieds start blowing up police convoys?

[timo]

21. no ieds

but carbombs have started to be used, they blew up one at the victoria tamps tv station today, I thought I heard about one at matamoros as well but couldnt ever confirm

[Kringle]

22. 70 dead drug mules

live by the sword
die by the sword

[FMBM]

24. I thought the story was...

that they refused to "live by sword" and were slaughtered... The gang asked them to become assassins, and so they were murdered... They were a lot like you... and me... just trying to get by in life, trying to move up a little, trying to take care of their loved ones...

[rabs]

25. What evidence do you have

that the 72 victims were "drug mules?"

Your claim goes against all reports of whom they were -- people from Ecuador, Brazil, Honduras and El Salvador who were hoping to filter into the United States across the Texas border.

They had nothing to do with any drug cartel or gang. Suggest you look up the criminal gang that killed them, the Zs.



(edit for typo)

[Kringle]

27. compete with the Zetas, you end up dead .nt

[TheMadMonk]

29. Refuse to cooperate. Also dead.

Your automatic assumptions are an insult to those who can no longer defend themselves. And also may I say, a telling comentary on your reasoning power.

Shooting one's couriers/mules/agents, BEFORE they perform the task they were chosen for, is just slightly counterproductive don't you think?

[FMBM]

23. I used to go to Mexico

to do charity work, even for several years after the violence started... Yes, I know that many continue to do charity work in far more dangerous places... like Afghanistan and in certain African countries... but still, I think I'll stay away... I feel bad for the children... Really, the Mexican Government must regain control of the country... I wonder if the violence will spread to our border states...

[rabs]

26. U.S. diplomats ordered to ship their children out of Monterrey

U.S. staff told to send children out of Mexican city

MONTERREY, Mexico | Fri Aug 27, 2010 6:33pm EDT

(Reuters) - The U.S. government told staff at its consulate in Monterrey to send their children out of the northern Mexican city where drug violence has been escalating, the consulate said on Friday.

The decision follows an apparent kidnap attempt outside an elite private school attended by children of U.S. consulate staff, amid rising drug violence in Mexico's business capital that has surged since the start of this year.

"U.S. government personnel from the consulate general are not permitted to keep their minor dependents in Monterrey," a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said in Mexico City. "As of September 10, no minor dependents, no children of U.S. government employees will be permitted in Monterrey," she added.

Suspected drug hitmen attacked a group of security guards working for Latin America's top beverage maker, Femsa, outside the American School in Monterrey on August 20, in what the consulate said was "an attempted kidnapping targeting the relatives of a local business executive."

Two of the bodyguards were killed and their bodies returned to the company's offices, police said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67Q5ZR20100827

[FMBM]

28. Mexico is a big country...

and much of the violence is local... but it is local to so many locations, that the impression from this side of the border is that it is becoming general... Mexico is heavily dependent on tourism... but in many places the tourists are no longer coming... understandably...

My experience with Mexicans is that they are good, honest, hard-working and honorable people... I feel so badly that their country is in such general disarray. It's easy to think of solutions... but I doubt they could succeed... what a shame... basically, there is nothing we can do... the Mexicans will have to work this out themselves...

[rabs]

30. I know some people who live in Juarez

and they have expressed an extreme solution -- that what is needed to fight the narco-cartels is a Mexican version of a Pinochet.

Those same people also say that as long as the cartels fight it out among themselves and kill each other off, it is okay with them. But they lament that innocent people are caught in the crossfire, as they always are.

Speaking of tourism, in Puerto Vallarta just a couple of days ago a grenade was thrown into a nightclub. Four persons had a leg or legs amputated, scores others were wounded. As far as I know, Puerto Vallarta, a prime tourist location, had been spared the violence, until now.

In the area where I live there are a lot of Mexicans, both legal and illegal. In the main, they are as you describe, honest and hard-working. But this summer a climate of fear has arisen due to a spate of racial profiling by the local yokel cops.

Btw, welcome to DU. :-)

[FMBM]

31. Thank you... Innocent people are sometimes...

caught in the crossfire, but many, many more live in fear... Is there an answer... I wish I had it...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

32. See #6 for your answer.

[amandabeech]

33. People here could stop using drugs until drugs are legalized.

I'm bound to be harassed for writing this, but really, does anybody here have to do drugs so badly that the mess in Mexico and Columbia isn't enough to get them to take a break?