AND--This is how they got there!
Posted on 01/03/2007 3:05:03 AM PST by onyx
TIJUANA, Mexico – Mexico is sending more than 3,000 soldiers and federal police officers to fight drug gangs in the violent border city of Tijuana, the latest offensive by President Felipe Calderon who has vowed to crack down on organized crime. The force, backed by 28 boats, 21 planes and nine helicopters, will hunt down suspected traffickers, patrol the coast and man checkpoints in a city that is a popular smuggling route for cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana entering the United States, Interior Secretary Francisco Ramirez Acuna said at a news conference Tuesday in Mexico City.
“We will carry out all the necessary actions to retake every region of national territory,” Ramirez Acuna said. “We will not allow any state to be a hostage of drug traffickers or organized crime.” Several hundred body armor-clad federal police were seen driving in convoys into the city on Tuesday. The rest of the force was expected to arrive in the coming days.
Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, California, is one of the world's busiest border crossings and has been plagued by fighting between rival drug gangs.
Last year, there were more than 300 killings in the city. In one of the most gruesome crimes, assailants in June abducted three policemen and a civilian in the nearby town of Rosarito, killing them and dumping their severed heads on a Tijuana beach.
Tijuana Mayor Jorge Hank Rhon welcomed the soldiers, saying he would like them to work with city police who are establishing random security checkpoints.
“I hope this will make Tijuana a safer place,” he said.
However, he said the deployment did not mean the city was being militarized.
Calderon took office in December after winning a close election on a law-and-order platform.
Last month, he sent 7,000 soldiers and federal police to his native state of Michoacan, which has been plagued by execution-style killings and beheadings as rival drug gangs fight over marijuana plantations and smuggling routes.
The troops have arrested more than 50 people, including several suspected leaders of the feuding cartels, and seized large quantities of gold, bulletproof vests, military equipment and shirts with federal and municipal police logos.
Calderon is scheduled to make his first visit to the troops on Wednesday at a military base.
“The operations will allow us to re-establish the minimal security conditions in different points of Mexico so we can recover little by little our streets, our parks and our schools,” Calderon said in a New Year's message on Tuesday.
Calderon's predecessor, Vicente Fox, promised the “mother of all battles” against organized crime, sending in thousands of soldiers and federal police to some drug-embattled towns and arresting several major drug kingpins.
But the arrests appeared to spark more violence as gangsters battled to take over the smuggling routes of those killed or arrested.
Sure they will.... till someone or something needs moved north.
This title should read: 3,000 soldiers, federal police to push drug crime in Mexican border city of Tijuana across open border into USA.
AND--This is how they got there!
Yeah, and how did that work out? Not too good unless you were a gun running drug lord.
Oh by gosh, by golly! Is Calderon REALLY serious? Who knows? Didn't the sly Fox put on a good show in the first rounds, too? Well, Calderon has many hills of unbelief to overcome if he's really serious about cleaning up the disaster...
They need to come to our neighborhood and see what is happening 20-30 of them living in one home. TRASH everywhere.
I was told by CityHall environmental officers that haven't I noticed our area is becoming culturally diverse to which I responded yes I noticed and I also noticed this is still the United States of America and NOT mexico and they need to abide by our laws, the guy just snickered in response to that.
I also spoke with ICE.
Bless you for calling, stopem. It's so maddening, I hate to say it, but unless people live it, they really cannot grasp the seriousness of the situtation.
I had to chuckle to hear Hank Rhon say he welcomed the dope-hunting soldiers on his turf. Hank is the one who's running all the dope, he's obviously pretending he can steer the cops the wrong way and fool the public. Nevermind. Calderon isn't fooled and will take out the trash in short order. Hank won't last it.
update to ap article you originally posted.. does make mention of initial checking of some stations and weapons and papers and such..
Soldiers, police in Tijuana over drugs
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070104/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/mexico_drug_wars
LUIS PEREZ, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jan 4, 12:46 AM ET
TIJUANA, Mexico - Soldiers and federal police poured into the violent border city of Tijuana Wednesday, manning checkpoints and inspecting local police stations as part of President Felipe Calderon's latest offensive against powerful drug gangs.
Backed by helicopters, planes and boats, the force descending on the city across the border from San Diego will eventually consist of 3,300 troops, Mexico's government has said. It was not clear exactly how many had entered Tijuana by Wednesday night.
Soldiers went into at least two local police stations and checked the papers and weapons of hundreds of officers.
Federal investigators allege there is a corrupt network of police in the city supporting traffickers who smuggle tons of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana over the busy border crossing into the United States. There were no immediate reports of arrests by the soldiers.
Tijuana Mayor Jorge Hank Rhon has welcomed the troops but some residents complained about the military checkpoints in the city.
"It's good that they do these operations but this seems a bit over the top," said Raul Gonzales after soldiers ordered him out of his car and searched him from head to toe on Wednesday. "I'm just going out with my family."
Dubbed "Operation Tijuana," the mobilization is the second major military offensive against drug gangs by Calderon, who took office on Dec. 1 promising to crack down on organized crime.
Last month, he sent 7,000 troops to his native state of Michoacan in western Mexico, which has been plagued by execution-style killings and beheadings as rival gangs fight over marijuana plantations and smuggling routes.
Calderon made his first visit to these troops at a base in the Michoacan city of Apatzingan on Wednesday, donning a green army cap and jacket for a breakfast with 200 agents.
"This is not an easy task nor will it be fast," Calderon said. "It will take a long time, imply using enormous resources and even unfortunately the loss of human lives."
But, he added, "if we continue working as we have been until now, our cities and our land will not remain in the hands of criminals."
Drug gangs are blamed for more than 2,000 murders nationwide in 2006 and have left a particularly bloody trail in Michoacan and Tijuana, where more than 300 people were slain last year.
The gangs have decapitated some of their victims, leaving the heads in front of government buildings, on public beaches and even the floor of one nightclub.
Troops in Michoacan have arrested more than 80 people so far, including several suspected cartel leaders, and seized large quantities of gold, bulletproof vests, military equipment and shirts with police logos. They also have burned more than 1,300 acres of marijuana plantations.
But opposition politicians and some residents have expressed doubt that Calderon's highly publicized campaign will have much of an impact.
His predecessor, Vicente Fox, also sent thousand of agents to fight drug trafficking, arresting several alleged top kingpins during his six-year term. But those actions appeared to spark more violence, as other traffickers battled to take over the smuggling routes of those killed or detained.
Dubbed "Operation Tijuana,"
How clever.
We're lucky Calderon won his election.
At least he's taking action!
BTW -- I'm catching up to you. This was the 86th thread I have posted. :)
I am beinging to like Calderon.
I hear you. He's taking action. Thank God he won his election over that Marxist.
Good job!
I'm at 12,666 threads and 59,183 replies
You got me on replies by a country mile. ;-)
Yes, he is taking action, however, the question I would pose ..
Is this nothing more than just a changing of the guard and essentially a "corporate takeover" by a new set of thugs at the top .. time will tell.
Mexico does have a bit of a history, to say the least.
I just CAN'T post the number of my replies....LOL.
But, I'm not THAT far ahead of you..... if you add your articles posted multiplied by .... nevermind .....LOL.
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