Posted on 12/05/2010 3:59:33 PM PST by moonshinner_09
LAREDO — Over the last decade, rising waves of narco violence in Mexico and a dramatic tightening of border security by the United States over fears of terrorism have strangled cooperative relationships between officials of many "sister cities."
In many cases, professional friendships and cross-border ties among city leaders, and police and fire departments, have fallen by the wayside.
Where not long ago Brownsville police could count on their counterparts in Matamoros to help recover stolen cars and catch fugitives, the relationship is all but dead.
"It became almost nonexistent about a year ago. We don't have a liaison officer anymore," said Brownsville Police Chief Carlos Garcia.
The same is true upriver in Roma, which sits across the bridge from Miguel Aleman.
"It's been six or seven years since I felt we could call there and get help. Now you don't know who you are talking to," said Capt. Francisco Garcia.
Long history In Laredo, which has perhaps the deepest ties across the Rio Grande, the annual "Abrazo" ceremony will be held in February for the 114th time, with children and public officials of each country embracing in the middle of the international bridge.
But symbolism and goodwill aside, border relationships here too are fading.
Laredo City Manager Carlos Villarreal, 63, who has worked with eight Nuevo Laredo mayors over 40 years, could always rely on Mexican colleagues in a pinch.
"When a problem arose, you could get someone you knew on the other side to help," he said.
Officials from Laredo and Nuevo Laredo used to confer and socialize regularly at meetings of the "Committee de Los Dos Laredos." Staff members played competitive baseball games, and department heads helped each other in emergencies.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
>>Mexico Is IN Self Destruction Mode. I do not know how much longer, the country will remain a country .<<
When you get away from the Frontera it gets a bit more stable, but there is a lot of anxiety everywhere. The Federal Government is not blind to what is happening, which is why they may federalize all police forces across the country.
Mexico needs an Elliott Ness — who knows if one will emerge.
Mexico is becoming a Narco state and we don’t even have a real border.
Really? Where's the proof of this?
What constitutes a narco state? Maybe they already are one. Does anybody go to Mexico any longer? Friends of mine who visited Mexico frequently will never go there again unless the drug cartels are removed and it becomes a friendly place to live.
The Narco’s have already infiltrated many of the local and state police and governments and they are working hard to do the same with the federal government and army.
What do the WikiLeaks reveal about the ongoing drug cartel violence south of the border?
According to the diplomatic cables, the Mexican Army is behind the times, it’s slow, avoids risks and ignores intelligence offered it by the U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is concerned with how the stress of it all affects Mexican president Calderon’s “personality and management style”. Pascual says that in meetings, the Mexican president seems “down.”
Secretary Clinton also wants to know if Calderon’s advisors challenge him, asking “Does he like to get into debates with people who disagree with him?”
Ambassador Pascual, in a dispatch sent in November of 2009, wrote that “Mexico’s use of strategic and tactical intelligence is often fractured, ad hoc, and heavily reliant on the United States for leads and operations.” Pascual also complained about turf wars between Mexican security agencies, and that these agencies “would rather hoard intelligence than allow a rival agency to succeed. “
Mexico’s corruption and low prosecution rate are discussed. That’s not exactly a shock.
A memo reports that “Calderon has aggressively attacked Mexico’s drug-trafficking organizations but has struggled with an unwieldy and uncoordinated interagency and spiraling rates of violence that have made him vulnerable to criticism that his anti-crime strategy has failed.”
Shortly before the leak release began, Calderon criticized “the spying of the Americans, who have always been very interfering in this sense”. On the other hand, the cables reveal that Calderon has urged the U.S. to increase its political engagement with Latin America.
Geronimo Gutierrez, Mexico’s Undersecretary of the Interior, was a fertile source of quotes. In October of 2009, Gutierrez “expressed a real concern with ‘losing’ certain regions” of the country to the drug cartels. Looking at the big picture, the official said that “It is damaging Mexico’s international reputation, hurting foreign investment, and leading to a sense of government impotence.” And, Gutierrez looked ahead:
“If we do not produce a tangible success that is recognizable to the Mexican people, it will be difficult to sustain the confrontation into the next administration.” (The official has since resigned).
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/12/wikileaks_and_the_mexican_drug.html
Unless Mexico gets some outside - Is IN Self Destruction Mode. I do not know how much longer, the country will remain a country .
The jackasses like Senator McCain are part of the problem. They have their heads up their a$$e$ and keep repeating the same old cr@p. He has to be up to his neck in the corruption also for him to keep repeating the same mistakes. ENOUGH ALREADY.
I’m sorry, but your call cannot be completed as dialed. Obama is simply too busy eating waffles & trying to get Soccer championships.
Murder City: Ciudad Juarez and the Global Economy's New Killing Fields
Anybody traveling to Mexico does so at their own great risk. Unfortunately, it is all heading this way - not just the drugs but the rampant corruption at all levels, monumental crime rates, kidnappings for money (most of those kidnapped are subsequently murdered after the family is bled dry) and wholesale torture and murder of the guilty and innocents alike.
Mexico (especially along our border) has become one of the most dangerous places on the planet. There is no safety, much less justice.
Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
>>The Federal Government is not blind to what is happening, which is why they may federalize all police forces across the country.<<
Have you heard of the Tenth Amendment? Powers not enumerated to the federal government are reserved for the people or the states.
Then there’s the fact that we still have sheriffs in most counties across America. A sheriff can forbid federal officers from carrying firearms in his county. Ask Sheriff Mack about it.
>>Have you heard of the Tenth Amendment? Powers not enumerated to the federal government are reserved for the people or the states.<<
Um, I was talking about Mexico...
A radio caller from a San Antonio security firm says hundreds of wealthy Mexicans are buying up/building gated communities with private security in that area. They are seeking any reason they can to stay here.
The question that immediately came to mind was, “Where did these ‘hundreds of wealthy Mexicans” earn their money?”
Question #2 How corrupt are they?
Question #3 How much corruption will they funnel into Texas?
Fact: If they have money they will be welcomed in San Antonio and the surrounding communities by the political officials looking to build up their local economy.
The gentleman on the radio did not elaborate on on the *corruption* factor but, did say these people had been kidnapped for ransom and threaten on a regular basis. (they'll probably drag the violence here)
IMO, although their plight is understandable, they need to stay and fight for their own country. We have enough trouble with ours at this point.
Indeed. And it's not just housing. The wealthy from Monterrey are quietly buying whatever businesses they can here on the US side. There is apparently an economic type of Visa status that enables them to do this if they can prove their wealth and are not sucking on the local govt 'assistance' . I personally know of two valley businesses that are selling to them because the offers are above the actual worth of the business. These folks are scared.
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