The Guardian: Six people believed responsible for the escape from prison of drug baron Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, including his brother-in-law and the suspected mastermind of the jail break, have been arrested, Mexican authorities have said.
Attorney general Arely Gomez said the alleged mastermind of the operation is a member of Guzman’s legal team who had access to the prison near Mexico City from which Guzman escaped via a tunnel in July. Read more.
The MexicoBlog of the Americas Program, a fiscally sponsored program of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), is written by Laura Carlsen. I monitor and analyze international press on Mexico, with a focus on security, immigration, human rights and social movements for peace and justice, from a feminist perspective. And sometimes I simply muse.
Showing posts with label organized crime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organized crime. Show all posts
Sep 16, 2015
Old Cartels Never Really Die…
FSN News: Despite recurrent pronouncements of death by some U.S. and Mexican officials, high-profile organized crime groups continue operating and shedding blood south of the border. Tijuana, where control of both the local and export drug business is the prize of contention, figures once again as a significant flashpoint of violence.
Violent rivalries were on public display this past week as at least five so-called narcomantas, or narco banners, were placed in highly visible spots in the Baja California border city of an estimated 1.6 million people.
Violent rivalries were on public display this past week as at least five so-called narcomantas, or narco banners, were placed in highly visible spots in the Baja California border city of an estimated 1.6 million people.
Jun 23, 2015
10 dead in attack on beer distributor in northern Mexico
AP: Note: As always, there is more to this than meets the eye...
At least 10 people are dead after armed men attacked a beer distribution center on the outskirts of the northern city of Monterrey, Mexican authorities said Friday.
Nuevo Leon State Attorney General Javier Flores told a news conference that authorities are investigating the possibility that the attack involved organized crime. He said drugs and a weapon were found at the scene. Read more.
At least 10 people are dead after armed men attacked a beer distribution center on the outskirts of the northern city of Monterrey, Mexican authorities said Friday.
Nuevo Leon State Attorney General Javier Flores told a news conference that authorities are investigating the possibility that the attack involved organized crime. He said drugs and a weapon were found at the scene. Read more.
Nov 26, 2014
Organized crime has overrun Guerrero
Milenio (Translation by Mexico News Daily): Iguala has brought out many truths about Mexico, some of them ugly, many of them previously known. But it is only now that the extent of the infiltration of organized crime is being revealed: federal intelligence efforts carried out since Iguala indicate that cartels have a presence in 62 of the state’s 81 municipalities.
The Milenio news service reported this morning that the state has balkanized into a mosaic of criminal organizations: it’s a toxic mix of five of the country’s major cartels plus local bands and guerilla movements.
The state’s official spokesman said 11 municipalities had been infiltrated, while former Gov. Angel Aguirre said criminals had penetrated most of the state’s municipal police. Then last week it was revealed that 12 municipal mayors were suspected of organized crime links.The killings and kidnappings in Iguala on September 26 have provided evidence of how closely linked the state can become with criminal groups, of the depth of collusion that can exist between the two. Not long after the horrors of that long night in Iguala, there were hints that the cancer was widespread. Read more.
Aug 9, 2014
Guatemala-Mexico Agreement on Migrants in Baja Signed
Frontera NorteSur: Guatemalan and Mexican authorities have signed an agreement to provide greater assistance to Guatemalan migrants in Baja California, Mexico.
Alejandra Gordillo, executive director of the National Council for Assistance to Guatemalan Migrants (Conamigua), estimated that upwards of 3,500 Guatemalan migrants are residing in the northern Mexican border city of Tijuana alone, virtually stranded without work or adequate economic support.
“We are interested in making the problem visible, because we’ve seen the efforts of Mexico on the southern border,” Gordillo said during a visit to Tijuana this week. “Now we want to know the problem on the northern border so we can take actions.”
Alejandra Gordillo, executive director of the National Council for Assistance to Guatemalan Migrants (Conamigua), estimated that upwards of 3,500 Guatemalan migrants are residing in the northern Mexican border city of Tijuana alone, virtually stranded without work or adequate economic support.
“We are interested in making the problem visible, because we’ve seen the efforts of Mexico on the southern border,” Gordillo said during a visit to Tijuana this week. “Now we want to know the problem on the northern border so we can take actions.”
Jul 19, 2013
Mexico cartel leader's capture will have little effect on drug flow
LA Times
By Tracy Wilkinson
July 16, 2013
The capture of the top leader of Mexico's most bloodthirsty and bloodcurdling drug cartel will have surprisingly little effect on trafficking of cocaine and other illicit substances to the U.S., and on the violence that has claimed tens of thousands of lives here in recent years.
If anything, the violence, at least in the short term, may surge as rivals and potential successors of Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, alias Z-40, head of the Zetas paramilitary gang, battle to take his place or his turf.
But for President Enrique Peña Nieto, the capture is a small coup. The 7-month-old government, marking its first major strike against organized crime, probably hopes the early-Monday arrest near the border town of Nuevo Laredo will score points in the theater of public opinion and especially among skeptics who doubt the new leader's vague and sporadic security policy. Read more.
By Tracy Wilkinson
July 16, 2013
The capture of the top leader of Mexico's most bloodthirsty and bloodcurdling drug cartel will have surprisingly little effect on trafficking of cocaine and other illicit substances to the U.S., and on the violence that has claimed tens of thousands of lives here in recent years.
If anything, the violence, at least in the short term, may surge as rivals and potential successors of Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, alias Z-40, head of the Zetas paramilitary gang, battle to take his place or his turf.
But for President Enrique Peña Nieto, the capture is a small coup. The 7-month-old government, marking its first major strike against organized crime, probably hopes the early-Monday arrest near the border town of Nuevo Laredo will score points in the theater of public opinion and especially among skeptics who doubt the new leader's vague and sporadic security policy. Read more.
Jun 24, 2013
Mexico: Where a doctor sleeps with a loaded gun, bulletproof vest
GlobalPost
June 24, 2013
Ecatepec, Mexico — A family doctor in this tattered suburb of Mexico City, Roman Gomez tends to his patients under the constant threat of death from neighborhood thugs.
A squad of state policemen stands round-the-clock guard at the four-story building that serves both as Gomez's clinic and home, vetting all who enter. He wears a bulletproof vest under his medical tunic, keeps a large pistol tucked into his belt, rarely ventures into the street.
Gomez, 53, has lived this way since early February, when he shot and killed two of three armed men who burst into his crowded waiting room to collect $20,000 in protection money. Now members of the dead men's gang are gunning for Gomez. Read more.
June 24, 2013
Ecatepec, Mexico — A family doctor in this tattered suburb of Mexico City, Roman Gomez tends to his patients under the constant threat of death from neighborhood thugs.
A squad of state policemen stands round-the-clock guard at the four-story building that serves both as Gomez's clinic and home, vetting all who enter. He wears a bulletproof vest under his medical tunic, keeps a large pistol tucked into his belt, rarely ventures into the street.
Gomez, 53, has lived this way since early February, when he shot and killed two of three armed men who burst into his crowded waiting room to collect $20,000 in protection money. Now members of the dead men's gang are gunning for Gomez. Read more.
Apr 11, 2013
Mexico Violence: Clashes Between Federal Police, Gunmen Leave 14 Dead
Huffington Post
April 11, 2013
Morelia, Mexico - At least 14 people died Wednesday in a series of clashes between gunmen and federal police in Michoacan state, a western area that has seen a surge of violence in recent years attributed to drug cartels, authorities said.
Federal police said in a statement the first gunbattle began when officers aboard a helicopter spotted armed men traveling in four vehicles in the town of Gabriel Zamora.
The gunmen opened fire on the agents, who shot back and killed five assailants, the statement said.
It said one of those killed was high in the leadership structure of a Michoacan-based drug cartel, but didn't identify the group.
Hours later in the town of Apatzingan, federal agents were accompanying a caravan of citizens commemorating the anniversary of the death of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata when gunmen fired shots at some of the participants. Police killed one of the gunmen, authorities said. Read more.
April 11, 2013
Morelia, Mexico - At least 14 people died Wednesday in a series of clashes between gunmen and federal police in Michoacan state, a western area that has seen a surge of violence in recent years attributed to drug cartels, authorities said.
Federal police said in a statement the first gunbattle began when officers aboard a helicopter spotted armed men traveling in four vehicles in the town of Gabriel Zamora.
The gunmen opened fire on the agents, who shot back and killed five assailants, the statement said.
It said one of those killed was high in the leadership structure of a Michoacan-based drug cartel, but didn't identify the group.
Hours later in the town of Apatzingan, federal agents were accompanying a caravan of citizens commemorating the anniversary of the death of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata when gunmen fired shots at some of the participants. Police killed one of the gunmen, authorities said. Read more.
Mexico: Government Says Murders Tied to Organized Crime Have Fallen
The NY Times
By Randal C. Archibold
April 10, 2013
Mexico City - The new government here, which has complained that Mexico’s image has been sullied by persistent reports of violent crime, presented data on Wednesday that it said showed that murders related to organized crime had dropped sharply.
Though analysts raised concerns about how the information was compiled, the government said that since Dec. 1, when President Enrique Peña Nieto took office, there had been 4,249 homicides that bore the markings of organized crime. That was down 685, or about 14 percent, from the 4,934 over the same period a year earlier.
The government said it also had seized more marijuana and cocaine in the more recent period and reported a drop in kidnappings, but it did not release data on extortion, another crime often associated with criminal gangs.
Analysts questioned the criminal data, particularly homicides classified as related to organized crime. Though vetted by the federal government, much of that data originally comes from the 31 states and federal district, with inconsistent or misreporting of cases and subjective criteria on what constitutes a cartel-related crime.
By Randal C. Archibold
April 10, 2013
Mexico City - The new government here, which has complained that Mexico’s image has been sullied by persistent reports of violent crime, presented data on Wednesday that it said showed that murders related to organized crime had dropped sharply.
Though analysts raised concerns about how the information was compiled, the government said that since Dec. 1, when President Enrique Peña Nieto took office, there had been 4,249 homicides that bore the markings of organized crime. That was down 685, or about 14 percent, from the 4,934 over the same period a year earlier.
The government said it also had seized more marijuana and cocaine in the more recent period and reported a drop in kidnappings, but it did not release data on extortion, another crime often associated with criminal gangs.
Analysts questioned the criminal data, particularly homicides classified as related to organized crime. Though vetted by the federal government, much of that data originally comes from the 31 states and federal district, with inconsistent or misreporting of cases and subjective criteria on what constitutes a cartel-related crime.
Apr 8, 2013
Peña Nieto Reveals 2014 Security Budget
InSight Crime
Written by Claire O'Neill McCleskey
Peña Nieto's proposed $4.4 billion security spending plan for 2014 allots over a third of its budget to crime prevention.
Peña Nieto's 2014 budget plan of 54 billion pesos was outlined in a document sent by the Treasury Department (SHCP) to the Senate for consideration, reported Proceso.
A large proportion of the budget, nearly 20 billion pesos (around $1.6 billion) will go to "prevention and deterrence of crime." Meanwhile, $1.4 billion will go to the penal system, $122 million to the new gendarmarie police force, and $231 million to the intelligence services. Some $382 million will be distributed to states, municipalities, and the Federal District for public security.
The growth in the security budget for 2014 represents only a small increase over the projected inflation rate of 3 percent for next year, reported El Economista. Read more
Written by Claire O'Neill McCleskey
Peña Nieto's proposed $4.4 billion security spending plan for 2014 allots over a third of its budget to crime prevention.
Peña Nieto's 2014 budget plan of 54 billion pesos was outlined in a document sent by the Treasury Department (SHCP) to the Senate for consideration, reported Proceso.
A large proportion of the budget, nearly 20 billion pesos (around $1.6 billion) will go to "prevention and deterrence of crime." Meanwhile, $1.4 billion will go to the penal system, $122 million to the new gendarmarie police force, and $231 million to the intelligence services. Some $382 million will be distributed to states, municipalities, and the Federal District for public security.
The growth in the security budget for 2014 represents only a small increase over the projected inflation rate of 3 percent for next year, reported El Economista. Read more
Feb 16, 2013
Is Mexico's war on drugs close to a real end?
Aljazeera
February 15, 2013
The election of Enrique Pena Nieto last year marked the return to power of the Industrial Revolutionary Party (PRI) that had ruled the country for 71 years prior to the year 2000.
Pena Nieto promised the PRI was no longer a party of patronage and corruption, but a modern force focused on economic growth, poverty reduction and tackling the drug-related violence unleashed during the presidency of Felipe Calderon.
This week the president unveiled his plan to tackle crime and take on the cartels.
He appeared to reject Calderon's policy of force, instead promising to approach the problem through a $9.2bn investment in social programmes to address the root causes of crime.
The government says the programme will help keep young people from joining gangs. It is not clear though how much of that money is funding that is already been announced as part of other programmes.
The initiatives include road building, improved health and social services, help for single mothers to find jobs, better park grounds and lighting and increasing school hours.
The money is targeted at 251 towns and neighbourhoods considered the most violent in Mexico.
President Pena Nieto says the new strategy focuses on prevention - instead of deploying troops and sophisticated weapons to tackle drug violence. Read more.
February 15, 2013
The election of Enrique Pena Nieto last year marked the return to power of the Industrial Revolutionary Party (PRI) that had ruled the country for 71 years prior to the year 2000.
Pena Nieto promised the PRI was no longer a party of patronage and corruption, but a modern force focused on economic growth, poverty reduction and tackling the drug-related violence unleashed during the presidency of Felipe Calderon.
This week the president unveiled his plan to tackle crime and take on the cartels.
He appeared to reject Calderon's policy of force, instead promising to approach the problem through a $9.2bn investment in social programmes to address the root causes of crime.
The government says the programme will help keep young people from joining gangs. It is not clear though how much of that money is funding that is already been announced as part of other programmes.
The initiatives include road building, improved health and social services, help for single mothers to find jobs, better park grounds and lighting and increasing school hours.
The money is targeted at 251 towns and neighbourhoods considered the most violent in Mexico.
President Pena Nieto says the new strategy focuses on prevention - instead of deploying troops and sophisticated weapons to tackle drug violence. Read more.
Dec 4, 2012
Garcia Luna's narco ties documented
Proceso by J. JESÚS ESQUIVEL
Published December 2, 2012
WASHINGTON (Proceso).-- On September 18, 2012, Genaro Garcia Luna's words left Barack Obama's security cabinet stunned: the head of the federal Public Security Secretariat (SSP) apologized for the attack by federal police agents against employees of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
"I want to take this opportunity to apologize on behalf of the institution and personally for the events that took place at Tres Marias," reads the transcript of Garcia Luna's words, contained in State Department "classified documents" -- of which Proceso has a copy-- referring to the meeting of the High Level Consulting Group of the Merida Initiative behind closed doors last September 18th in Washington.
Addressing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Attorney General Eric Holder and Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, Garcia Luna stated: "We will do everything to punish the persons responsible."
The State Department's classified documents -- in volumes 7 and 8, provided to Proceso by one of the secretaries present at the meeting -- give the impression that Garcia Luna and Felipe Calderon know who carried out the attack against the CIA agents and a captain of the Mexican marines, and why the attack was carried out.
"The President has instructed us to do our part and our conviction is to carry out an efficient task. The responsible persons will be punished, undoubtedly.
"The agency will do everything necessary to resolve this case and, of course, maintain effectiveness in our cooperation with you," emphasized Garcia Luna in the apology directed at all the members of the United States security cabinet.
Published December 2, 2012
WASHINGTON (Proceso).-- On September 18, 2012, Genaro Garcia Luna's words left Barack Obama's security cabinet stunned: the head of the federal Public Security Secretariat (SSP) apologized for the attack by federal police agents against employees of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
"I want to take this opportunity to apologize on behalf of the institution and personally for the events that took place at Tres Marias," reads the transcript of Garcia Luna's words, contained in State Department "classified documents" -- of which Proceso has a copy-- referring to the meeting of the High Level Consulting Group of the Merida Initiative behind closed doors last September 18th in Washington.
Addressing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Attorney General Eric Holder and Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, Garcia Luna stated: "We will do everything to punish the persons responsible."
The State Department's classified documents -- in volumes 7 and 8, provided to Proceso by one of the secretaries present at the meeting -- give the impression that Garcia Luna and Felipe Calderon know who carried out the attack against the CIA agents and a captain of the Mexican marines, and why the attack was carried out.
"The President has instructed us to do our part and our conviction is to carry out an efficient task. The responsible persons will be punished, undoubtedly.
"The agency will do everything necessary to resolve this case and, of course, maintain effectiveness in our cooperation with you," emphasized Garcia Luna in the apology directed at all the members of the United States security cabinet.
Nov 20, 2012
Mexico focus on police commanders in CIA shooting
By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO | Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) — In a strange and aggressive attack by Mexican federal police on a U.S. Embassy vehicle that was pumped with 152 bullets, one major question remains: Why?
Mexican investigators are looking for the answer from five police commanders who are accused of ordering 14 officers to lie about what happened on Aug. 24 south of Mexico City, where two CIA officers and a Mexican Navy captain came under heavy fire while travelling in an armored SUV clearly marked by diplomatic plates.
The police officers, who wounded the Americans and face attempted murder charges, initially said they were in uniform and marked cars, and responded to fire from the SUV. But details of the attorney general's investigation released Sunday said they were in plains clothes, unmarked vehicles (including two of their personal cars) and under order at all times from their commanding officers.
"Commanders controlled by whom? Whose instructions were they following?" said one Mexican official with knowledge of the case.
The attorney general's office continues to investigate possible connections between the attack and organized crime, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. Read more.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — In a strange and aggressive attack by Mexican federal police on a U.S. Embassy vehicle that was pumped with 152 bullets, one major question remains: Why?
Mexican investigators are looking for the answer from five police commanders who are accused of ordering 14 officers to lie about what happened on Aug. 24 south of Mexico City, where two CIA officers and a Mexican Navy captain came under heavy fire while travelling in an armored SUV clearly marked by diplomatic plates.
The police officers, who wounded the Americans and face attempted murder charges, initially said they were in uniform and marked cars, and responded to fire from the SUV. But details of the attorney general's investigation released Sunday said they were in plains clothes, unmarked vehicles (including two of their personal cars) and under order at all times from their commanding officers.
"Commanders controlled by whom? Whose instructions were they following?" said one Mexican official with knowledge of the case.
The attorney general's office continues to investigate possible connections between the attack and organized crime, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. Read more.
Nov 17, 2012
Mexico's top organized crime investigator steps down
Mexico City| Thu Nov 15, 2012
(Reuters) - The head of Mexico's organized crime unit stepped down on Thursday, just weeks after announcing that members of his team had been charged with having links to the nation's most powerful drug cartel.
Jose Cuitlahuac Salinas, head of the unit in the attorney general's office, resigned for "personal reasons," a spokesman for the office said.
Attorney General Marisela Morales has accepted his resignation, which was effective immediately, he added.
Salinas will be replaced by Rodrigo Archundia Barrientos, an expert on kidnappings at the organized crime unit, Morales said in a statement.
On October 17 Salinas said the Mexican government had charged seven officials, including three members of his unit, with passing information on government raids and investigations to the Sinaloa cartel of Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, Mexico's most-wanted man.
Salinas himself was not being investigated, the spokesman at the attorney general's office said. Read more.
(Reuters) - The head of Mexico's organized crime unit stepped down on Thursday, just weeks after announcing that members of his team had been charged with having links to the nation's most powerful drug cartel.
Jose Cuitlahuac Salinas, head of the unit in the attorney general's office, resigned for "personal reasons," a spokesman for the office said.
Attorney General Marisela Morales has accepted his resignation, which was effective immediately, he added.
Salinas will be replaced by Rodrigo Archundia Barrientos, an expert on kidnappings at the organized crime unit, Morales said in a statement.
On October 17 Salinas said the Mexican government had charged seven officials, including three members of his unit, with passing information on government raids and investigations to the Sinaloa cartel of Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, Mexico's most-wanted man.
Salinas himself was not being investigated, the spokesman at the attorney general's office said. Read more.
Oct 9, 2012
Mexican Navy Says It Killed Ruthless Gang Kingpin
NY Times: By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD. MEXICO CITY — The Mexican Navy confirmed on Tuesday that it had killed Heriberto Lazcano, the founder and the principal leader of the Zetas, one of the most violent criminal gangs to terrorize the country in years.
But in a striking twist, an armed group quickly stole the body, a state prosecutor said Tuesday, leaving the authorities struggling to explain how such a major blow against Mexico’s criminal organizations could turn into an illustration of their persistent strength.
The navy said that it had killed Mr. Lazcano in a battle between marines and men armed with guns and grenades on Sunday afternoon in Coahuila State in northern Mexico.
His death may be one of President Felipe Calderón’s biggest victories against drug and organized-crime groups, and it comes two months before the president ends his six-year term with a legacy marked by an escalation of the fight against gangs and the brutal violence they have wrought. Read more.
But in a striking twist, an armed group quickly stole the body, a state prosecutor said Tuesday, leaving the authorities struggling to explain how such a major blow against Mexico’s criminal organizations could turn into an illustration of their persistent strength.
The navy said that it had killed Mr. Lazcano in a battle between marines and men armed with guns and grenades on Sunday afternoon in Coahuila State in northern Mexico.
His death may be one of President Felipe Calderón’s biggest victories against drug and organized-crime groups, and it comes two months before the president ends his six-year term with a legacy marked by an escalation of the fight against gangs and the brutal violence they have wrought. Read more.
Sep 19, 2012
Mexico to Purge State, Local Police of 65,000 Officers
InSight Crime: by Edward Fox, Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Mexico's government announced it will remove some 65,000 police officers from state and municipal ranks, a move which might boost the ranks of criminal groups seeking new recruits.
Interior Secretary Alejandro Poire stated during a visit to Washington D.C. that of the 180,000 state and municipal police who have had background checks, 65,000 (36 percent) were found to be unfit to serve, reported Informador.
There are currently a total of 430,000 state and municipal officers serving throughout Mexico. Poire added that the aim is to have carried out checks on every one by some point next year.
The reasons for the officers' pending dismissals were not given, nor were details on where they are currently based.
Though the announcement of a mass purge of state and municipal police is nothing new in Mexico, this latest round far exceeds the numbers and scale of similar actions taken in the past year. Much of them have been carried out at the local level, with Veracruz alone for example, seeing two rounds of dismissals last year, one of 980 officers and another of 800.
State and municipal officers are often regarded as the most vulnerable link in Mexico's fight against organized crime. Officers among these ranks are poorly paid, more so than their federal counterparts, thus increasing the chance that they will collude with criminal gangs as a way of supplementing their incomes.
Purging the forces of these corrupt elements, however, is a risky move. If these officers indeed have ties to gangs then removing them from paid work could push them further into the hands of criminal organizations. Jalisco state had to suspend a purge of its forces in May because gangs had posted recruitment ads for some 900 cops about to become unemployed. Read more.
Interior Secretary Alejandro Poire stated during a visit to Washington D.C. that of the 180,000 state and municipal police who have had background checks, 65,000 (36 percent) were found to be unfit to serve, reported Informador.
There are currently a total of 430,000 state and municipal officers serving throughout Mexico. Poire added that the aim is to have carried out checks on every one by some point next year.
The reasons for the officers' pending dismissals were not given, nor were details on where they are currently based.
Though the announcement of a mass purge of state and municipal police is nothing new in Mexico, this latest round far exceeds the numbers and scale of similar actions taken in the past year. Much of them have been carried out at the local level, with Veracruz alone for example, seeing two rounds of dismissals last year, one of 980 officers and another of 800.
State and municipal officers are often regarded as the most vulnerable link in Mexico's fight against organized crime. Officers among these ranks are poorly paid, more so than their federal counterparts, thus increasing the chance that they will collude with criminal gangs as a way of supplementing their incomes.
Purging the forces of these corrupt elements, however, is a risky move. If these officers indeed have ties to gangs then removing them from paid work could push them further into the hands of criminal organizations. Jalisco state had to suspend a purge of its forces in May because gangs had posted recruitment ads for some 900 cops about to become unemployed. Read more.
Aug 24, 2012
Unemployed Youth Are Fighters, Victims in Mexico Drug War
InSight Crime: By Geoffrey Ramsey. Reports that the number of unemployed youths in Mexico stands at 8 million and is set to rise are bad news for security, as this group makes up the majority of combatants and victims in the country's drug war.
Excelsior published a report saying that there are currently 8 million Mexicans aged 18 to 30 who are not in work or education -- known as “ni-nis” (so labeled because they neither study or work, "ni estudian ni trabajan"). This is equivalent to more than 20 percent of the age group, and is on the rise, according to the newspaper.
InSight Crime Analysis
The high level of youth unemployment in Mexico is not only a social problem but a factor driving violence and organized crime. Ni-nis are the main prey of drug trafficking organizations, making up the majority of victims of drug-related violence, and also serve as the pool from which they draw their workforce, commonly serving as the expendable foot soldiers of gangs and cartels. Crime pays; an enforcer for a large cartel can make nearly three times as much per month as the national average, as demonstrated by the story of six female adolescent Zetas-in-training captured last year. Read more.
Excelsior published a report saying that there are currently 8 million Mexicans aged 18 to 30 who are not in work or education -- known as “ni-nis” (so labeled because they neither study or work, "ni estudian ni trabajan"). This is equivalent to more than 20 percent of the age group, and is on the rise, according to the newspaper.
InSight Crime Analysis
The high level of youth unemployment in Mexico is not only a social problem but a factor driving violence and organized crime. Ni-nis are the main prey of drug trafficking organizations, making up the majority of victims of drug-related violence, and also serve as the pool from which they draw their workforce, commonly serving as the expendable foot soldiers of gangs and cartels. Crime pays; an enforcer for a large cartel can make nearly three times as much per month as the national average, as demonstrated by the story of six female adolescent Zetas-in-training captured last year. Read more.
Aug 21, 2012
Amid drug war, Mexico homicide rate up for fourth straight year
LA Times Blogs: Richard Fausset. MEXICO CITY -- A study has found that Mexico’s homicide rate rose for the fourth year in a row in 2011, this time by 5.6% compared with the previous year -- a fact that will come as little surprise to Mexicans who continue to be bombarded each morning with the latest stomach-turning details of the country’s drug war.
What is less clear, however, is what the new numbers say about outgoing President Felipe Calderon’s controversial and nearly 6-year-old decision to deploy the military to battle the country’s entrenched drug-trafficking gangs.
Is this the short-term pain that Mexico must endure in order to achieve a long-term peace? Or are the increased slayings the inevitable -- and ineluctable -- result of a strategy that Calderon’s successor, Enrique Peña Nieto, has essentially promised to continue, with a few alterations?
The new data, released this week by Mexico’s statistics and geography institute, show that 27,199 people were killed in Mexico last year -- or 24 homicides per 100,000 people. The rate in 2007 was 8 per 100,000. Last year it was 23 per 100,000. Read more.
What is less clear, however, is what the new numbers say about outgoing President Felipe Calderon’s controversial and nearly 6-year-old decision to deploy the military to battle the country’s entrenched drug-trafficking gangs.
Is this the short-term pain that Mexico must endure in order to achieve a long-term peace? Or are the increased slayings the inevitable -- and ineluctable -- result of a strategy that Calderon’s successor, Enrique Peña Nieto, has essentially promised to continue, with a few alterations?
The new data, released this week by Mexico’s statistics and geography institute, show that 27,199 people were killed in Mexico last year -- or 24 homicides per 100,000 people. The rate in 2007 was 8 per 100,000. Last year it was 23 per 100,000. Read more.
Aug 16, 2012
Surge in violence in Mexico's drug war? Figures are inconclusive
LA Times Blogs: Daniel Hernandez. MEXICO CITY -- A recent string of deadly incidents tied to Mexico's drug war does not appear to indicate a surge in the violence but does suggest a new flash point as the fearsome Zetas cartel shows signs of splitting apart.
Fourteen bodies were found dumped in San Luis Potosi state on Thursday, and the mayor-elect of the city of Matehuala in the same state was killed in an attack along with one of his campaign aides as
they left a party Sunday. Read more.
they left a party Sunday. Read more.
Aug 13, 2012
Man arrested in Mexico carrying slain newspaper worker's ID
CNN: Mexico City - A presumed member of the Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartel has been arrested in Veracruz, Mexico, carrying identification cards belonging to a newspaper administrator who was killed in May, the Mexican military said Monday.
The arrest of Juan Carlos Hernandez Pulido, also known as La Bertha, occurred as a result of a tip from an informant who told authorities someone in a car appeared to be sharing drugs, the navy said in a statement. Read more.
The arrest of Juan Carlos Hernandez Pulido, also known as La Bertha, occurred as a result of a tip from an informant who told authorities someone in a car appeared to be sharing drugs, the navy said in a statement. Read more.
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