Vacationers are concerned about terrorism in the Baja, Mexico, region.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

New Article on thisd subject - pretty scarey.

Below is a link to an article that came out yesterday. It debunks the argument that it is just a drug related problem.

Tourists shun crime-hit Mexico beaches - Yahoo! News

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

No, it's not all drug related, and there have been other examples of violence, but it sounds a lot worse than it is. The media has, in my opinion, blown it way out of proportion. According to the article, since September, there have been "a handful" of carjackings. I think the actual number is 4, but I could be wrong. All occurred at about 1-4 in the morning; all occurred with people driving big trucks with lots of "toys:" atv's, surfing equipment, etc. That's not to say that it's a good thing, but I bet every major city in the U.S., including San Diego, has had 4 car jackings since September. They generally are not reported in the news, though, whereas the California papers grab just about everything that happens to a tourist in Baja and give it bold coverage--and no, I'm not trying to make a case that problems in Baja shouldn't be reported. They should; people deserve to know....but I think they deserve to know about some of the things in the U.S. that aren't getting coverage also.

The area of Orlando which surrounds Disneyworld is one of the worst in the U.S. for violent crime, and tourists are targeted--but it doesn't get reported; it's bad for business.

The Rosarito mayor, Hugo Torres, the President, Calderon, and the Tijuana mayor--whose name escapes me--have truly targeted crime, and the drug lords don't like it. Torres fired 30 police personal for corruption, and they retaliated by hiring a hit on a police casita--not the main station. It takes a brave man to be an honest policeman right now, but fortunately, the Mexican men seem to be taking the challenge. They are standing up to the drug lords. The mayors and Calderon have called in the Federales, and it is not a disturbing presence to see them. We were in Rosarito over New Years and paid our taxes; the Federales were on guard. I don't think the drug lords would take on the Federal troops who are specially trained for this work.

We stopped to see our insurance man and chatted about the safety issues. He said, as all our friends have said, "Tourists aren't the targets; I am much more a target, and I keep a low profile." It really doesn't have anything to do with "ordinary" people, but it has a lot to do with those Mexicans who are fighting the drug lords. We felt perfectly safe in everything we did, as do our friends. We talked to many garbacho businessmen who are there full time; they don't feel a threat--but none of us are out driving at 1-4 a.m. either.

Definitely not a great situation, but not what the media is making it either. There are things that aren't safe now: camping alone on a beach, driving in the small hours of the morning. I definitely would not drive the toll road when the "bad guys" are likely to be abroad. But, all that said, for us, Rosarito is still a place we do want to be.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Mexico gunmen target children in gruesome drug war

Mexico gunmen target children in gruesome drug war


Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:11pm EST Email | Print | Share| Reprints | Single Page | Recommend (-) [-] Text [+]
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TIJUANA, Mexico, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Hitmen from Mexico's drug gangs are breaking traditional codes of honor by killing children in a chilling new chapter of a narcotics war that President Felipe Calderon is struggling to control.

In unprecedented attacks, gunmen killed a 3-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl and seriously wounded a 12-year-old girl in the city of Tijuana on the U.S. border this week as they targeted a senior local police officer.

Even hardened residents of Tijuana, where more than 300 people were killed in drug violence last year and severed heads were dumped on city streets, were shocked by photos of young Jose Luis Ortiz's body riddled with bullets.

"How much longer must we wait for results from the military? Now the narcos are killing our children," said a Tijuana shop assistant who gave her name only as Fernanda.

Ortiz and his mother and father were shot dead as they slept on Monday night. Gunmen apparently mistook the boy's father for a police officer and had no qualms about killing the 3-year-old.

Moments later, they found the police officer they were looking for and murdered him, his wife and their youngest daughter. Their other child was wounded.

"This is a new strategy to attack children and families and respond to the government's military assault on the cartels. The gangs want to sow panic and fear to overwhelm the authorities," said Victor Clark, a drug trade expert at San Diego State University.

Over the past three decades, Mexican drug cartels hauling cocaine north to the United States have generally held to a code of honor that bans killing women and children and stops them from becoming addicted to the drugs they traffic.

But as the cartels feud over smuggling routes and fight troops and federal police trying to crush them, violence has escalated and many traffickers are now addicts.

Mexican folk singers who praised the escapades of drug smugglers are also being murdered in the conflict.

"We know this is a war and we have to win it every day," Baja California's state governor, Jose Guadalupe Osuna, said after the Tijuana killings.

MORE TROOPS, FEW RESULTS

The main struggle is between the Gulf Cartel on Mexico's eastern coast and an alliance headed by Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, a jail escapee and Mexico's most wanted man.

Calderon has made crushing the drug cartels a priority since taking office a year ago, sending 25,000 soldiers and police to attack the gangs.

A main focus of the campaign has been Baja California, Mexico's deadliest state last year with more than 400 drug-related murders.

In January, hundreds of police and soldiers rolled into Tijuana and the nearby town of Rosarito to reinforce an already large troop contingent, but street shootouts and daylight kidnappings by hooded men continue.

Baja California officials and Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora this week promised a redoubling of efforts to stop the violence, but some officials are pessimistic.

"The corruption among the state's police forces runs so deep that it is impeding our work," Gen. Sergio Aponte, joint head of military operations in Baja California, told Reuters. "There are many police officers who have dedicated themselves to protecting criminal interests." (Writing by Robin Emmott; Editing by Kieran Murray)

Mexico gunmen target children in gruesome drug war | Reuters

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

Following is the link to a morning television appearance of Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres, which you might find of interest. It doesn't download, just starts.

KUSI VIDEO - KUSI NEWS - Good Morning San Diego - Video - South of the Border Safety

Since then, he's done a couple of radio appearances. The authorities are definitely making a stand--and it's costing a lot, as the above article makes clear.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Charred bodies dumped in Tijuana, drug gangs believed responsible - Los Angeles Times


Charred bodies dumped in Tijuana, drug gangs believed responsible
From Reuters
12:54 PM PDT, July 7, 2008
TIJUANA -- Police found six charred bodies, one still on fire, dumped on a street in the northern Mexican city of Tijuana today, in the latest brutal killing on the U.S.-Mexico border.

A police spokesman said drug gangs were believed to be behind the attack.

"Some of the victims were shot dead or beaten. It's not clear if any were burned alive," said the spokesman, who declined to be quoted by name.

Tijuana is one of the most gruesome fronts in Mexico's three-way war between rival drug cartels and security forces, as Mexico's most-wanted man Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman tries to wrestle control of smuggling routes into California from the city's long dominant Arellano Felix cartel.

Following two months of relative quiet in Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, California, drug murders and kidnappings are rising again, police say. At least 14 people have been killed in drug violence since early Sunday.

Shootouts between drug gangs have killed some 300 people in the city this year, making up a chunk of the more than 1,700 drug murder victims across Mexico since the start of 2008.

Today's burnt bodies were found two days after suspected drug hitmen in southern Mexico dumped a severed human head inside a black bag in the tourist city of Oaxaca, along with a threatening message for Mexican law enforcement, the state public prosecutor's office said.

President Felipe Calderon has sent thousands of troops to Tijuana and across the country to fight warring drug gangs but the military operations have failed to curb the violence. Killings have increased this year to unprecedented levels.

U.S. and Mexican anti-drug officials say higher street prices show fewer narcotics are getting through to the United States and that increased drug violence is a sign that cartels are weakening.

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

Those are, indeed, horrible headlines, but I cannot stress strongly enough that if you were reading only headlines from Watts or the areas of Washington DC which cause the muder rate to be 35 (compared to Tijuana's which runs around 13--even if it's hugely underreported, and it's double the reported rate, that's still well under Washington DC, let alone Compton, CA, where the rate is 67) you'd never consider visiting LA or Washington DC. The media simply chooses to totally ignore what goes on there, and they choose to ignore nothing they are able to garner from Mexico. I have no problem with reporting what is happening in Mexico; I do object to pretending the conditions in parts of the U.S. aren't as bad or worse.

Rosarito Beach Tourism Strongly Rebounds as Officials

Report Busy And Incident-Free July Fourth Weekend

By Ron Raposa



ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO --- The summer is definitely showing signs of increased tourism over the past twelve to fifteen months for this popular seaside vacation destination just 20 miles south of the border from San Diego.

“We have made a major effort to increase security and comfort for our visitors,” said Mayor Hugo Torres.

“With the new bi-lingual Tourist Police Force and 24-hour ombudsman office for tourists along with tourist information booths on the weekends, our guests can feel more peace of mind and confidence in coming to visit our city.”

The Fourth of July, traditionally one of the better weekends of the summer, was in fact the best weekend of this summer with average overall occupancy at 75 percent for Friday and Saturday, with several hotels close to or at 100 percent.

But the best part was that again, there were no reported incidents of crime against tourists. This marks an incident-free summer that actually began with Spring Break.

That fact is a powerful testimonial to the new administration’s commitment to making Rosarito a safe, secure and fun place to visit for anyone who has wanted to but hesitated over concerns for their safety.

It is also something that city officials are very proud of and would like more people north of the border to know about since Rosarito’s economy largely depends on tourism.

“It’s nice to see that hotel occupancy is back on the rise,” said Rosarito Convention & Visitors Bureau President Laura Wong. “It was good to see so many families and others here enjoying the weekend. Rosarito has so much to offer to its visitors.”

“We are working hard to counter the negative publicity raised by media reports connected to the government’s crackdown on drug cartels, which has nothing to do with tourists but nevertheless creates concern with some Americans.”

“I believe that people are finally realizing that a few highly publicized incidents in general do not impact visitor safety,” Mayor Torres said. “With the recently taken actions Baja is safer than ever for its millions of annual visitors.”

Raul Aragon, Rosarito’s delegate to the Baja State Secretary of Tourism office, also added, “Because so many hotels were at or near 100 percent occupancy for the Fourth of July holiday and there were no tourist-related crimes reported, people went back home with a more positive impression of Rosarito and Baja.”



Media Contact: Ron Raposa

ronraposa@hotmail.com

(619)948-3740

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Those are, indeed, horrible headlines, but I cannot stress strongly enough that if you were reading only headlines from Watts or the areas of Washington DC which cause the muder rate to be 35 (compared to Tijuana's which runs around 13--even if it's hugely underreported, and it's double the reported rate, that's still well under Washington DC, let alone Compton, CA, where the rate is 67) you'd never consider visiting LA or Washington DC. The media simply chooses to totally ignore what goes on there, and they choose to ignore nothing they are able to garner from Mexico. I have no problem with reporting what is happening in Mexico; I do object to pretending the conditions in parts of the U.S. aren't as bad or worse.

Who is pretending? We see/hear the headlines everyday about crime in So. Cal. It is sensationalized in the news everyday. I was born and grew up in LA County and we know where to go and where not to go. I do know I can usually count on the police and/or fire services to help us when needed. There are no US troops disarming the cops. And the cops don't shake us down for lunch money.


The last article stated "Shootouts between drug gangs have killed some 300 people in the city this year, making up a chunk of the more than 1,700 drug murder victims across Mexico since the start of 2008". I don't understand why you are so defensive. There is a problem in TJ....it is worse now then it has been....and I hope that those courageous enough in Mexico to fight the corruption and the drug gangs succeed....they have not succeeded for decades. The judicial and law enforcement systems in Mexico are rotten to the core...and have been for a long time. I hope and pray they continue to take a stand and fight for what is right for the many good hard working people in the entire country not just TJ.

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

I don't think I'm defensive except to defend a place I love. I know what I see; I know what happens here; I know what I read in the San Diego Union Tribune, and I can compare what it prints to facts. I know that one of the major reporters for the Tribune gathers her "facts" from such sites as www.bahanomad.com--or did until she was laughed off the board. The key is

"across Mexico" in the statistics. The drug cartels are dangerous, and they do enormous damage. They are being actively opposed. Mexico impounds 85% of the marijuana that reaches its border on its way to the insatiable markets in the U.S. The U.S. impounds approximately 15% of the marijuana that reaches its border.

I've lived more than half the year here for a long time; I cross the border at least twice a week. I have many friends who live here full time. None of us are poor. If we didn't feel safe, we'd leave. We've hardly seen our U.S. house for years--but we still own it, and we'd be in it if we felt unsafe here. We've NEVER been stopped by a police officer; until three weeks ago, neither had any of our friends (they were let go without a request for a bribe or a ticket), and all of us drive new or "newish" cars with American plates and look obviously American. That's hardly a wholesale attack on Americans for mordita. In fact, American drivers do so many things wrong here that any policeman who wanted to could stop them legitimately; most leave us alone--witness one stop in 15 years among us and our friends.

I don't see my response as defensive--just setting the record straight by one who lives here by choice.

[brucecz Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close brucecz]

Sorry to hear of those problems. We will be a bit more carefull when we visit Puerto Vallarta.

Bruce

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

Not to throw more fuel on the fire but it is much worse in Tijuana than reported. My wife has several relatives that live in Tijuana. Five of them visited us this week and we were talking about the situation there. They all have had several incidents occur, almost on a daily basis, where they live and they live in middle class areas of Tijuana. The vast majority of crimes in Mexico, other than murder are never reported because the people don't trust the police and with good reason.

Yes there are bad areas in the US such as Compton but we know where they are and never go there and we don't have to be afraid of the police.

Many of our Mexican relatives have lived in the US and they all say without a doubt that Mexico is much more dangerous than the US.