Monthly Archives: June 2012

New Yorker–Finnegan–THE KINGPINS The fight for Guadalajara.

This is an interesting new story in the New Yorker. I’m impressed by the
reporting and the analysis. My one critique: I think he correctly questions
the interpretation of “narcomantas”

Most *narcomantas* (which appear virtually every day somewhere in Mexico)
are disinformation, their assertions dubious, their true authorship
unknowable.

But later in the article, he seems to take the Zetas’ version at face
value… But, that said, the article is worth the time…

Here also are some comments from Jim Creechan:
Finnegan writes about the difficulty of getting to the truth in any story,
but he does an excellent job here.

Highly recommended. By the way, none of these issues have been discussed
during the presidential campaign and no one has any idea what will happen
with the drug war and drug policy when there is a new president.
Unfortunately, the president may not even have any power or control over
the issue — the corruption and mismanagement of the war is no only the
fault of the central government. The narcos and cartels decentralized at
the same time as the PRI collapsed in the late 1990’s.

The governments at the State level will have just as much if not more
influence in determining the outcome of the election AND in determining the
direction of future drug policy. At the moment, 20 states are PRI — mostly
in the north.

The Reyes-Salazar family flee Mexico seeking asylum as entire families flee Northern Mexico

TOMORROW AT THE LAW OFFICE OF CARLOS SPECTOR

LAST TWO MEMBERS OF THE REYES-SALAZAR FAMILY FLEE MEXICO AND SEEK ASYLUM IN THE U.S. AS ENTIRE FAMILIES IN NORTHERN MEXICO CONTINUE TO FLEE

Press release: 10 am – Thursday, June 28, 2012
at the Law Offices of Carlos Spector
1430 E. Yandell, El Paso, Texas 79902

Doña Sara Salazar the 78 year old matriarch of the politically active Reyes-Salazar family refused to leave Mexico as long as any of her loved ones were still living there. Last week, after receiving a death threat, her last grandson, Ismael Reyes-Reyes decided to leave Mexico and seek asylum in the U.S. The departure of 22 members of the Porras family from Villa Ahumada as well as the Mexican federal government’s inability and refusal to protect them convinced Ismael Reyes-Reyes to leave Mexico.

Doña Sara has lived every mother’s worst nightmare: first they killed her grandson; then her daughter; 7 months later her son; and then they threatened her with a gun while they kidnapped another daughter, son and daughter-in-law. Six days after the kidnapping they burned her home. Two weeks after the kidnapping they threw the tortured bodies of her children in the street.

According to AI, the Reyes family was “clearly being targeted in the most brutal way.” Six family members having been killed since November of 2008.
Julio César Reyes Reyes was shot and killed on November 16, 2008. – Grandson
Josefina Reyes Salazar was shot and killed on January 3, 2010. – Daughter
Rubén Reyes Salazar was shot down in the street on August 18, 2010. – Son
María Magdalena Reyes Salazar was kidnapped on February 7, 2011. Her body was dumped on the street on February 25, 2011. – Daughter
Elías Reyes Salazar was kidnapped on February 7, 2011. His body was dumped on the street on February 25, 2011. – Son
Luisa Ornelas was kidnapped on February 7, 2011. Her body was dumped on the street on February 25, 2011. – Daughter-in-law

Saul Reyes-Salazar and his immediate family were granted political asylum in early January 2012.

Law Offices of Carlos Spector, 1430 E. Yandell, El Paso, Texas 79902

For more information please call Alejandra Spector or Crystal Massey at mexenex@gmail.com or (915) 544-044

Murder Capital opens in Irvine, CA Friday…

With the critical 2012 Mexican Presidential election on Sunday, the
controversial documentary, “Murder Capital of the World” will open this
Friday at the Edwards Univ.Town Center in Irvine, CA for a minimum one-week
run. The website is www.murdercapitalfilm.com

The 85 minute documentary previews this election as well as addressing the
drug war, which has been a major part of each candidates campaign.

Charlie Minn

Director

charlieminn@aol.com

Mexico: Family of 20 Crosses into Texas Seeking Asylum after Drug Cartel Murders

This story has been reported in El Diario for the past several days…Two
members of the family–a father and son–were murdered. The son was at his
father’s grave in the Villa Ahumada cemetery when he was shot. Others
received death threats by phone. They left the town early in the week and
have been camped out in the offices of the federal Attorney General (PGR)
in Juarez. In a dramatic move, all 20 family members have crossed into the
US to seek asylum, although the latest Diario article said that the Mexican
Attorney General was going to meet in Juarez and discuss how to provide
protection for the family.
There have also been several recent articles in EL Diario on the lack of
any police protection in many of the towns and villages in northern
Chihuahua since 2008 when many police were killed, many fled and others
were dismissed. In 2009, a gun battle took place in Villa Ahumada in which
more than 22 people were killed. Earlier, in May 2008, the Army entered
Villa Ahumada and killed many more then…
Perhaps this case will bring attention to the ongoing and almost unreported
violence in the rural towns and villages surrounding Juarez…

UPDATE:
the Porras family from Villa Ahumada are all seeking political
asylum in the US.  Several houses and businesses in and around Villa
Ahumada owned by the family have been robbed, vandalized and burned
according to an article in El Diario.

14 bodies in Ciudad MAnte, Tamaulipas; 44 murdered in 7 states all across Mexico on Saturday

For the second time in a month, 14 mutilated bodies have been abandoned in
the town of Ciudad Mante in Tamaulipas. Also, according to the story posted
from Cronica, during the wave of violence yesterday in Mexico, at
least 44 people were murdered in the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz,
Guerrero, Nuevo Leon, Jalisco, Durango and Michoacan. In the Veracruz case,
11 bodies were found in a clandestine grave. The article lists other
incidents. I posted a google translation.

Abandonan camion con 14 cuerpos mutilados en Cd. Mante, Tamaulipas

Fourteen mutilated bodies found outside Mexican supermarket

GOOGLE TRANSLATION

Violent events in seven states yesterday left a balance of 44 dead

Mar Horacio Ramos, Ignacio Roque and David Madriz Homes | National

24.06.2012 | Creation Time: 23:36:30 | Last Modified: 00:05:45

During a wave of violence yesterday at least 44 people were killed in
separate incidents related to organized crime in Tamaulipas, Veracruz,
Guerrero, Nuevo Leon, Jalisco, Durango and Michoacan.

In Tamaulipas, 14 mutilated bodies appeared inside an abandoned truck in
the parking lot of a shopping mall in Ciudad Mante.

A source from the state attorney explained that at 09:00 hours was reported
the discovery of the bodies along with a narcomensaje in the parking lot of
a supermarket chain located in the center of the municipality.

The prosecution explained that it is 10 bodies of men and four women all
mutilated and a narco message to the Gulf Cartel.

While in the municipality of Lerdo de Tejada, Veracruz, was located a
clandestine grave with eleven human skeletons.

The Secretary of the Navy of Mexico undertook dig up human remains.

Meanwhile, in various municipalities of Guerrero the wave of violence left
seven people killed, five of whom died in shootouts in the municipality of
Apaxtla Castrejon and another died in hospital Teloloapan. In Acapulco, a
shooting left as a result one dead, one wounded and a woman deprived of
their liberty.

In Monterrey, a body was found in a car, while gunmen executed one person
and wounded his nephew left refusing to pay a fee.

In the first event in the center of Monterrey was found a corpse in a
Volkswagen Jetta with the plates FGR-2162.

Moreover, in San Nicolas de los Garza, a man about 60 years old was shot by
an armed, while his nephew aged between 20 and 25 were injured.

In another incident, after close off a motorcycle, the driver of a van was
amagado by armed men who kidnapped him, but managed to escape despite being
tied hand and foot.

Meanwhile, in San Sebastian del Oeste, Jalisco, human remains were found
buried in three mass graves, which correspond to three people.

The bodies were in a ranch called Palmillas de Macedo and experts from the
Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences (IJCF) exhumed the skeletal remains.
One of the bodies has a bullet in the head and is maimed.

In Durango, two people were killed and one was injured more seriously, when
staff moved Expert Services on board an official unit Soapy village was
attacked by several gunmen with these results.

Within the limits of the municipalities of Buenavista Tomatlan and
Tepalcatepec in Michoacán five bodies, three men and two women, were found
inside plastic bags.

Alleged gunmen executed the coup de grace to the five people, among which
one of the women was pregnant and was beheaded, and one of the men were
maimed arm. The rest of the bodies were blindfolded and showed signs of
torture.

In addition to the bodies found on the bridge of Piedras Blancas, right
next to a grocery store, was found pinned to the chest of one of the women
a message that said: Here we leave a little present gentlemen to see that
it can be since we’re here Mencho and Rafa Álvarez: att 8 CJNG.

 

Juarez surrounded by municipalities without police…

Here are the articles on the lack of police in municipios in northern
Chihuahua.  I posted more or less unedited google translations below…
(except that google translated CIPOL as “Man from UNCLE”… thought I would
share that in case anyone remembers that TV show from the 60s…)
In short, the articles go back over some of the incidents in the different
towns since 2008 when the Army first moved into the territory in force.
Many police have been killed, many have fled and the new forces have very
few untrained recruits and almost no weapons or equipment.  The first
article gives a good idea of the geography of the region and the scope of
the problem…The final article from Milenio shows army troops poised to
move into the region before the elections. Based on the huge increase in
violence that began with the army incursions in 2008, these actions by the
governor and the Mexican army may not inspire much confidence.

Rodean a Juárez municipios sin Policía

 GOOGLE TRANSLATION

Juarez surrounding municipalities without police

Luz del Carmen Sosa

The Journal | 23.06.2012 | 00:22

Four years after the mayors of the municipalities surrounding Juarez
exposed facing the worst crisis of insecurity, the situation worsened.
Organized crime disrupted the operation of the public safety of three, and
two have a poor corporation.

The most affected municipalities are Guadalupe, Praxedis G. Guerrero and
Ahumada, since their bodies were scattered police completely, while Janos
corporations and Ascension have very limited functions due to lack of
personnel and equipment.

The newspaper reports that the file calls for help were made since 2008,
when the mayors of these municipalities and their police chiefs presented
at a meeting convened by the State Government that the border between
Mexico and the United States was a secure area so deficient.

The security of the border by agents was hardly finished high school and
most were improvised, as few were instructed to exercise sufficient care
and preventive police, exposed the leaders.

Corporation Praxedis the women make

A radiograph of the five municipalities shows that after the onslaught of
organized crime, little has been done to give people greater security.

For example, the Municipal Public Security Bureau of Ascension, has only 25
items, divided into 12-hour shifts.

“In the morning shift are 12 elements and 13 at night. The working day is
12 hours, “said an officer interviewed yesterday afternoon.

He explained that the operating personnel to patrol on board out of five
patrols.

This town is bordered on the north by the American state of New Mexico on
the east by Ahumada and Juarez, on the south Nuevo Casas Grandes and
Buenaventura on the west by Janos. It has an area of 11 thousand square
kilometers.

Janos Township is located in the northwest corner of Chihuahua, and
bordered on the south by the municipalities of Casas Grandes and Nuevo
Casas Grandes, Ascension to the east, west to Agua Prieta, Sonora, and
north of Hidalgo County American state of New Mexico. It covers an area of
6 000 930.50 square kilometers.

This area is monitored for 24 radiopatrulleros working in shifts of 12
hours and only have 4 patrols to move.

Township abuts the northwest Guadalupe Juarez, on the northeast by Praxedis
G. Guerrero-which is entirely surrounded by its territory, on the west by
Ahumada, and south with those of the Sotol Coyame and Ojinaga, across the
Rio Grande, and borders the County of El Paso, Hudspeth County, the Jeff
Davis County and Presidio County.

It covers an area of 6 000 200.50 square kilometers. Here the corporation
was completely disjointed from December 2010, when the agent Erika Gandara
Irma Archuleta was “lifted” and then murdered.

The 28-year officer was found dead on February 12, 2011 in the sewage canal
at the kilometer 60 of the Juárez-Porvenir highway in the municipality of
Praxedis G. Guerrero, said the Attorney General (EGF).

Erika was deprived of liberty by gunmen who broke into his home. Since then
the Directorate of Municipal Police found headless.

Praxedis entirely restricted to the municipality of Guadalupe and the
counties of El Paso and Hudspeth. Although the authorities claim that the
corporation operates normally, the staff is made up of women who have no
official arms and make crime prevention work.

In the municipality of Ahumada, launched the call to recruit police
personnel and is in the training process. For the time being watched by
only seven officers who have no weapons and have three patrols.

Although not border, adjacent to border communities and is used as a
crossing point for the smuggling of drugs, guns and stolen cars.

All municipalities have been referred to the loss of life in its entirety
and even executives, sets the file journalism.

***********************************************************************

Villa Ahumada care only 7 elements … unarmed

Luz del Carmen Sosa

El Diario / Submitted | 22.06.2012 | 00:15

Villa Ahumada-The people of Villa Ahumada are defenseless against a
possible onslaught of organized crime, said the Municipal Public Safety
Director, Mario Santiago.

With just seven policemen and unarmed possible, is to provide security to
just over 8 thousand people.

The latest attack against this corporation drug occurred in the last
municipal administration and led to the resignation of all the elements,
who fled the village after the murder of his immediate boss and two of his
companions.

The waiver of the 12 municipal police officers joined the chaos that
prevailed in the government headed by Fidel Chavez Molina, who had three
directors of Public Safety. The newspaper file states that the commander
Enrique Solis Martial, who was the first director of police, died in a car
accident two weeks after taking office.

He was replaced by Adrian Barron, who six months after taking office was
arrested on April 8, 2008 by the Mexican Army in a narcofuneral.

In May of that year, the last commander died in a clash between gunmen and
police. A command killed six people, including the police chief and two
officers who accompanied him.

“The military said the weapons and the corporation then practically
disappeared,” says Mario Santiago. The surveillance was put in charge of
the now defunct CIPOL and military personnel.

Support takes two hours, arriving in Juarez police

“Here we are virtually defenseless, the elements are functions of guards
and none of them carries a firearm”, he says.

To address the need to establish a police force as required by the Mexican
Constitution, the present city administration launched the call to restore
the Municipal Police. However, very few citizens answered the call.

The owner of the corporation states that managed to recruit 15 men, aged
between 20 and 35, which are currently on academic preparation at the C-4
of the city of Chihuahua.

“When they graduate the Attorney General’s Office will handle the
collective license with the Secretary of Defense, once they are certified
and registered hope that we allocate sufficient weapons element,” he
explains.

The corporation has three units, including two late-model, two cells and
radios. Nothing more.

With just seven guards, four ministerial police and prosecutor assigned to
the investigation of crimes, most of a family or minor offenses, Villa
Ahumada is practically at the mercy of criminal groups that are fighting
for this territory , which appears to favor its enormous illicit activities.

EGF in the north only appointed four police investigators and support if
required, must wait at least two hours in moving from Ciudad Juarez. That
happened last Tuesday, when the body of a young man was exposed to the sun
just over two hours at the point where he was killed.

: Land without law?

Dozens of breaches of the border municipalities of Praxedis G. Guerrero and
Guadalupe, adjacent to Villa Ahumada, which allows drug traffickers,
weapons and stolen cars evade military checkpoints installed at the
Juarez-Mexico Highway.

The same goes for the area of Puerto Palomas de Villa and the border port
Jeronimo-Santa Teresa, also with long dirt roads that connect with this
community borders.

Villa Ahumada has been the scene of violent acts featured, as the
confrontation at the ranch El Vergel, which left 21 dead, or, a slaughter
recorded on another property with seven men victimized, including the
landowner.

In this community are few and poorly trained police officers. Speaking of
the police coordinating the Public Safety Director, Mario Santiago, says
that when violent incidents occur as reported earlier on Tuesday in the
municipal cemetery, can hardly intervene.

Therefore limited to await the call of the competent authority in case you
need support. “If the prosecution asks us our support to cordon off the
crime scene, for example, that would be our share, nothing more,” abounds.

He hopes that in the coming months and have a formal and armed police.

Meanwhile, he points out, the work carried out will be preventive and
simple presence.
**************************************************************

Sedena and Chihuahua police forces are preparing for elections

STATES • 23 JUNE 2012 – 9:36 PM – JUAN JOSÉ GARCÍA AMARO, | CORREPONSAL

It will strengthen security operations, by the police forces and the army,
in the municipalities of Villa Ahumada and Meoqui, where in recent days has
picked up the climate of insecurity.

Photo: Juan Jose Garcia Amaro

Ciudad Juarez • All security institutions, with the support of the Army,
will be on high alert to ensure the safety of the population during the
elections held the first of July, said the governor of Chihuahua, Cesar
Duarte Jaquez.

The governor said he has been developing several meetings with officials of
the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) for the purpose of coordinating
security operations to be implemented on Sunday in this entity.

“The IFE has already had meetings with us and we will continue to ensure
the safety of people who come to exercise their right, where Chihuahua is
in the best conditions for the process to develop in peace,” he said.

“I am convinced that we have a high civility Chihuahua and I am absolutely
clear that we will get a peace process, and above all, looking for that
once the process of harmony and agreement remains in force,” the president.

He emphasized that no one should be troubled process, “democracy can not go
anywhere near the violence, but that democracy must be accompanied by peace
and social harmony, for that is the democratic exercise to regulate the
healthy coexistence of society. ”

In this context, he said that will strengthen security operations, by the
police forces and the army, in the municipalities of Villa Ahumada and
Meoqui, where in recent days has picked up the climate of insecurity.

Duarte Jaquez announced that met with the commander of the 5th Military
Zone, and Chief of Joint Operation Chihuahua, Emilio Landeros Zarate, to
review security strategy applied in this state to combat insecurity.

Sinaloa denies that person arrested is “Son of Chapo”…

OK—I’m not even going to post all the US newspaper and wire stories on
the capture of the son of Chapo Guzman… These are in every paper and
internet site and have been since yesterday afternoon…The interesting
thing is that starting with the Sinaloa newspaper, Riodoce, Mexican media
is questioning whether the person arrested is who the Mexican government
says he is… Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, son of Chapo Guzman.  These
sources (closer to the events for sure) say that the person captured and
paraded in the Mexican government’s press conference and perp walk is
actually: Félix Beltrán León… If you do a google news search on both of
those names, you get a lot of articles from Mexican press and blogs on the
issue… Here I’m passing on comments from another person on the list who
sent me the Riodoce story yesterday:
__________________
“The other papers have switched headlines to add “presunto”. The comments in
the report from El Debate are interesting and there are several posts
saying that they know those two guys and then provide their real names (not
related to Chapo).
It does smack of an election ploy by PAN and FCH. Josefina Vázquez was over
the top in her praise of the arrest and she said she wouldn’t rest until El
Chapo was brought down. The timing of the arrest is really suspicious —
there really isn’t enough time to verify or disprove the identity of the 2
guys. In the twisted world of Sinaloa and Northwest Mexico politics, this
could even be a move by El Chapo to discredit PAN (… Something is happening
there on the streets, and the number of supporters for AMLO was actually
very surprising. Something like this happened in the last gob election when
MALOVA came out of nowhere to win. Word was that the capos told people to
vote for MALOVA and throw out the PRI).
Also, the two guys arrested had very little money and no body-guards.
Unusual. They seem like chivos expiriatos and fall guys for something.
The press conference by the Marine vocero also mentioned the “son of Chapo”
thing far too many times. “Methinks the lady does protest too much….” kind
of stuff. ”
____________________
Below are several stories that are using the “presunto hijo de Chapo…”
etc. phrase… As far as I can tell, there is nothing at all so far in the
US or other English language press on this… stay tuned…  molly

¿Guzmán Salazar o Beltrán León? Podría no ser hijo del Chapo detenido en Jalisco

Presentan a presunto hijo de El Chapo Guzmán, capturado por la Armada en Jalisco

Frontera List Border Violence

Visit Knight Foundation

1. What do you propose to do? [20 words]

Visualize data about border violence to re-frame news coverage, keep record, and engage communities in healing through storytelling and art.

2. How will your project make data more useful? [50 words]

Classify and visualize data on violence will challenge official record keeping and interpretations of the causes of violence in the U.S. and Mexico. Community storytelling and art (ex votos, retablos, and photography) will foster a space for reflection, expression, understanding, and possibly healing.

3. How is your project different from what already exists? [30 words]

The project will classify and visualize data related to diverse forms of violence: economic, political, cultural, and judicial, to help expand and re-frame notions of violence in the news coverage.

4. Why will it work? [100 words]

Mexican communities in the border region need channels to find reliable information, express their own fears and emotions, exchange stories, or simply commiserate. These communities are living under extreme duress equal only to a totalitarian regime. Impunity and silence prevail. Moreover, American communities in the border need a space where they can find more comprehensive data of the violence and stories from those affected. American communities have been misinformed, their family ties across the border have been broken, and they have lost faith in a common trans-border destiny due to police and military build up.

5. Who is working on it? [100 words]

Frontera List, a project of New Mexico State University librarian Molly Molloy; the Border Journalism Network (BJN), a binational coalition of journalism educators, professional journalists, and students; and the Institute for Arts and Media of California State University, Northridge (CSUN), are working together in developing resources to collect and preserve information on the border region, improve the quality of border journalism, and engage university communities in a dialogue about the border. University journalism students in Arizona, Texas, California, and New Mexico have already started this collaboration, which we will expand to include professional journalists, community activists, and artists on both sides of the border.

6. What part of the project have you already built? [100 words]

Since 2008, Frontera List has archived more than 5,000 stories on the violence at the border, particularly in Juárez. The Institute for Arts and Media at CSUN and the University of Arizona are conducting oral histories with journalists and activists from Juárez/El Paso and Agua Prieta/Douglas, and the Institute is archiving the photographic collection of Juárez photojournalist Julián Cardona. The Border Journalism Network, which includes journalism educators at 13 universities, has produced teaching tools on how to cover the border and has sponsored the first student collaboration on border coverage, in which students share stories produced for their own outlets.

7. How would you use News Challenge funds? [50 words]

We will classify information about border killings in Frontera List stories; create infrastructure to archive data and create an interactive website; recruit journalists, educators, activists, and artists at the border; and develop tools to train students, journalists, activists, and educators to collect and visualize data about border violence.

8. How would you sustain the project after the funding expires? [50 words]

Librarian Molloy will continue updating Frontera List. Specific visual, journalistic, and artistic projects could be launched using crowdfunding. Funding will also be available through grants to the Border Journalism Network from private foundations and to the Institute for Arts and Media from foundations and government programs that support the arts.

Requested amount: $200,000

Expected number of months to complete project: 12 months
Total Project Cost: $300.000
Name: José Luis Benavides
Twitter: @jlbenavides
Email address [optional]: jose.benavides@csun.edu
Organization: Institute for Arts and Media (California State University Northridge), and Border Journalism Network
City: Los Angeles
Country: USA
How did you learn about the contest? Personal networks

Mexico Human Rights Letter in US Congress–Latin American Working Group

Hey Supporter,

My co-worker Jenny sent you a message earlier this week asking you to contact
your representative about an important Mexico human rights letter that’s
circulating in Congress right this moment. If you didn’t get a chance to
take action, just click here to send a letter to your member of Congress
. The letter will close within the next week, so please act today!
*Here’s the gist of it: *The U.S. gives money to the Mexican military
(duh!). Some of that money is supposed to be withheld if Mexico fails to
meet certain human rights requirements. And we know those requirements
aren’t being met. In fact, since 2007 there has been a dramatic increase in
human rights violations by the Mexican government, including torture, rape,
murder and forced disappearances. *We’re concerned that the U.S. State
Department will gloss over human rights violations by the military and
police *in order to send  Mexico 100% of the Merida funds.

*That’s why we need your help.* *Please send a message to your member of
Congress* and ask them to sign the letter by Rep. Jim McGovern that calls on Sec. Clinton
to do an honest assessment of all human rights violations by the Mexican
military and police. If enough representatives sign the letter, the State
Department won’t be able to ignore it, and the 15% of funds tied to the
human rights requirements will have to be withheld.

Thanks,

Ben, Jenny, Ruth, and Ella
the LAWG Mexico Team

*Promote Justice for Mexico and the Borderlands*Ask your Rep. to sign the
letter defending human rights in Mexico, before Friday, June 22nd.

*************************************************************************
Dear Supporter,

You may not know who *Israel Arzate Meléndez* is, but we think you should
hear his story.

In February 2010, Israel was picked up by Mexican soldiers in Ciudad
Juarez. Sounds terrifying, right? Well, it gets worse. He was then taken to
a military base where *he was beaten, given electric shocks, and suffocated
repeatedly until he finally gave in and confessed to a crime he didn’t
commit.* No one seemed to mind that it was a false confession, only offered
to make the torture stop.

During his trial, Israel informed the judge that he had been tortured into
giving his confession, but instead of looking into the alleged abuse to see
if it was true the judge ordered the trial to move on. Now, Israel sits in
a Mexican jail.

*Click here to ask your member of Congress to stand against torture in
Mexico!*

Through the Merida Initiative, the United States gives money to the Mexican
military, the same military that tortured Israel Arzate Meléndez. But did
you know that Congress has committed to withhold 15% of these funds if the
State Department decides that Mexico is violating certain human rights
requirements? At the end of June, the State Department will be releasing
their report on human rights in Mexico and will recommend whether to send
Mexico that 15% of funds. *We know that Mexico isn’t meeting the human
rights requirements,* Israel’s story makes that clear. But we’re worried
the State Department will say they are.

*Take action to make sure Secretary Clinton tells the whole truth about
human rights violations in Mexico.
*
Some members of Congress have taken a stand by writing a letter that
will go to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her to do a serious
and honest assessment of all human rights abuses by the Mexican military
and police, as well as Mexico’s failure to hold violators accountable. But
before they drop the letter in the mail, we are working to get as many of
their congressional colleagues as possible to sign on too, so Secretary
Clinton knows they mean business. *And we need your help!*

*Will you send a letter to your representative asking them to tell Sec.
Clinton to not sugarcoat Mexico’s human rights crisis? *

It’s no coincidence that since 2007, when Mexican President Felipe Calderón
deployed the military and federal police to combat drug cartels, *there’s
been a five-fold increase in human rights abuses by the Mexican
government.  We’re talking torture, rape, murder and forced disappearances
– serious  human rights crimes.*What’s worse is that the perpetrators are
getting away with it.  Despite the requirement that military abuses be
investigated and prosecuted in civilian courts—these abuses are still being
investigated and prosecuted within the military justice system, where
fellow soldiers are more likely to protect than punish their colleagues.
Out of 4,000 investigations opened in the military justice system since
2007, only 29 members of the military have been sentenced. *That’s less
than 1%!*

*We have until Friday, June 22nd to make our case that the 15% of Merida
funds ought to be withheld. Can you email your representative and
ask them to stand for human rights in Mexico by signing this letter?
*

Thanks for all you do to help change U.S. policy toward Latin America.

Best,

Jenny, Ben, Ruth, and Ella, LAWG’s Mexico Team

P.S. If you’re on Facebook, check out our STOP the Violence in Mexico page to
get frequent updates on human rights in Mexico, and learn what you can do
to help stop the bloodshed south of the border.

Mexican customs agent says Texas trucker nabbed at border with bullets tried to return to US

OK—so, the weapons cargo in the truck that Javin Bogan was driving was
documented in the paperwork and not hidden, but packed normally on pallets
in the cargo compartment of the truck. It is now established in the Mexican
court that the Mexican officials lied.  Also note that Bogan is still held
in a maximum security prison in Veracruz state–currently one of the most
dangerous places in Mexico.  molly

Read WP article here