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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Quagmire! Gunmen open fire on Tijuana federal police building |
| 2007-09-26 |
| Unfortunately, the honest cops and federales are targetted and, if they can't be bribed, killed Several hours after a state preventive police officer was ambushed and killed Monday night, gunmen opened fire on a building used by federal police. The agent killed in the first attack, which took place around 8:30 p.m., was identified as Ricardo Rosas Alvarado, 30. Mexican media reported that at least one person was killed, several were wounded and some suspects were detained in the second attack, which lasted about 10 minutes. Two of the wounded are believed to be federal preventive police agents. It's unclear whether the two incidents were related, or had a connection to the Saturday morning killing of Carlos Horacio Morales Mendez, also a state preventive officer. Morales was gunned down in front of his Tijuana house. In this latest round of violence, Rosas was found dead inside a bullet-riddled car in the parking lot of the Plaza Monarca shopping mall, according to state authorities. As of this morning, Mexican authorities hadn't yet released detailed information on the second attack. Drug trafficking groups are often blamed for violence like this. The region's Arellano Felix drug cartel, whose top leaders have been arrested and killed in recent years, is facing serious challenges from rival groups as well as internal splits. Some police are targeted for their crime-fighting efforts against drug traffickers, and others because they have colluded with gangs. Another reason I rarely visit Mexico, although I live within spitting distance. Once you get past the border region, the people are nice, honest (my experiences, YMMV), and friendly... |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #5 LUCIANNE > MARXIST [Terror-Insurgent]]GROUP RESURFACES. After 3 yarns. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-09-26 23:08 |
| #4 The Baja Federales have the reputation of being Mexico's most corrupt law enforcement agents. Once you get past the border region, the people are nice, honest (my experiences, YMMV), and friendly... I could not agree with you more. I drove down from Silicon Valley to see the 1991 total solar eclipse. Made the run from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas in almost exactly 24 hours flat. It was disturbing as hell to see Mexican army regulars carrying automatic weapons posted at the Pemex gasoline stations. I can only suppose it was to keep the Federales in line. Mexico's politicians didn't want all the astronomers and tourists returning to America with tales of shake-downs and extortion. Save for one incident at Magdalene Bay on my return leg, everyone I met was friendly and polite. The food was great and the scenery was jaw-dropping. Imagine driving across almost 100 miles of high plains desert on a road built with a bulldozer and a laser pointer. Arrow straight, you can lash the steering wheel to your stickshift, plop a brick on the accelerator and take a nap. Suddenly you drop down the side of a steep mountain pass into the quaint town of Santa Rosalia, which contains a church built with trusses designed by Gustave Eiffel, of the Paris tower fame. Another jog inland and back out to the coast brings you to the lush palm-thronged oasis of the Rio Santa river valley. Shortly thereafter you hit the Sea of Cortez's coastline with stunning turquoise blue waters and pearly white sand beaches. Cabo was a forgettable overdeveloped tourist trap, but I'll never forget watching the sun disappear while slurping down cold Pacifico lagers. While slightly off the path of totality, it turns out that the optimum viewing spot in Todos Santos—which I passed through at 5:00 in the morning—ended up being fogged in for the event. My completionist fetish that drove me to make it border-to-tip in one go turned out to be the best possible plan. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-09-26 20:48 |
| #3 I cross at Tecate (40 miles east) when going to Ensenada...by-passing TJ altogether.. |
| Posted by: crazyhorse 2007-09-26 16:51 |
| #2 This is going to be a problem in the U.S. too. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-09-26 09:23 |
| #1 FREEREPUBLIC Poster > MEXICO IS IN A STATE OF WAR. Mexico's Govt has asked Washington DC for greater Financial, Law Enforcement, and even Military Assistance. *OTOH, WND > MEXI MAYOR comes out in tacit suppor of North Amer Union idea, says Mahico + USA + Canada should become integrated. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-09-26 03:12 |