NYT. Laredo Texas and the disorder caused by the Nuevo Laredo TAZ.
Nuevo Laredo's grim record includes more than 100 unsolved killings in the last year, downtown crossfires, brazen assassinations (a new police chief on his first day in June and a city councilman on Aug. 5), sending in federal troops to replace local police officers who were thought to be in league with criminal gangs and the kidnappings of at least 43 Americans in the last 12 months.
Geez this sounds crazy I cant believe it is going on in one of our own states. We may need to send the military in.
Posted by: Jessica | August 11, 2005 at 11:57 AM
John,
[sorry for the double post]
I found these figures for murders of US nationals in Nuevo Laredo. Figures are from State.
http://travel.state.gov/family/family_issues/death/death_594.html
Seems like the numbers don't add up at all. I found this link through this site:
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/4/27/194311/876
They are pretty left of center, so I'm inclined to be rather skeptical. However, reviewing the data from State shows that only 5 people were killed in 2004. In 2005 (figures through June) I only count 3 homicides.
Not saying the Narco News guys are right, but I'm left wondering where the stats quoted in the story come from.
Posted by: tim fong | August 12, 2005 at 02:09 PM
Military commanders in South Texas have recently banned their personnel from visiting Nuevo Laredo.
My coworker is from Laredo, he still has family there. He indicates this is the worst it's been in 30+ years.
Posted by: J.J. | August 13, 2005 at 07:37 PM
The governor of New Mexico has now declared a state of emergency due to escalating crime and violence.
The Nuevo Laredo violence is largely the responsibility of Los Zetas, a rogue elite commando unit that joined the Gulf Cartel.
Watch it escalate.
Posted by: Jeremiah | August 15, 2005 at 04:48 AM
You have a need to be skeptical as most of what you read in the United States is highly sensationalized reporting.
I am an American living in Nuevo Laredo and while there is some violence occurring, it is confined to the Police and the narcotraficantes and their agents. The opposing sides seem to be going to great ends to keep the civilian population from becoming involved. Proof of this is that no innocent civilians have been harmed.
It is a shared opinion down here which seems to be bearing fruit, that the violence is targeted at specific individuals. They are not random acts of violence.
As of today, the violence has diminished to very few incidences separated by days of calm.
The advisos you read about Americans disappearing when in the border cities id bunk! Some do but those are the ones that come to our town looking for drugs orother opportunities contrary to our laws. Read between the lines people.
In the society we face today, when Mexico hating and Mexi-bashing is accepted and overtly encouraged, is it surprising that this is the image of Mexico our media wants you to believe?
Posted by: Elegant John | October 28, 2005 at 04:01 PM