Bloodshed On the Border (Juarez & El Paso)

[Thin Black Line]

It's been a while since I dropped in [very briefly] at Bliss. Has El Paso become
far more dangerous or has this sort of thing been largely kept to the other
side of our border?

http://www.newsweek.com/id/171251

Bloodshed On the Border

Life in Juárez, where drug violence has created the equivalent of a failed state on our doorstep.

Late one night in January, an ambulance escorted by five unmarked squad cars pulled up to Thomason Hospital in El Paso, Texas. Out leaped more than a dozen armed federal agents to protect the patient—Fernando Lozano Sandoval, a commander with the Chihuahua State Investigations Agency. He'd been pumped full of bullets just across the Mexican border in Ciudad Juárez by gunmen believed to have been hired by a drug cartel. Lozano Sandoval's sole hope of survival was the medical team at Thomason, the only level-one trauma center for nearly 300 miles. U.S. authorities took no chances; in Mexico, assassins regularly raid hospitals to finish off their prey. Throughout Lozano Sandoval's three-week treatment at Thomason (which proved successful), the Americans funneled visitors through metal detectors, posted guards outside the commander's room and deployed SWAT teams armed with assault rifles around the hospital's perimeter. Officers "were ready for war if it should go that route," says El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen.

Lozano Sandoval was the first in a string of victims of Mexico's spiraling violence to show up at Thomason this year. Twice more, authorities beefed up security at the hospital to the strictest level—in June, when a high-risk Mexican national was brought in anonymously, and in July, when two Mexican police officials were airlifted to the border and driven across. Beyond those cases, 43 additional patients wounded in Juárez have been treated at Thomason this year, including a 1-year-old girl who was pinned against a wall by a truck involved in a drug-related shooting. All the patients have been dual citizens of Mexico and the United States or have had the proper documentation to enter the country, says a Thomason spokeswoman. Yet legal issues are beside the point for many El Pasoans. A recent posting in an online forum on border violence summed up the fear of many: "It is only a matter of time before the Mexican drug dealers send assassination squads over to Thomason hospital." The traffickers already occasionally kidnap Mexicans who have fled north to escape threats of violence in Juárez.

 

[Pure Kustom]

Just another reason I don't go to Mexico or anywhere close to it.

 

[george29]

Once they get their stranglehold on the border cities, and there are reports that indicate this (Phoenix has seen a huge uprising in this aspect), you can bet it will just be a matter of time until they are found everywhere else. Heck, the Mexican Mafia and MS13 are already everywhere.

 

[Just Jim]

Wait for the next leg to drop in the economy and this will be common in every state of the union. However note that our government is powerless to stop the violence.

jj

 

[gloucestergarand]

Visited friends in El Paso back in June, war across the border was ongoing. Read in the paper the morning after we arrived that six federal police agents were found lined up and shot. Heard that the CG of Ft. Bliss had barred all ID card holders from visiting Juarez....smart decision. Sorry, no visits to the Mercado, no business from us. We stayed north of the Rio Grande, and adhered to Texas rules on CHL!

 

[skeet king]

If the mexican criminals want war then the good authorities should give it to them

 

[Just Jim]

I recon though that as soon as the socialist and their liberal drug laws get in power that the violence will go down. Of course our kids will suffer but ....

jj

 

[Leanwolf]

GEORGE 29 - " Heck, the Mexican Mafia and MS13 are already everywhere."

Don't forget about "Nosotros Familia, " (Our Family). They are also a very large, very dangerous Mexican gang that came out of the California prison system. Not quite as well known, or as "citified" as the Mexican Mafia, as they are more in northern California, and more in the rural areas ... but still powerful.

L.W.

 

[Cyborg]

Last time I drove through EP was summer of 07 on the way to tend to my Dad's affairs in Truth or Consequences, NM. Both going and coming I saw multiple groups of people wading accross the Rio Grande in broad daylight.

Same stuff is going on in Laredo/Nuevo Laredo and down in the Valley.

If the mexican criminals want war then the good authorities should give it to them

Shirley you jest! The authorities are part of the problem. Like every other banana republic authorities in Mexico are pretty much all bought and paid for. The ones that try to be straight tend to end up dead.

Folks, they's a storm a brewing and it's gonna be a bad 'un. I figure the feces are gonna contact the wind machine in a coupla years. 'Tween the socialists in our own country and the Jehadis and all it's gonna be a good time to hunker down and try to stay alive. DAMN! but I hope I'm wrong.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyborg
Burying your head inthe sand only makes your a** a better target.

 

[george29]

You're probably not wrong, the trouble is that we all want to play like we are Ostriches.

 

[catfish101]

The problem is getting more widespread. I think allot has to do with rural areas are disappearing and the information age. We, easily, here about these things more.

I will say the laws favor the gangs.

 

[theken206]

"Nosotros Familia, "

its nuestra familia and like those that pay there respects to la eme{ surenos/southerners 13} the northeners/nortenos 14 can be found all over as well

 

[hankdatank1362]

Keeping this gun related:

I just finished a 12 page research paper on border security/counterterrorism just last night.

Here's a brief excerpt from my research on the Los Zetas, compiled from a myriad of resources:

Fort Benning-trained former counter-narcotics agents turned drug-dealing narcoterrorists.7
These paramilitary narcoterrorists, the Los Zetas, are an especially dangerous organization. Occupying the drug capital of Culiacan, and the entire Mexican state of Sinaloa, the Zetas rule the cross-border drug trade with an iron fist. When shooting people unsympathetic to their cause (such as the police Chief of Nuevo Laredo) no longer seemed to inspire much fear amongst the general populace, they adopted al Qaeda-style beheadings and bombings.7
An armed encounter between Mexican police and the Zetas revealed the level of firepower this organization was capable of employing. Found in the possession of the smugglers were two belt-fed machine guns, four automatic assault rifles, eight handguns, hand grenades, a bolt-action Windrunner .50 BMG rifle, bullet-resistant armor with ceramic trauma plates, load-bearing rigs with MOLLE webbing, and tactical drop thigh holsters.7
Similar to Muslim terrorist group al Qaeda (responsible for the 9/11 attacks), the Zetas maintain narcoterrorist training camps, where recruits undergo six weeks of paramilitary instruction in tactics, weapons, and intelligence, in the cities of Tamaulipas and Michoacán.8
Although incredibly dangerous, the Zetas often subcontract out their murders on American soil to local gangs, such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) from El Salvador, an incredibly violent gang with a menacing presence on American streets and in American prisons.8 All too often, innocent bystanders get hurt or killed in the crossfire of these international drug wars.
Not satisfied with killing rival drug dealers and Mexican officials, the Zetas have established bounties ranging from $30,000 to $50,000 on the lives of US Border patrol agents and law enforcement personnel. They have also participated in the kidnapping of over 30 US citizens that remain unresolved by US or Mexican authorities.7

(Ignore the numbers - they are for internal citation purposes and did not copy and paste well)

Note the arsenal these guys had at their disposal.


ETA: The assault rifles were all ARs of different configurations. No low-tech Kalashniovs involved, except for possibly the machine guns, which I could not find any photos of. One handgun looked like a FN 5.7, which is rumored to be a cartel favorite, but since I could not be certain, I do not want to add any credit to what I consider an already baseless hysteria concerning the "cop killer" 5.7 handgun.

 

[george29]

The History Channel did a piece on them on their show Ganglands. Everything you posted is accurate from what I saw.

 

[Frog48]

Los Zetas are the real threat.

MS13, Texas Syndicate, Mexican Mafia, Nuestra Familia, etc dont hold a candle to Los Zetas.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Yet another example of the unintended consequences of the dismal failure that is the war on some drugs, as currently prosecuted.

 

[franconialocal]

Border Security

Yeah.....I suffer the same fate being so close to the Canadian border. Damn Canuk's always coming down here just snowmobiling right across the border like they own the place, throwing "eh?" at the end of every sentence, speakin' all French. Damn. *laugh* Growing up (as soon as we were 18...legal drinking in Canada) we would high-tail it to Sherbrooke or Montreal for wild weekends.....NO PASSPORT required. We would be CRAP HOUSED after going to the *ahem* Gentleman's clubs all night and the border patrol wouldn't do anything, Vermont State Police were non-existent, and home was only an hour south. Looking back....still lucky to be alive after that!!!

Times have changed however......rode my motorcycle to Pittsburgh NH and tried to go across the border (ok, fine) just for a ride. It was COMING BACK that was the problem (U.S. Border Patrol/Customs). Even as a cop with legitimate NH Driver Lic., police I.D., badge ("Is that yours?") etc. I was still read the riot act. But being in the "biz", as it were, I was more than happy to "play". I wasn't even armed!!! (Imagine if I had been?)

 

[cliffy]

The American Ostrich

Regarding burying heads in the sand, perhaps a few private American Border Forces (ABF) are required, if not too late. Money must be involved or our current problems would likely not exist. Am I far off in guessing: Caucasion 45percent - Mexican Indian 20 percent - African American 35 percent? I'm all for a pleasant melting pot of humanity, but resent all Mafia-type groups. This scenario requires every American to remain armed and ready. cliffy

 

[Sinixstar]

I wonder - would this constitute a good reason for having military forces on patrol within the US?
There seems to be some uproar about it lately - but this type of situation seems to present at least some arguable justification for it.
Say some of these guys decided they wanted to come across the border in force to take on some DEA/Border Patrol agents, wreck some havoc. Would that constitute a foreign invasion - and if so, would not the US Military be an appropriate response?

 

[Sinixstar]

Regarding burying heads in the sand, perhaps a few private American Border Forces (ABF) are required, if not too late. Money must be involved or our current problems would likely not exist. Am I far off in guessing: Caucasion 45percent - Mexican Indian 20 percent - African American 35 percent? I'm all for a pleasant melting pot of humanity, but resent all Mafia-type groups. This scenario requires every American to remain armed and ready. cliffy

While I agree that the average citizen should be prepared to defend themselves if necessary - isn't that what we pay taxes for? Somebody runnin up from across the border to attack americans - that's an invasion. We have a federal government in part to protect us from that - no?

 

[Rubber_Duck]

I have a lot of family living on the other side of the border. Yes, it really IS that bad.

Translated, the text reads....

"Los Zetas group wants you, military or ex-military. We offer decent pay and benefits to your family. You will not suffer harsh treatment or hunger. We WON'T give you Maruchan noodles for lunch.....(the rest of the sign is obscured)."


Those are Mexican military in the foreground (carrying H&K G3A3 rifles, to keep it gun-related).

 

[Old Fuff]

We have a federal government in part to protect us from that - no?

Ah.... well... the answer is... NO.

We had an incident where an Arizona National Guard patrol ran into an "incursion in force," with a up-from-the-south Hum-v mounted with twin 50's. The guys in the Guard disengaged and retreated, much to the total disgust of the locals. The matter ended up in a hearing before a committee of the Arizona State Senate, where the N.G. Commanding General testified that his men retreated pursuant to orders, and that the orders had come straight from Washington D.C.

Uncle Sam’s idea of protecting the border is to fly airplanes up and down to conduct observations and take photographs. I suppose (or at least hope) that they report anything they notice to the Border Patrol, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

 

[Leanwolf]

THEKEN - "Nosotros Familia, "

its nuestra familia and like those that pay there respects to la eme{ surenos/southerners 13} the northeners/nortenos 14 can be found all over as well

Nuestra Familia. You're correct.

It's been a long time since I was around some of those lads. My Spanish never was that good.

L.W.

 

[Sinixstar]

Ah.... well... the answer is... NO.

We had an incident where an Arizona National Guard patrol ran into an "incursion in force," with a up-from-the-south Hum-v mounted with twin 50's. The guys in the Guard disengaged and retreated, much to the total disgust of the locals. The matter ended up in a hearing before a committee of the Arizona State Senate, where the N.G. Commanding General testified that his men retreated pursuant to orders, and that the orders had come straight from Washington D.C.

Uncle Sam’s idea of protecting the border is to fly airplanes up and down to conduct observations and take photographs. I suppose (or at least hope) that they report anything they notice to the Border Patrol, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

Well - then something should be one about that.
It's still the government's JOB to do that. If they're not doing their job, we should be holding them accountable.

 

[BHP FAN]

''We WON'T give you Maruchan noodles for lunch...''
Tac,can you elighten us as to what they're trying to get across?Is the legitimate Mexican military reduced to useing dollar store noodles for MRE's?