Local and Regional news in the Rio Grande Valley and along the border to the west coast. News and views that often are overlooked We will be posting excerpts and original commentary from various sources and links to the original story.
Some updates on the Headless, Handless, Feetless of Nuevo Leon
Y! Big Story: Mexico’s six-year drug war behind the Mother’s Day massacre
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They Lived Because the Executioner was Delayed
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Borderland Beat Reporter Buggs
Posted in the Borderland Beat Forum by _The Magician_
“We don’t often read about happy ending stories here. This is the story of the 13 kids that were gonna be killed in Jalisco but managed to escape. Translating is a pain in the ass but thought this story was worthy of me taking the time to translate.
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Javier Sicilia on Democracy Now. A Plea for Sanity
One of the myths of both the Mexican and American drug war apologists and defenders, is the contention that of the enormous amount of people being killed, almost all of them deserve it. After all it’s just criminal on criminal action. And the more criminals that the other gangsters slaughter then the less criminals there are. This is total BS. Innocent, unarmed civilians are easily rounded like so many lambs for a slaughter fest. They can use real police for this, or as real as they get in Mexico. Mass killings staged for public consumption are, to perhaps coin a new phrase, terrorism theatre. It’s meant for the police and politicians and people that support the other cartels. Or at least this is what can be seen from this side of the curtain.
Were the Cadereyta 49 migrants? Plus Chronology of mass killings in Mexico since 2010
Monday, May 14, 2012 Read Story Here
Forced disappearances by Official Organizations are very hard to keep track off
It’ hard to get an exact count. When the cartels take someone the body usually turns up after a while
Although some Narco-fosas or mass graves are not discovered for years.
Exact count or not thousands and thousands of Mexicans each year vanish without a trace.
Story Here from Houston Chronicle
Another update on 49 dead in Nuevo Leon from NBC
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Here’s more on a the 49 dead in Nuevo Leon
The body count could go higher
Cadereyta massacre was part of Los Zetas Mothers Day plot
Sunday, May 13, 2012 | Borderland Beat Reporter badanov
Breaking Story Here
Bad guys hit newspaper office in Nuevo Laredo with grenades
Borderland Beat May 14, 2012
Story Here
Take this interview for what you think it’s worth. Whatever happens, I think more war across from South Texas in Reynosa and Matamoros will be the result. The current narco war in Mexico is reminescent of what has been going on in Afghanistan since the 1970′s, a three or four way fight, with a nominal government right in the middle.
The long and short of it travelers to “el otro lado” should keep a weather eye out on Matamoros and Reynosa.
Interview of Former CDG
Friday, May 11, 2012 | Borderland Beat Reporter Buggs
Story Here
There was Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, now Syria, and with American troops in Africa, and spread throughout the world, let’s all go to Honduras! On another second amendment story, The ATF has been barred by Congress from administratively requiring Gun Shops in the border states from having to report on multiple purchases of semi-automatics.
Back to this story: Honduras and Central America in general are even more lawless than Mexico. Think Military-Industrial-Banker-Security Complex. Or do we care so much about everyone we just have to send troops to their country? Decisions, decisions.
The New York Times
By THOM SHANKER
Published: May 5, 2012
Story Here
Continuing coverage on fast and furious. Fortunately there are certain groups and journalists that will not back off from it.
Unfortunatley, these days of Democrat rule are frought with just as much folly as in the days of Republican rule. In other words party power and loyalty are put before humanity, ther rule of law, or loyalty to country or constitution.
This from prison planet.
May 11, 2012 – Salem News
Bleak News for Rio Grande Irrigators – (LAS CRUCES, NM) – Dependent on melting snowpack in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico for much of their water, Rio Grande irrigators in the Paso del Norte borderland are in for more bad news. In their just-released water supply forecast for New Mexico, the National Weather Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service noted that spring runoff forecasts for the Rio Grande into New Mexico’s Elephant Butte Reservoir are only 21 percent of normal flows. Read More>>
Justice Department planning to sue Arizona sheriff Arpaio over alleged racial profiling
AP May 10,2012
Click Here
Published May 10, 2012
Associated Press
Juan Angel Guerra will not ‘go gently into that good night” as Dylan Thomas once said. He’s still around, still combative, and still filing lawsuits against political enemies. Oh, and running for office too.
Long a fixture in Willacy County Politics he has won improbable victories and went on to improbable defeats.
Here’s the latest:
Guerra files petition to remove Villalobos as DA
By Steve Taylor and Raul de la Cruz Rio Grande Guardian
Story Here
Women are increasingly participating in the Mexican Drug War. In the twisted logic of this real life tale of horror,
it kind of makes sense. If you exclude women, well you cut your pool of potential killers and assasins by one third.
Children have been recruited for quite some time, as is par for the course in Africa and with other Third World, guerrilla/bandit wars. The only thing left is pre-pubescent children to be recruited as enforcers and hit men. In another 6 years of drug war, we might just see that. By the way “La Tosca” means the “rough one”.
María Guadalupe Jiménez López, Mexican Female Assassin ‘La Tosca,’ Arrested In Monterrey
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 | Borderland Beat Reporter Ovemex
Story Here
Texas officials upset IBWC is selling water to Mexico
By Raul de la Cruz
Read Story
At Writers of the Rio Grande we cover serious issues normally. Such as the recent debate amongst the Mexican candidates for president.
As far as the content and the exchange between the candidates was concerned no one reported anything remarkable. It’s going to be the same old stuff and the PRI is coming back in for their turn at the trough.
But there was one remarkable episode at the beginning. It involves Julia Orayen, former Mexican Playmate. It is of course in Spanish but some things need no translation.
More on Ms. Orayen. The Mexicans know how to put on a game show!
Gunmen open fire on Reynosa newspaper
May 07, 2012 10:46 PM The Monitor
Bob Arum on Chavez Jr and Andy Lee Fight. It’s on
Ticket Sales off to a good start on Chavez jr. and Andy Lee fight At Ut El Paso
Meanwhile 8 were murdered in Cuidad Juarez over the last 24 hours.
Not a remarkable amount.
Full scale war is in on in Sinaloa.
Refugees, warring cartels, empty villages, and death, a lot of death.
But it’s the death of peasant farmers. Who is that concerned?
I can think of two governments that seem to care little, if at all.
MEXICO CITY — A state official says that 23 people have been killed in an explosion of drug-cartel violence in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, with the killers hanging nine of the bodies from a bridge and leaving 14 decapitated bodies in an abandoned vehicle. Also the mayor of Nuevo Laredo has been threatened
Chapo Leaves Message with Decapitated Bodies Issues Threat against NL Mayor
Sunday, May 6, 2012| Borderland Beat
Story Here
The previous story was from the AP, their sources told them 23 people killed. More than likely accurate
or at least more accurate than the official story, of which so far, there is not much. But we know for sure they were
nine victims because the cartel hung them over the overpass in Nuevo Laredo, like 9 pinatas of the macabre.
Side note: Women do seem to be gaining more and more equality in Modern Mexico; nine of the corpse-pinata victims were female.
Warning: photos are very graphic and explicit.
Nine bodies found hanging off Nuevo Laredo bridge
Friday, May 4, 2012 | Borderland Beat Reporter Ovemex
Story here
Charles Bowden from 2010
Charles Bowden at the Marfa Dialogues 2010 from Ballroom Marfa on Vimeo.
It’s not good to be a journalist in the Mexican State of Veracruz
There is plenty of news, but reporting on it is like hunting a tiger with a switch;
very dangerous. Three reporters have been killed in just the last few days.
These two are the very latest
Two More Journalists Murdered in Veracruz-Total of 5 in the Past Year
Thursday, May 3, 2012|BorderlandBeat
Some of what is happening in Morelia
There’s much more as well
Police assault protesting students in Mexico
Word Socialist Website By Rafael Azul
1 May 2012
Read story
More on death of Xalapa Reporter Regina Martinex
In Spanish from Univision
Report from Arizona. Hate em or love em it’s where the action is on the immigration war front.
This video shows one side, but it has a lot of information in it
More on Fast and Furious
And look for still more coming down the road
The damage control team though is on the job and
there may never be a full accounting of all the weapons that “walked” into Mexico
According to Alex Jones of infowars.com there is a good chance that Attorney General
Eric Holder will be held in contempt of Congress. We’ll keep you posted.
Report: Guns used in Mexico for lawyer’s murder traced to ATF operation By Diana Washington Valdez \ El Paso Times Posted: 05/01/2012 12:00:00 AM M
Proceso Journalist Murdered: Third Veracruz Reporter Killed in 1 Year
Sunday, April 29, 2012 |
Read Story
John Quinones ABC News.
Growing in popularity: Holy Death, or Santa Muerte
Investigating worshiping of La Santa Muerte (Holly Death) from Victor Castillo on Vimeo.
Was Chapo Sending a Message by the N. Laredo Car Bomb?
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 | Borderland Beat Reporter Chivis
by Chivis Martinez for Borderland Beat
Read Story
Voices of The Voiceless
Click Here For Slide
Naomi Wolf writes often on the ever incremental growth of the police state. Police procedures are supposedly for the safety of everyone, and state agents have only one thought in mind: That is, to keep the subjects (citizens?) safe and protect the social fabric. I don’t think so. these tactics Naomi describes have been used by many a dictatorship all throughout history. What has changed?
How the US uses sexual humiliation as a political tool to control the masses
Believe me, you don’t want the state having the power to strip your clothes off. And yet, it’s exactly what is happening
The Guardian|Naomi Wolf April @3.2012
Full Story
This is the official TSA Blog. It was all just a training exercise!
Silly people thought something was going on; like a TSA takeover of local, State, and County Police.
Good thing we have this TSA blog to set us straight!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Myth Buster: TSA Not Setting Up Checkpoints On Tennessee Highways
DHS’ X-ray scanners could be cancer risk to border crossers
Cnet News A
April 23.2012
Homeland Security is deploying X-ray scanners to inspect interior of vehicles crossing the border, according to documents obtained by a privacy group, raising new concerns about cancer and privacy risks.
Read Story
Here is a very similar story from the LA Times. My advice is get out of your car. So far these drive thru x-ray scanners are used in secondary inspections. They could move to primary with no notice whatsoever. We hate to give people more reason to avoid crossing into Mexico, but we are charged by an oath to the truth. Mucho Ojo! And watch out…
TSA screenings aren’t just for airports anymore
Roving security teams increasingly visit train stations, subways and other mass transit sites to deter terrorism. Critics say it’s largely political theater.
December 20, 2011|By Brian Bennett, Washington Bureau
Full Story
One more on X rays. These guys are so gee whiz ain’t technology wonderful.
But we don’t need this type of innocence
Auto Evoluton.com News: April 23, 2012
And The Battle for the Nuevo Laredo/Laredo Plaza rages on
Borderland Beat April 23
Story Here
I had to link to this story just because of the name: “Raspa Gate.” While high officials in the executive branch and in the military-security-industrial and drug complexes have enormous and obvious conflicts of interest and are profiting tot the tune of many m illions of dollars from them right in front of our noses, we have non-events like this story to distract us.
Oh, San Benito Mayor Joe Hernandez opposes tearing down the Narciso Martinez cultural Arts Center. This makes him a good guy.
Valley Morning Star April 21, 2012
San Benito internal probe clears Hernandez in ‘Raspagate’
April 21, 2012 5:24 PM
Full Story
Valley Morning Star
Friends rally for old San Benito library
April 21, 2012 10:08 PM
Story Here
Valley Morning Star April 21, 2012
Failure to Launch: Plan to develop permanent space site fizzles
April 21, 2012 9:55 PM
This story bears watching.
sounds to me like a possible terror?payback/assasination.
Smells drug related. Worth keeping an eye out on for developements.
Sheriff: 3 killed, 8 hospitalized in cockfight ambush
The Monitor, April 18, 2012
Story Here
Borderland Beat
April18, 2012
In Monterrey, a Culture of Fear is Evident
Story Here
Pro 8 news Laredo
It seems El Chapo Guzman and Sinaloa are taking on the zetas
in Nuevo Laredo. Details Here
(Warning , extremely graphic pictures)
April 19, 2012 – Grassroots Press
The new top law enforcement official for the northern Mexican border state of Coahuila said this past weekend that 1,700 people have been forcibly disappeared in the entity since 2000. Read More>>
So banal and so obvious and so nauseating, and so typical.
Inside the article as well is a link to the original abduction and murder.
The mass graves in Durango, I’ sure must set some kind of record.
They aren’t on a par with what Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot have done.
But 332 people thrown into a hole in the desert still is a sizeable sum. Be sure
and click the link to reference the original story as well.
Look down this page for more on this weeks Monterrey Massacres .
Please inform people if you can. Without public awareness the bloodletting will never end
Until people on both sides of the bordeer say stop.
Durango state attorney general says she pulled security detail
Monday, April 16, 2012 | Borderland Beat Reporter badanov
By Chris Covert
Read Story
April 15th Mayhem in Monterrey: 15 die
Sunday, April 15, 2012 | Borderland Beat Reporter badanov
By Chris Covert
Read Story
Military Surplus Heading to The Border from Iraq.
Looks like it is going to happen, if it hasn’t already. Planes and drones are already here.
Let’s keep watch
Insight April 17 2012
Texas Asks for Iraq Equipment to Defend Mexico Border
Written by Elyssa Pachico
Deadly chase: Arizona desert becomes immigrant deathtrap
Info Wars.com Apri 17,2012
Story and Video From RT
Vicente Fox is just one of a growing number of Latin American Leaders or former leaders
callinf for an end to drug prohibition. There could be a possible change in policy coming in the near future.
Just as alcohol prohibition became absolutely untenable to continue pursuing during the Great Depression,
So the failures of the current policy could become insuperable and unsustainable as well. But the enormous funds and
black money the drug war has provided to the intelligence and state forces will perforce need to be replaced. Time to break out the crystal ball!
Good news on Spaceport for the Rio Grande Valley. Brownsville one of three finalist
SpaceX CEO engineered his own ascent
Mcallen Monitor April 16, 2012
The Human smuggling can be reduced by sensible changes in immigration policy. Maybe never eliminated, but reduced. The drug smuggling can be almost 100% eliminated. Do I have to say how?
Mcallen Monitor April 15. 2012
ALMOST WITHIN REACH: Harsh realities after immigrants die in Hidalgo County crashes
Read Story
The Monitor Apri 15, 2012
UTPA archive chronicles history, culture of border
Valley Morning Star
New Brownsville main terminal opens
April 12, 2012 10:39 PM
Once again, the multitudinous prison population comes home to bite the taxpayers.
You would think that a county with a guestimated population of some 25,000 people would only need a small jail.
But in a country with 5 percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of the worlds prison population you would be wrong.
You can under build you can over build, there are so many ways to get into trouble. Over they years Willacy County has found almost every way there is. A cautionary tale for all.
Valley Morning Star
Willacy jail bonds due
Officials consider fund transfer to pay debt
April 13, 2012
Ex Tamalipas Police Comandante in US court. He just happen to be the cousin of the former governor of the state
Mcallen Monitor Apri 13 2012
Story Here
Afghanistan is number one in marijuana production as well as opium. More than Mexico and Columbia. The United States has a country under military occupation and it becomes the run away producer of prohibited drugs in the world by far. And these “servants of the republic’ should be trusted to protect you here at home from the “scourge of drugs.” There is more coming up for those that care to dig deeper. The rabbit hole goes way down.
More Furious: U.S. Soldiers Trafficking Arms, Drugs to DEA Agents Posing as Los Zetas
Patrick Hensing Info Wars
The American Thinker
April 7, 2012
Time for a Military Approach to the Border
Read More
The Obama Administration is all over the map when it comes to immigration. It’s Political like it has been for
quite a while
Star-Telegram April 07, 2012
More than 3,100 convicted illegal immigrants arrested in nationwide crackdown
Read more
Arpaio to Obama Administration: Don’t use me as a ‘whipping boy’
Justice Department report: Sheriff’s office discriminates against Latinos
PHOENIX (KGUN9-TV) – The self-proclaimed “Toughest Sheriff in America” said the scathing report the Justice Department released Thursday outlining his office’s discriminatory practices against Latinos — is simply political pandering by the Obama Administration to score votes near the election.
See Story and video
Ethnic Studies forum brings opposing views together
TUCSON (KGUN9- TV) – Ethnic Studies is taking center stage at the University of Arizona, after an ASUA forum brought together people from both sides to argue the controversial topic.
Professors, students and the Tucson Unified School District Board were all represented. Speakers were passionate about HB2281, a law the resulted in dismantling TUSD’s Mexican-American studies program, and spurred several student protests.
Read Story
This is a constitutional question that should be beyond partisan politics
but it seems that nothing these days supersedes the grinding lust for power
that infects both right and left in this country. Very few stand for truth, no matter what.
But there are more and more everyday.
More on the Sheriff Arpio /Obama Confrontations
There is something proposed here as well called “Unlawful Presence Waivers”
Lot of Stuff happens in Arizona.
Info Wars April 6, 2012
See Vid
More on Fast and Furious DEA and US Army
Links to many Vid
There was a another huge drought some years back, and under treaty Mexico was supposed to up some water to the United States. Falcon dam was done to just a little more than 25% of capacity. The Mexicans stood strong, and the Bush Administration caved. Even though we were giving them many more times the water than they shared with us.
Well it’s happening again. It would seem obvious that the controllers of the U.S. have much larger concerns than the plight of farmers in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Some would draw conclusions that American Farmers and American People aren’t all that important when dealing with Mexico. This could apply to interactions with many other countries around the world. Could we change this?
Texas: Do not give Rio Grande water to Mexico
The Monitor April 04, 2012
Read Story
The Rio Grande Valley can’t help but make money it seems.
Whether it’s Mexican Refugee Money or refugee investment, or retail shopping,
or tourism; Good or bad, they come to the Valley. But as for next year, quien sabe?
Officials note increase in Mexican visitors for Holy Week
Mcallen Monitor April 05, 2012
Read Story
April 04, 2012 10:25 PM
Mexican Front-Runner Vows Swift Drop in Drug Violence
Monday, April 2, 2012 | Borderland Beat Reporter Chivis
Story Here
More finger pointing, more attacks on the 2nd amendment.
More of the same attacks. More of the same results
Calderon and Obama Swap Barbs Over Drugwar
Tuesday, April 3, 2012 | Borderland Beat Reporter Chivis
Mexican agents probe family in 3 ritual murders
Associated PressBy ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and FELIPE LARIOS | April 2, 2012
Story Here
Colorlines April 2, 2012
DOJ Takes on Sherrif Joe Arpio
Story Here
No Country for Con Men: Sheriff Joe and the Cold Case Posse Put Obama To Shame
Prison Planet April 02, 2012
Read Story
Transgenic research marches on. No matter how one feels about gene-splicing
and trans-species DNA Chimeras and such. We all need to keep informed. Is it just
science marching on, or is it feeding an unsuspecting public new food sources that have
undetermined and unknowable effects.
Valley Morning Star| April 1,2012
Spinach genes might stop citrus disease
March 31, 2012
Story Here
Valley Morning Star| April 1, 2102
Retailers await Holy Week shoppers
March 31, 2012 10:27 PM
Read Story
Valley Morning Star
First standing turbine a symbol of development
March 30, 2012 10:37 PM
Story Here:
The wind keeps blowing, more issues on West Texas power
that has been blowing and going for sometime now.
Item: many of the companies that are US taxpayer subsidized are foriegn.
In fact they are Chinese. But it’s supposed to be a good thing both tso subsidize Chinese
Companies and American companies that move to China. it’s been going on for some time now
Bloomberg Weeklyz
