Nuevo Progreso Report October 16, 2010

It’s hard to know where to begin, so much has been going on. A small blog is just a blurb. This one might blurble for a while. Nuevo Progreso lazes in the very early autumn, it gets hot in the Rio Grande Valley in October, but the blast furnace, steam bath heat is pretty much over. We’re getting moderate days and comfortable nights now. Friday morning is very quite, not much going on. The bridge is manned by some kind of blue clad federale now, no longer khaki clad and they seem to be in much better shape than the old line aduana. There were a bunch of them mostly just standing around. They of couse totally ignore pedestrians unless they are Mexicans with bags, with consumer goods or even second hand junk that can be taxed. There aren’t many of them coming across the bridge and the army does almost all of the vehicle searches looking for the guns and cash, so there isn’t much for them to do. I think if there is a seizure this gives the army first dibs on the cash. It’s hard to say for sure in Mexico. But the new aduana do have guns and they look like they work.
The army seemed a little on edge. Their trigger fingers weren’t far from their triggers, and everyone seemed to be awake. There had been a big shootout the previous day in a little town on the Mexican side of Zapata lake. Six killed, or that’s how many were admitted. According to reports that’s Zeta Country out that way. Things seem calmer in Laredo, but quien sabe? By the time you read this, all hell might be breaking loose up river. When it’s quiet that means someone is in control of la “plaza”.
This means the official coordination with the un-official or criminal organization. Then all is calm, and everyone knows their place. A sort of peace always descends even after the worst of conflicts…If for no other reason that everyone is exhausted, broke and out of ammo and soldiers, what have you.
As is widely known Mexico is full of American CIA, DEA, and intelligence agencies we don’t even know about. As well as other groups from other countries, and mercenaries of all types. Also foreign agents whose primary interest is the United States. But now in addition to the Merida Initiative there’s more. From the same people that trained Las Zetas( US - that is us), Hillary Clinton wants to send troops to Mexico, a la Plan Columbia, to train the Mexican Army. We thought it was bad before. Read this: Troops in Mexico as part of Northcom. That’s all for now, more for later.