Mexico Fires 121 Immigration Agents for Corruption and Narco Ties

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
October 15, 2011

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INM Office in Chetumal, Quintana Roo

Mexico's National Institute for Migration (INM) is responsible for processing and keeping tabs on tens of thousands of tourists, visitors, immigrants and undocumented persons who pass through the country every year, including many from war torn areas in Central America, where drug traffickers are locked in vicious conflict with civil authorities.
From time to time allegations surface that some INM personnel are on the payrolls of drug cartels, or are taking bribes, or are tolerating the abuse of poor migrants passing through the country on their way to the U.S. In recent months there have been several highly publicized cases of migrants who were kidnapped by traffickers and extorted for cash, or pressed into service as "drug mules" for the cartels, and forced to carry narcotics across the border. Hundreds of those migrants were later executed and buried in remote graves. Their remains are still being discovered.  Here in Merida, in 2009, a high ranking INM official was fired after he was linked to a local prostitution ring which smuggled in women from neighboring countries, including Cuba. His job was to get them falsified visas and work documents. He narrowly escaped criminal prosecution, but was barred from government employment for 15 years.

Today (Oct. 14) INM announced the summary firing of 121 of its employees, in the states of Chiapas, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Quintana Roo, Veracruz and the Federal District, all of which have heavy migrant or transient populations. The government said they were suspected of corruption or ties to organized crime, but gave no other details.

Mexico Drug Cartels Present Greater Threat to U.S. Security Than Iran: Says U.S. State Dept.

By Lic. Edward V. Byrne View Edward V. Byrne's profile


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Only 48 hours after U.S. authorities announced the disruption of an Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador in Washington, a State Department official told Congress today that Latin drug cartels present a greater threat to the security of the United States than does Iran.
William Brownfield, assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, testified today before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“Our greatest threat is now in Central America, from where drug cartels and criminal gangs move 90% of the cocaine which arrives in the United States,” said Brownfield. He told legislators that the situation presents a serious danger to all governments in the region.
The Republican committee chair said that the potential for internationally linked terrorism should be of great concern to the U.S., since one of the arrested Iranians had tried to hire someone he believed to be a Mexican drug cartel sicario (hit man) to carry out the planned assassination. The hit man was actually an undercover DEA agent.
The senior Democrat on the committee said that the United States should view its “neighbors (in Latin America) not as threats, but as opportunities” to enhance U.S. security.
More on the Iranian plot here.
More on Latin drug cartels and their U.S. operations here.

Presumed narco murder in Quintana Roo

Director of Urban Development’s son is latest victim

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times

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28 year old, Amer Abisai Montalvo Pool, son of the Director of Urban Development was kidnapped and murdered

Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo - The 28 year old son of the Director of Urban Development in this Gold Coast state was kidnapped and murdered today, says a spokesperson for the prosecutor´s office. Police say Amer Abisai Montalvo Pool was shot at least twice with a .38 caliber weapon. His body was found near the vehicle which he had been driving. Evidence indicates he may have been chased by his assailants.

The events occurred in Felipe Carrillo Puerto municipality.

Although one media report called the homicide the presumed work of drug traffickers, officials have not yet so characterized it. Family members said that in recent days Pool had received telephone threats from unknown persons. His body showed signs of beating and other physical abuse, presumably inflicted just before or just after he was shot. Pool’s throat had been cut.

In recent months Quintana Roo state has experienced increasing levels of drug related violence. On September 9, Playa del Carmen’s Chief of Tourist Police Mario Gómez Frías was executed at close range while on patrol. A second officer with him was shot four times but survived. On September 14 the mayor of Solidaridad, Filiberto Martínez Méndez, survived an attack while he was traveling from Playa del Carmen to Cancun. That event occurred on the main road from Cancun International Airport to the city proper.

Release From Havana Jail Sought On Humanitarian Grounds

Alan Gross Supporters Deliver Letter to Cuban Authorities in Washington, D.C.

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
September 2, 2011

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Alan Gross (left) is serving a 15-year prison sentence in Cuba

Supporters of a convicted U.S. citizen serving a 15 year sentence in Cuba for political crimes today formally asked that country`s government to release him on humanitarian grounds. Alan P. Gross, 62, of Bethesda, Maryland, was convicted in March of “acts against the independence and territorial integrity of the State.”

Gross’ lawyers appealed the case to Cuba’s highest court, which upheld the conviction in August. Short of a pardon or commutation of sentence he will have to serve the entire sentence. Gross has been in custody since December 2009, when he was arrested in Havana while preparing to board a flight to Washington, D.C.

Gross made multiple trips to Cuba beginning in 2008, always while travelling on an ordinary tourist visa. Cuban authorities allege that he illegally distributed cell and satellite phones, as well as laptop computers and internet technology training, to a community of about 1,000 Jews who live on the island. Gross is Jewish. Distribution of high tech equipment is strictly forbidden under Cuban law without permission of the government.

The facts of the case remain vague, although Gross himself has suggested that he was manipulated or deceived into believing that his conduct would be lawful. The U.S. government has said little, other than that Gross’ travel on a tourist visa was a minor technical violation which does not warrant a prison sentence. In March former U.S. president Jimmy Carter led an entourage to Havana, the primary purpose of which was to seek Gross’ release and possible exchange for five convicted Cuban agents who have been imprisoned in the U.S. since the late 1990s. The trip produced no tangible results.

Today’s humanitarian appeal by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Washington was delivered in the form of a letter addressed to Cuban President Raul Castro, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla and the Cuban Chief of Mission in the U.S., Ambassador Jorge Bolaños Suarez. Cuba and the U.S. do not have formal diplomatic relations, but Cuban affairs are handled through the Swiss embassy in Washington. There was no immediate response by Havana.

The Yucatan Times received a press copy of the clemency petition by e-mail this afternoon (September 2) from a Washington, D.C. public relations firm which handles media matters for Alan Gross’ U.S. attorney, Peter J. Kahn. Supporters of Gross are asking that he be released by September 29, which is Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the Jewish High Holidays. The letter claims that “Alan’s physical and emotional state is deteriorating, and that he has lost over 100 pounds.” It also says he suffers from various ailments including “partial paralysis.” In addition, Gross’ 27- year old daughter and 89-year old mother are both said to be battling cancer. The petition alleges, “financial burdens on the family are becoming insurmountable, due to the growing medical and legal bills and the loss of Alan’s income.”

Kahn attached a handwritten statement to the petition, purportedly read aloud by Gross to the Cuban criminal court which convicted him in March. A portion of the statement says:

“Let me be absolutely clear and unambiguous: I have never, would never, and will never purposefully or knowingly do anything personally or professionally to subvert a government or political system, or bring harm to anyone, whether or not I happen to agree. I respect the sovereignty of Cuba. I had no intent to disrespect or harm the Government or the people of Cuba. I do deeply regret that my actions have been misinterpreted as harmful and a threat against the security and independence of Cuba. I have an immense fondness for the people of Cuba, and I am deeply sorry for being a trusting fool. I was duped. I was used. And my family and I have paid dearly for this.”

Calderon Enjoys Widespread Support, Despite Security Issues

68% of Mexicans nationally approve the PAN President – Over 80% in the Yucatan.

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
September 1, 2011
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Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa enjoys a high level of support throughout the country, despite persistent economic and security challenges.

In a nation-wide survey conducted by the private pollster Parametría, 68% of respondents voiced their approval of Calderon, while 31% had a negative opinion.  The remaining one percent did not respond or had no opinion.  By comparison, U.S. President Barack Obama has a current approval rating of 40% (as of August 28), with an average of 51% since taking office in January 2009.  The American polls were taken by Gallup.

Parametría noted that Calderon’s high overall approval rating may be due to his “perceived efforts rather than measurable successes, taking into consideration, for instance, his declared war against organized drug criminals, who pose such a threat to the Mexican populace.”

President Calderon received a low grade – 44% approval – with respect to job creation and economic development.  And only about 40% of those responding specifically approved his accomplishments in the now five year old drug war.
Calderon received his highest marks in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Baja California Sur, Yucatán, Campeche and Nuevo León, with an approval rating of over 80% in each.  Nuevo León’s capital city of Monterrey was the scene of an August 25 arson attack which left 52 people dead, the worst single episode of drug violence yet, but the survey was conducted weeks before that event.  Most of the Yucatán is under the control of Calderon’s political opposition, the Institutional Revolutionary Party.  Both the City of Merida and the State of Yucatan have PRI leaders.

The President’s lowest ratings were in Tabasco, with 58% disapproval, followed by the Federal District (57% disapproval) and Morelos (40% disapproval).  Calderon enjoyed his highest public approval in February 2009, when 76% of all Mexicans had a favorable impression of him.

The Parametría survey was conducted in June and July, and was based upon 12,800 responses nationwide, with a margin of error of +- .09%.  The results were released today.

Two U.S. Officials Quit Over "Fast and Furious" Scandal

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
August 30, 2011

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Gone are the interim director of the federal DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), Kenneth Melson, and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, Denis Burke The Department of Justice announced both resignations.

Two U.S. officials resigned today over the so-called “Fast and Furious” arms deal which embarrassed Washington and infuriated Mexico City when it first came to light several months ago. Gone are the interim director of the federal DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), Kenneth Melson, and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, Denis Burke The Department of Justice announced both resignations. Attorney General Eric Holder issued a public statement praising Burke’s record of public service, without mentioning the arms scandal.

Fast and Furious was the 2009 brainchild of several DEA agents and federal prosecutors in Arizona, who decided to permit the controlled sale of military weapons to Mexican drug dealers or their purchasing agents in the U.S. Virtually all of the sales occurred in areas within a day’s drive of the border, many in or near Phoenix and Tucson. The strategic plan was to track the weapons by serial numbers, so that the ultimate purchasers and/or end users could be identified.

The plan backfired when some of the weapons allowed to be transferred into Mexico were used in various high profile crimes, including kidnapping and murder. Eventually, a DEA agent-turned-whistleblower notified Fox News and other media sources of the program, resulting in its termination in 2010. Both Attorney General Holder and President Obama have said that they were unaware of Fast and Furious. Many members of Congress were outraged when the details became public, and the program is still under investigation by a Senate committee. The whistleblower was fired from DEA earlier this year. He has alleged retaliation by the agency.

It’s estimated that about 2,000-2,500 weapons were sold under the Fast and Furious program to “straw purchasers” who actually were working on behalf of Mexican drug cartels. One purchaser alone bought about 700 military grade firearms. As many as 1,400 of the weapons remain unaccounted for.

Fast and Furious has played heavily in the Mexican press since it first came to light, with many here asking why U.S. officials would permit such a program while at the same time demanding that Mexico do more to combat drug crime. The ill-fated program was indirectly referred to again by President Calderon just last week, after a casino in Monterrey was torched in broad daylight by a hit squad retaliating for the nonpayment of extortion fees. Fifty-two people died in that attack, most of them women and many of them employees. Five people were arrested yesterday (August 29) in connection with the arson and homicides.

Monterrey Casino Attack Leaves 52 Dead

A two story casino in the northern Mexico city of Monterrey was attacked Wednesday (August 25) by a heavily armed commando force, possibly carrying grenades. Authorities said this evening at least 52 persons have been killed.

There was extensive fire damage to the structure, operated by the Royal Casinos group. Emergency personnel used machinery to remove rubble so they could reach injured victims and recover bodies, many severely burned. Some reports indicate the attackers set fire to the casino, trapping guests inside.

Monterrey is the capital of Nuevo León state, which has been wracked by narco violence as two rival organizations, Los Zetas and El Cartel del Gulfo, struggle for control.

In a Twitter message this evening Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón called the attack a “barbarous” act committed by criminals who “have no scruples.” He promised that those responsible would be hunted down and brought to justice. Alejandro Poiré, Mexico’s national security spokesman, said those responsible for the “unspeakable acts . . . will pay for their crimes.”

Calderón later declared three days of mourning for the victims.

Monterrey is no stranger to organized crime violence, but this attack may be its worst ever in terms of loss of life from a single incident. It is also one of the worst in the five year old offensive against the drug cartels launched by President Calderón in December 2006. That offensive is increasingly debated and criticized by political opponents, who have urged alternatives ranging from direct negotiations with organized crime to the legalization of drugs. Today’s brazen attack on a popular casino in a major city is certain to increase the fervor of the debate, and raise new questions about the government’s ability to guarantee anyone’s security.

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
August 25, 2011

State senate acts on behalf of woman almost murdered by ex-boyfriend

Acoge el Congreso de la Unión caso de yucateca agredida
Grettel Rodríguez, paradigma de la violencia de género en México

Grettel Rodríguez, A case study in gender-based violence in Mexico

By Eduardo Cabrera Ruiz
Translated by Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
August 10, 2011

Grettel Rodríguez Almeida

Mérida, Yucatán -
In an unprecedented case focused on combating violence against women in the Yucatan, a commission of the state congress has unanimously approved a proposal asking the Mexican National Women’s Institute to take "all appropriate measures" to protect a local woman, Grettel Rodríguez Almeida, from assault or harassment by Germán Alyn Ortega Hernández, and to assist state authorities in protecting her from physical or psychological violence or the threat of same by Ortega.  Ortega nearly killed Grettel during an attack several years ago.

With the Yucatan still reeling from several recent cases where domestic violence took the lives of women, Grettel’s experience lays bare the ugly reality of the subject.  The court system here bears partial responsibility for cases such as Grettel’s, which have shown a marked increased in recent years.

Grettel’s case was showcased in the Yucatán state senate as a classic example of how gender-based violence remains firmly entrenched in Mexico.  The common denominator in virtually all cases of violence against women and so-called “femicides” which have recently shook the Yucatan is that there was a previous history of abuse and threats.   Grettel survived a murder attempt in her own home after she broke up with her boyfriend, Ortega Hernández.  Ortega, who had a violent disposition, had previously threatened to kill her and then commit suicide.  On the day of the attack he stabbed her in her left arm and stomach, and carved deep wounds on both side of her face.  The most dangerous injury was to the right side of her neck, where he attempted to slash her jugular vein.  She was rushed to the hospital by her parents, covered in blood, and emergency procedures were begun to suture the wounds immediately – without benefit of anesthesia – to save her life.

Germán Alyn Ortega Hernández

After the attack Ortega Hernández fled the scene, but police were alerted immediately and he was quickly captured, still carrying the knife he used to assault Grettel.  Later, she testified in court as to the details of the assault.  Ortega was convicted but was sentenced to less than two years, despite the fact that he admitted the offense and presented an obvious risk of recidivism.

Today Grettel lives in constant fear.  She has moved from her former residence, terrified that Ortega will come looking for her again.   In response to Grettel’s demands for justice for herself and for her family, local authorities decided to reclassify crimes like the one committed in her case from aggravated assault to attempted murder.

The Yucatán senate has called upon the three branches of the Mexican federal government (executive, legislative and judicial) to review relevant laws, as well as current criminal procedures, with a view towards promoting gender equality and protecting women like Grettel from domestic violence.  The senate also called upon the Mexican National Commission on Human Rights to intervene on behalf of Grettel and her family, and to do everything within its power to assist them.  A similar request was approved by the senate for presentation to the National Women’s Institute, an advocacy group that works with government authorities to protect women’s rights and defend their legal guarantees.

Oct. 31, 2012 - Mexican Supreme Court hands legal victory to woman almost killed by boyfriend

New U.S. Ambassador To Mexico Stands Behind Mérida Initiative

Earl Wayne Also Promises to Track Down Killers of American Officials

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
August 2, 2011

Earl Anthony Wayne, new US Ambassador to Mexico

Mexico has a new United States Ambassador, and he promises to stand firmly behind the sometimes controversial Mérida Initiative of 2008.  On Tuesday (August 2) the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Earl Anthony Wayne, a 60 year old career State Department diplomat, to the Mexico City post following his nomination earlier this year by President Obama. Wayne has been a foreign service officer since 1975. He was previously assigned to Afghanistan.

Carlos Pascual with president Felipe Calderon

Wayne replaces former U.S. Ambassador Carlos Pascual, a close friend of Obama, who resigned in March after Wikileaks disclosures fatally wounded his relationship with Mexican officials, and especially with President Felipe Calderon. Wikileaks, an international whistleblower, has published the contents of numerous stolen U.S. diplomatic cables in recent months, and some of them contain critical comments allegedly made by Pascual while serving as ambassador to Mexico. The comments suggest Pascual’s apparent belief that Mexico officials have not done enough in the country’s ongoing war against drug cartels. The disclosures embarrassed Washington and infuriated some in the Mexican government, leading to Pascual’s resignation last spring. Wayne was nominated a few weeks later.

Earl Wayne told Senators during his confirmation hearing two weeks ago that he stands behind the Mérida Initiative and will try to accelerate its implementation. Sometimes called “Plan Mexico” by its critics, the initiative is a security cooperation agreement between Mexico and the United States designed to fight drug trafficking, transnational organized crime groups and money laundering. The agreement, which became law in the U.S. in June 2008, contains provisions for training and equipping Mexican forces and for intelligence gathering and sharing. The name derives from meetings held by former President George Bush and President Calderon in Mérida.

President Bush and President Calderon, "The Mérida Initiative"

The U.S. pledged Mexico about $1.6 billion in direct aid under the plan, but the money has been very slow in arriving despite unprecedented levels of violence in many regions of the country. Mexican officials have increasingly complained about delays in promised funds and assistance. Wayne told Senators at his July 20 hearing that Mexican legislators were of a “strong consensus” that the Mérida Initiative must continue. While admitting the plan has its critics, Wayne said “I’ve not heard other alternatives that we could put into effect.” He told Senators that after Mexico’s 2012 elections he plans to meet with new government officials in an effort to accelerate the initiative, which presumably would include pressing for a release of more funds.

Some critics of the Mérida Initiative have complained of its extraordinary cost, especially given the severe contraction of the U.S. economy which began in 2008 when the plan was approved. Others have pointed to an apparent lack of success in Mexico’s drug war and have compared the initiative to Plan Colombia which was implemented 15 years ago, with mixed results. With Congress and the President severely split over budget issues, spending and the just raised national debt ceiling, it is far from certain how much Mérida Initiative money Mexico may receive during the remaining months of Calderon’s presidency, which ends in 2012.

The new ambassador also assured Senators that U.S. government officials who have been victims of Mexico’s drug violence would be his “top priority.” Among others, Wayne was referring to Lesley Enriquez and her husband Arthur Redelfs, both of whom were murdered in broad daylight on a busy street in Ciudad Juárez in March 2010. Enriquez was an employee of the U.S. Consulate in the city, the most dangerous in Mexico and often described as the most dangerous city in the world. Enriquez and Redelfs were U.S. citizens who for security reasons lived just across the border in El Paso. On the day of their murders they had attended a birthday party for the child of a fellow consulate employee at the latter’s home. They were on their way back to the international bridge crossing when drug gunmen following their vehicle opened fire. Both were killed, as was Enriquez’ unborn child. Their seven month old daughter survived unhurt in the back seat. Another consulate employee who had attended the same birthday party was also gunned down a short time later. No clear motive for the crimes has been offered by investigators, and it is unknown if the killers attacked the consulate employees with knowledge that they were U.S. citizens.

José Antonio Acosta Hernández, known as El Diego

On July 31 Mexico police arrested the chief enforcer of the Juárez Cartel, José Antonio Acosta Hernández, known as El Diego, who has allegedly admitted that he was the master mind of the March 2010 executions. Mexico had offered a reward of $15 million pesos ($1.25 million USD) for Acosta Hernández’ arrest, and the United States $5 million. U.S. officials praised Mexico for solving the case. Acosta Hernández has purportedly confessed to ordering the murder of another 1,500 people in areas controlled by the Juárez Cartel since becoming its enforcer. He is a former high ranking police officer in the Mexican state of Chihuahua who quit his law enforcement post and began working with organized crime several years ago.

Suspect extradited in brutal Juárez slayings: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2011/12/mexico-extradites-suspect-in-brutal.html

Veracruz Press Furious Over Prosecutor’s Comments

Resignation Demanded After Another Journalist is Murdered

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
July 25, 2011

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Mexico is the most dangerous country in the world for journalists according to several international organizations, including the United Nations. At least 70 press corps members have been kidnapped and murdered in the past decade, most of them by presumed drug dealers or “enforcers.” The city of Veracruz, Mexico, a famous tourist port-of-call just a short flight west of Mérida, has been particularly hard hit by retaliatory violence against reporters covering the country’s five year old drug offensive which was launched by President Calderon in December 2006. In late June, a well-known Veracruz journalist was shot to death in his own home, together with his wife and 20 year old son. Now a female police-beat reporter with over 20 years experience, one of his top lieutenants, has been executed as well.

The decapitated remains of Yolanda Ordaz de Cruz, a reporter for the Veracruz daily Notiver, were found earlier this week after she disappeared Sunday afternoon. Her body was left literally on the doorstep of the paper for which she worked, her severed head casually tossed not far away. No one questions that this was the work of organize drug criminals. Near the body was a handwritten “narco-message” frequently left in such cases, with the cryptic note, “Your friends may also betray you.”

But what astounded and infuriated both the Mexican and international press were the comments made yesterday by the chief prosecutor in Veracruz, Reynaldo Escobar Perez. He claimed Yolanda’s death “had nothing whatever to do with her occupation as a journalist,” and strongly implied that she may have been connected to criminal elements. At an impromptu news conference he theorized that Yolanda was killed by a rival drug organization. The prosecutor’s curious statements were apparently based upon the message left by her body. Whatever their motive Perez’ comments quickly ignited a firestorm of protest from journalists, and particularly from Notiver, which called the prosecutor’s remarks “shameful.”

“We vigorously reject the unfounded, defamatory, irresponsible and simply stupid accusations [by] Escobar against our colleague Yolanda Ordaz, we demand that he publicly apologize and resign his position, and that he be investigated and subjected to legal process,” said Notiver in a front page editorial today (July 27). The paper added that it was “respectfully but energetically” asking the governor to hold the prosecutor accountable and to commence removal proceedings.

Notiver claims that State officials in Veracruz have adopted a “communications strategy of defaming journalists. To soil the names of victims by implicating them as suspects is revolting, and totally improper for the chief prosecutor. He has been unable to solve a single one of the major 168 crimes committed here in the last six months, nor to stop the crime wave which terrorizes the entire population.”

“It’s obvious the gentleman [prosecutor Escobar] is absolutely worthless,” said Notiver in its blazing editorial. “Walk out onto the streets [here], and just take a look at the insecurity at every level, in commerce, industry and tourism. Criminals walk our streets with impunity. The state police don’t even exist here. They don’t do anything except chase drunks and prosecute petty thieves.”

Notiver, which primarily focuses on Mexico’s drug war and organized crime, says that it must continually work “under great pressure and threats, in spite of which [it gets] out the news in the face of many risks, including kidnapping, and without the slightest help from local authorities.”

“The old saying about dealing with organized crime – ‘plata or plomo’ (gold or lead) – isn’t really true. It’s just lead, and if you dare to take the risk [as a journalist], not only may you end up dead, but on top of that the prosecutor trashes you out. It’s a miserable, cowardly thing to do,” added Notiver.

Veracruz, a major Gulf port and popular vacation destination for decades with Europeans and North Americans alike, has been hard hit by drug violence in recent years. In December 2009 Mexico’s crack naval armada forces cornered and killed drug lord Arturo Beltran Leyva in the city, after an hours-long shootout which left multiple dead and wounded. In June several municipal police officers were arrested for kidnapping, torturing and murdering a Mexican marine in the area. Many claim that local law enforcement in Veracruz is heavily infiltrated and corrupted by organized crime elements, especially by the feared Los Zetas (the “Zs”), and journalists brave enough to cover organized crime news say they're in constant danger.

In the latest case involving Notivera reporter Yolanda Ordaz, her long-time supervising colleague and friend Miguel Ángel López, together with his wife and young son, were also murdered on June 20. An armed commando squad burst into the family home at 6:00 a.m. and executed all of them, killing the son while he was still in bed. Ángel López was an investigative reporter and columnist for the paper, and together with Ordaz worked on organized crime stories. No one has yet been arrested in connection with either case.

According to Mexico’s National Commission on Human Rights, since the year 2000 some 71 journalists in the country have been murdered, another 13 have disappeared and 22 more were attacked but survived. According to the Commission, 18 of the murdered or assaulted journalists were women.

Mexican Cardinal urged U.S. to “stop the leftist candidates”

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
July 22, 2011

Wikileaks, an international news leaker and whistleblower, claims that prominent Mexican Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez personally solicited help from the United States government in March 2006 in an effort to defeat leftist political candidates in Mexico and Latin America. The archdiocese of Guadalajara, where Sandoval serves as archbishop, quickly denied the allegations. The Wikileaks story was published July 11, but was not reported in the Mexican press until today (July 22).

The latest Wikileaks claims may prove embarrassing to the Church hierarchy in this overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country, where in theory political and clerical authority are strictly segregated. The story could also put added pressure on strained relations between Mexico and the United States, already suffering under the blow of the “Fast and Furious” arms scandal in which U.S. agents allowed the sale of military assault weapons to Mexican drug cartels in an effort to track their operations. Adding to the tension, the former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, who had long enjoyed the confidence of both capitals, was forced to resign his post earlier this year after Wikileaks disclosed critical remarks he made about Mexico’s drug fighting efforts in secret Washington-bound diplomatic cables. The comments angered Mexico and complicated its drug war partnership with the U.S.

According to the July 11 Wikileaks story, in March 2006 Cardinal Sandoval and Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes approached the then U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, Francis Rooney, in Rome. Sandoval allegedly expressed concern about the “rising presence” of left-leaning leaders in Latin America, naming, among others, Fidel and Raul Castro in Cuba, Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, Eva Morales in Bolivia and Andrés Manuel López Obrador in Mexico. At the time López Obrador had just completed a five year term (2000-2005) as Governor of the Federal District of Mexico, and was running as the 2006 PDR candidate for president. He lost the race to Mexico’s current PAN president Felipe Calderon by one-half of one percent, in an election still viewed as rigged by many López-Obrador supporters. PRD, the Revolutionary Democratic Party, is the most left-wing of Mexico’s three major political parties and currently enjoys the least popular support.

According to the Wikileaks story, which was based upon stolen U.S. diplomatic cables, Sandoval allegedly told ambassador Rooney that López Obrador would lead Mexico in a “dangerous direction,” and that violent crime had increased in Mexico City during his term as the federal district’s leader.

Church authorities in Guadalajara condemned the report today, characterizing it as a deliberate attempt to damage the “social and political climate” of the country. “We have no doubt that this lie is intended to damage Mexico, the Catholic Church and the individuals involved,” the archdiocese replied. While admitting that Cardinal Sandoval did meet with the then ambassador, Church authorities claim that the sole purpose was to solicit private economic support for the construction of a religious sanctuary.

Asked if Cardinal Sandoval harbored either anti-López Obrador or anti-leftist feelings, the archdiocese replied that “the Cardinal . . . has no interest in intervening in or involving himself in the political affairs of the country.” Church participation in any form of politics is strictly forbidden under Mexican law. Curiously, López Obrador himself remained passive about the disclosures, stating that “the Catholic hierarchy values the efforts of the Left, which are necessary for political debate in the country, although it does not always agree with our positions.” The U.S. State Department has not commented on the matter or acknowledged the authenticity of the diplomatic cables upon which the latest Wikileaks claims are based.

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New Human Trafficking Charges Filed Against Ex-Official

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
July 20, 2011

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A former mayor of Cancún, Gregorio (“Greg”) Sanchez, has been arrested for the second time in a year by Mexican federal authorities, this time charged with the illegal trafficking of Cubans who entered the country without lawful documentation.


Sanchez was detained the first time in May 2010, while attempting to board an aircraft in Cancún bound for the United States. At the time, he was a highly visible PDR candidate for the governorship of Quintana Roo. He was accused of having connections to drug traffickers and of money laundering during his tenure as mayor from 2002 to 2008. According to federal prosecutors, Sanchez was linked to the Beltrán Leyva and Los Zetas organizations, the latter of which is one of the most feared criminal enterprises in Mexico. The PGR, Mexico’s federal prosecutorial office, says that the Zetas (“Zs”) are comprised of former elite military forces who have switched sides and joined the lucrative narcotics industry. The group has also performed contract work as an “enforcer” for other drug dealers, eliminating competitors and carrying out hired killings throughout the country. The Zetas are known to be strong in Quintana Roo, just a few hours east of Mérida.

Sanchez maintained his innocence during the more than one year that he was incarcerated, while awaiting a preliminary legal determination of his case in Mexico City. Federal prosecutors were embarrassed several days ago when a judge found insufficient evidence to hold Sanchez any longer, and ordered his immediate release. One official said that he would be re-arrested “the moment he set foot on the street,” on new charges of human trafficking. That’s exactly what happened. Instead of jailing Sanchez again, however, his attorneys persuaded prosecutors to allow him to remain free, subject to wearing an electronic monitoring device and not leaving Mexico City. Mexico’s PGR head, Patricia Bugarin, said in a live nationally broadcast news conference today that this is the first time in the country’s history that electronically monitored “house arrest” had been permitted for a person under serious criminal investigation.

The illegal trafficking of Cuban nationals in Mexico strikes particularly close to home in Mérida, which was the center of a major immigration scandal two years ago. The Mexican National Institute of Migration (INM) has a busy regional office here, and in 2009 Hernán Vega Burgos, then a local INM chief of operations, was implicated in a scheme to arrange false identification and work documents for women who had been smuggled into Mexico from several neighboring countries, including Cuba. Some of those women were later found to be working as prostitutes at a residence located in Mérida’s Colonia Mexico. Authorities investigated but declined to file criminal charges, despite finding that Vega Burgos had participated in extortion. He lost his INM position, was fined $5,000 USD and was banned from any form of public employment for 15 years. There has been no allegation that Greg Sanchez, the former mayor of Cancún, was connected to the immigration scandal here, but trafficking in undocumented persons remains a major problem throughout Mexico, often involving women and minors in the sex-for-hire industry.

In Mexico City Sanchez said today, “I am innocent; I trust in my attorneys and in the word of God.” He has claimed that the charges against him are politically motivated, and were pressed by his opponents in PRD who want to keep him out of Quintana Roo’s governor’s office. It is unclear when a second judge will make a preliminary ruling on the new human trafficking charges, or consider an appeal of the dismissal of the original organized crime claims, which prosecutors have also said they will pursue. The agreed-upon order allowing Sanchez to be under house arrest and monitored by the electronic bracelet is valid for 20 days, unless extended.

PAN Deputy Demands Mayor’s Impeachment for “Grave Violations of Human Rights”

Yesterday`s demonstrations at construction site, photo by Raul Ponce de Leon

In the wake of yesterday’s violent street demonstrations, with resultant injuries, over the planned underpass construction at Paseo de Montejo and Circuito Colonias, PAN (National Action Party) Deputy Renan Barrera Concha today delivered a formal statement of condemnation before the Yucatan Congress, demanding the immediate removal from office of Merida’s Mayor, Angelica Arajuo Lara. The statement in its entirety, edited only for linguistic clarity, is as follows:

Governor Ortega for President?

Yucatan’s Governor Ivonne Ortega says that the time is ripe for Mexico – a country long associated with “machismo” and male–dominated politics – to elect a female president. Ortega, a member of one of the country’s three primary political parties, made her impromptu comments earlier this week during a press interview. Ortega belongs to the (PRI) Institutional Revolutionary Party, which ruled Mexico for over 70 years until it was finally ousted from the presidency in the 2000 elections. But PRI still controls both the State government of the Yucatan and the City of Merida, and Ortega is a friend and a close political ally of Merida Mayor Angelica Araujo Lara.

“Mexico is ready to have a woman for president,” said Ortega. “Mexicans recognize that times have changed and that ability is far more important than gender,” she added. Ortega is the only female governor in any of the 32 Mexican states, but several cities have female mayors, including Aguascalientes, La Paz, Merida and Toluca. At least four Mexican women politicians have had presidential aspirations, although none advanced to the stage of actual candidacy. Mexico’s next national elections will be held in 2012, when the six year term of current National Action Party (PAN) President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa comes to an end. Some female politicians in both PAN and PRI have expressed interest in mounting a bid for the presidency. Mexico’s third major political force, the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), is led by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who was narrowly defeated by Calderon in 2006 and who still claims he is the “legitimate president of Mexico.” PRD has no announced female presidential candidates, but it is widely believed that Obrador will run again.

Although Ortega gave no clue as to whether she’s interested in the presidency herself, an open letter published this week by a PAN activist criticizes the Governor’s PRI colleague across the street in City Hall, Mayor Angelica Araujo Lara, for claimed failures on every front during the Mayor’s first full year in office. With a heading of “Time’s up, Architect!” (Araujo Lara is an architect by profession), local PAN leader Magaly Cruz Nucamendi traced a history of alleged shortcomings by City government across the board. “We’ve had enough of crumbling roads and infrastructure, street lamps that don’t work, trash everywhere, decaying parks, street vendors on the rise, the City’s failure to pay its own suppliers and contractors on time and above all, the lack of transparency and accountability in public affairs,” wrote Nucamendi. “What happened to your promise of adding 35,000 jobs to the City’s economy, of wiping out extreme poverty, of reducing bus fees (for students)? What does the Shakira concert have to do with any of those issues?”

“Running a great City like Merida involves a lot more than just building things”, added Nucamendi, who predicted that the controversial planned underpass in north Merida, on which construction is imminent, would be the Mayor’s “political grave.” “Governing a City involves listening, planning, professionalism, transparency and the inclusion of many competing opinions in the decision-making process. We had doubts about your ability a year ago due to your inexperience in public administration and your lack of knowledge about municipal affairs,” she said, and above all, “due to your lack of commitment to citizens.” Araujo Lara resigned her seat in the Mexican House of Representatives, where she had represented the Yucatan as a PRI federal deputy, in order to run for Mayor as the hand-picked PRI candidate in 2010. “How did it serve us to have you as our legislator?,” asked Nucamendi in her letter.

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
July 11, 2011

Allegations of Email Hacking, Criminal Acts Surface Amidst Continuing Underpass Controversy

Written by Lic. Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times

While the PRI administration of Mayor Angelica Aruajo Lara continues to seek public support for the planned construction of a controversial underpass at the intersection of Paseo de Montejo and Circuito Colonias in north Merida, the case took on a new dimension this week when a City internet email account was utilized by unidentified persons for a mass mailing expressing vigorous opposition to the project. The event has prompted charges and countercharges by local PRI and PAN officials, and has refocused attention from construction of the project itself to claims of possible electronic sabotage, ostensibly committed by the Mayor’s political opponents.

Major Legal Changes on Their Way to the Yucatan

By Edward V. Byrne for The Yucatan Times
June 20, 2011

In the United States, Canada and Great Britain, citizens have long taken for granted certain legal rights when accused of a criminal offense. The presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial and the ability to vigorously confront and challenge the prosecution’s evidence in a proceeding presided over by a neutral judge are the hallmarks of the Anglo-American system of criminal justice, which traces its roots back more than a thousand years. But these legal protections are unknown in Mexico, where “guilty until proven innocent” has always been the rule. Now all that is about to change dramatically, and the Yucatan is one of the first of the 31 Mexican states to implement a radically new criminal justice system, with many procedures borrowed directly from English-speaking countries.