AZMEX F&F EXTRA 29 JUN 2017
Note: from the folks at The Daily Signal
Fast & Furious - Mexican Lives didn't Matter
Fast and Furious Whistleblower Says He Became an 'Enemy of the State'
June 26, 2017
http://dailysignal.com/2017/06/26/fast-and-furious-whistleblower-says-he-became-an-enemy-of-the-state/
It's one of the longest-running congressional investigations of our time: the probe into Fast and Furious. It was the government's secret operation to watch as thousands of weapons were trafficked to Mexico's killer drug cartels.
In many respects, the story began when federal agent John Dodson agreed to an interview with investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson in March 2011. It was highly unusual, if not unprecedented, for a sitting federal agent to speak out in such a strong way.
In the latest episode of "Full Measure," Attkisson catches up with Dodson six years later.
Dodson: Part of my mission with the [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] in Phoenix was to combat a legal firearms trafficking to the Mexican drug cartels. Somehow, in order to achieve that goal, the strategy that had been adopted was to facilitate and allow the illegal firearms trafficking to the Mexican drug cartels. We were essentially flooding the border region with firearms from the U.S. civilian market, and then tracking and tallying the results as they were used in crimes on both sides of the border.
Attkisson: "We" meaning federal agents, who are supposed to be stopping the trafficking?
Dodson: Yes, ma'am, meaning the federal agency that was in charge of combating that very thing.
Americans need an alternative to the mainstream media. But this can't be done alone. Find out more >>
Dodson had objected internally to the dangerous practice of "gunwalking" secretly allowed by the ATF. But his objections fell on deaf ears.
Attkisson: Was the final straw Brian Terry's murder?
Dodson: Yes. When Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed, I immediately noticed that my agency was attempting to cover up any link between the investigation and the strategy that we employed and the death of Agent Terry.
Illegal immigrants armed with Fast and Furious rifles gunned down Terry in Arizona in December 2010 near the Mexican border. Dodson says Department of Justice officials frantically worked to cover up the killers' links to weapons trafficked as part of the secret federal case. He agreed to an interview with Attkisson for CBS News in March of 2011.
(Attkisson's interview with Dodson on CBS aired March 3, 2011.)
Attkisson: Dodson's job is to stop gun trafficking across the border. Instead, he says he was ordered to sit by and watch it happen. Investigators call the tactic letting guns "walk." Dodson's bosses say that never happened. Now, he's risking his job to go public.
Dodson: I'm boots on the ground here in Phoenix, telling you we've been doing it every day since I've been here. Here I am. Tell me I didn't do the things I did. Tell me you didn't order me to do the things I did. Tell me it didn't happen. Now you have a name on it. You have a face to put with it. Here I am. Someone now, tell me it didn't happen.
Attkisson: When you stepped forward, what did you think and hope would happen?
Dodson: When I stepped forward, I thought it would all come to a screeching halt, and that the case would be shut down, the policy would be abandoned, and it would pretty much be over with very, very quickly, as soon as word got to the right people. I was very surprised to learn otherwise.
Attkisson: What did happen?
Dodson: Well, originally the Department of Justice issued what was a letter denying the allegation, categorically denying the allegations. And from that point on, there was a congressional hearing and obstruction and document hiding and it seemed like everything that the United States government could do at the time to avoid showing the allegations that was alleged and proving them and … still continuing to deny that there was any nexus between the investigative strategy and Agent Terry's death.
The supposed goal of the government's gunwalking was to see where the weapons ended up and make a big case that took down Mexican cartel leaders. That never happened. Instead, the guns were used in crimes on both sides of the border. Attkisson identified a dozen other federal cases in which agents allegedly allowed guns to walk in places like Florida, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona, with names like Too Hot To Handle, Wide Receiver, and Castaway.
In a bipartisan vote in 2012, the House of Representatives held Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over documents in the Fast and Furious case. President Barack Obama blocked Congress from getting the documents by using executive privilege the one and only time of his presidency. Eighty thousand pages were later released under a court challenge.
At a little-publicized hearing earlier this month, House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said Congress is still trying to convince the Justice Department to hand over outstanding documents.
Chaffetz: Litigation is ongoing as it continues its unprecedented stonewalling and I'm sorry to report under the Trump administration this has not changed. This has not changed.
Dodson testified at the hearing alongside Terry's mother, looking back at his decision to blow the whistle.
Dodson: That single action … went from being an agent of the government … to enemy of the state.
Members of both parties, including Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and the incoming chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said they still don't think they have all the answers as to what was really behind Fast and Furious.
Gowdy: I'm just struggling to understand how this ever could have turned out any other way. As soon as the gun leaves the parking lot, unless you're maintaining constant surveillance, then you've lost the gun. And then if it crosses the border, God knows what you're going to do with it. And then when you learn they didn't even let our Mexican counterparts in law enforcement know what was going on. This is the most imminently predictable tragedy that I've been connected with since I've been in Congress.
Attkisson: What are some of the outstanding questions today?
Dodson: Well, I think that some of them, and they all might not pertain directly to the Terry family, is the amount of homicides or murders that have been caused by the firearms that we allowed to be trafficked, what the ultimate cost of this strategy was, I think those numbers have been kept and held.
Although the government won't release information delineating the crimes that have been committed by criminals using guns trafficked during Fast and Furious, Attkisson found evidence of at least 43 killings, including two U.S. federal agents, three Mexican police, and a terrorist torture kidnapping and murder in Mexico.
Attkisson: Do you think people are still in place in government who are part of what you call the obstruction or the cover-up?
Dodson: I think they are. I think maybe not in the same exact positions. I think many of them moved around. But there is still a good portion of that system, that mechanism that is still in place.
Attkisson: It sounds like your takeaway is that the public should understand it holds the power and use it.
Dodson: Yes, the public does hold the power. They're supposed, that's how our entire system is designed, but if we don't ask the questions, if we don't hold people accountable, if we don't get the explanations that we deserve and the answers that are entitled to us, then we don't. We, we give those reins of power away, alright? And we're also subjected to a bureaucracy that is so big and so uncontrollable that it answers only to itself, no longer to us.
In case you're wondering, Dodson still works at ATF today, though he says he's been marginalized, retaliated against, and transferred around 11 times in six years.
In April, U.S. officials arrested one of Terry's alleged killers. Five others have pleaded guilty or been found guilty by a jury in the case. One suspect is still on the loose. Hundreds of guns that the feds allowed to be trafficked to criminals are still missing and unaccounted for.
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Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
AZMEX UPDATE 27-6-17
AZMEX UPDATE 27 JUN 2017
Note: From our friends at Borderland Beat
Thursday, June 22, 2017
MAY 2017 : The Most Violent Month in 20 Years
Translated by Yaqui for Borderland Beat from Zeta
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2017/06/may-2017-most-violent-month-in-20-years.html
June 21, 2017
According to data released Wednesday by the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP) of the Ministry of the Interior, in May of this year there were 2 thousand 186 intentional homicide cases, which surpassed the record figure of this crime in the last two decades, since the compilation of data is made monthly from 1997 to date.
The level of intentional homicide in May 2017 is greater than the maximum recorded, which was the number of 2,112 intentional killings in May 2011 during the last leg of the government of Felipe de Jesus Calderón Hinojosa.
The 2 thousand 186 records of intentional homicide cases of May of this year, signify 2 thousand 452 victims of violent acts. The figures are different because in a same preliminary investigation, open in state procurator's offices and state prosecutors, more than one death may be included.
The highest number of intentional homicides in May occurred in the State of Mexico, with 225 cases. It is followed by Guerrero, with 216 and Baja California with 197.
But considering the number of inhabitants of each entity, the highest percentage of intentional homicides occurred in Colima, with 31.69; Followed by Guerrero, with 26.47, and the states of the Baja California Peninsula, with 20 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
June is getting off to an equally grim start: On June 14 their were six murders and six attempted murders in less than 24 hours in Tijuana.
END
Note: as this comes from AP, be aware that the correct info is young illegal immigrants, not "young immigrants".
No problems for young legal immigrants to get the lic. Reminder, the drivers license is the primary govt. ID for purchase of firearms.
thx
The U.S. Supreme Court wants more information before deciding on whether to deny driver's licenses to young immigrants who are shielded by Obama-era program.
Associated Press , KPNX 9:56 PM. MST June 26, 2017
http://www.12news.com/news/local/arizona/us-supreme-court-wants-more-info-on-arizona-license-case/452337512
PHOENIX (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday failed to make decision in the lawsuit involving Arizona's attempt to deny driver's licenses to young immigrants who are shielded from deportation through an Obama-era program.
The court instead asked the U.S. Solicitor General for more information regarding the lawsuit.
Arizona must provide driver's licenses to young immigrants who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that shields them from deportation and allows them to legally work for two-year periods. That's because of a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Arizona is appealing that decision to the high court.
DACA recipients have been able to get licenses in Arizona since December 2014. The state is the only one who is still waging a legal battle over them.
end
Nearly 200 possible opioid overdoses reported in Arizona last week
BY KTAR.COM | JUNE 26, 2017 AT 11:41 AM
UPDATED: JUNE 26, 2017 AT 1:48 PM
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
PHOENIX — Arizona health officials reported nearly 200 suspected opioid-related overdoses in the last week.
In a press release, the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services said 15 of the 191 people treated died.
The information was released as part of a new initiative spearheaded by Gov. Doug Ducey that gets real-time data about opioids into the hand of health professionals.
"This new, real-time data gives us a clear picture we didn't have before," he said in the release. "One life lost to these highly addictive drugs is too many."
Earlier this month, Ducey declared a health crisis because of opioids. Data released in May showed 790 people died of an opioid overdose last year, an increase of 16 percent over 2015.
Ducey also signed an executive order that requires opioid overdoses and deaths be reported to state health officials within 24 hours.
"We're going to do everything that we can from a government perspective here," Ducey told KTAR News 92.3 FM's Mac & Gaydos after signing the order.
"We've limited first-fill of opioids to prescriptions that the government is paying for. We're working with Walgreens so people can return their unused opioids so that they don't get out into the system."
Ducey said a big problem is that when people are facing pain and their prescription drugs run out, they sometimes turn to heroin to help. In turn, the number of heroin deaths in Arizona is up three times as much as last year and they are at the highest level since 2012.
end
Note: From our friends at Borderland Beat
Thursday, June 22, 2017
MAY 2017 : The Most Violent Month in 20 Years
Translated by Yaqui for Borderland Beat from Zeta
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2017/06/may-2017-most-violent-month-in-20-years.html
June 21, 2017
According to data released Wednesday by the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP) of the Ministry of the Interior, in May of this year there were 2 thousand 186 intentional homicide cases, which surpassed the record figure of this crime in the last two decades, since the compilation of data is made monthly from 1997 to date.
The level of intentional homicide in May 2017 is greater than the maximum recorded, which was the number of 2,112 intentional killings in May 2011 during the last leg of the government of Felipe de Jesus Calderón Hinojosa.
The 2 thousand 186 records of intentional homicide cases of May of this year, signify 2 thousand 452 victims of violent acts. The figures are different because in a same preliminary investigation, open in state procurator's offices and state prosecutors, more than one death may be included.
The highest number of intentional homicides in May occurred in the State of Mexico, with 225 cases. It is followed by Guerrero, with 216 and Baja California with 197.
But considering the number of inhabitants of each entity, the highest percentage of intentional homicides occurred in Colima, with 31.69; Followed by Guerrero, with 26.47, and the states of the Baja California Peninsula, with 20 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
June is getting off to an equally grim start: On June 14 their were six murders and six attempted murders in less than 24 hours in Tijuana.
END
Note: as this comes from AP, be aware that the correct info is young illegal immigrants, not "young immigrants".
No problems for young legal immigrants to get the lic. Reminder, the drivers license is the primary govt. ID for purchase of firearms.
thx
The U.S. Supreme Court wants more information before deciding on whether to deny driver's licenses to young immigrants who are shielded by Obama-era program.
Associated Press , KPNX 9:56 PM. MST June 26, 2017
http://www.12news.com/news/local/arizona/us-supreme-court-wants-more-info-on-arizona-license-case/452337512
PHOENIX (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday failed to make decision in the lawsuit involving Arizona's attempt to deny driver's licenses to young immigrants who are shielded from deportation through an Obama-era program.
The court instead asked the U.S. Solicitor General for more information regarding the lawsuit.
Arizona must provide driver's licenses to young immigrants who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that shields them from deportation and allows them to legally work for two-year periods. That's because of a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Arizona is appealing that decision to the high court.
DACA recipients have been able to get licenses in Arizona since December 2014. The state is the only one who is still waging a legal battle over them.
end
Nearly 200 possible opioid overdoses reported in Arizona last week
BY KTAR.COM | JUNE 26, 2017 AT 11:41 AM
UPDATED: JUNE 26, 2017 AT 1:48 PM
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
PHOENIX — Arizona health officials reported nearly 200 suspected opioid-related overdoses in the last week.
In a press release, the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services said 15 of the 191 people treated died.
The information was released as part of a new initiative spearheaded by Gov. Doug Ducey that gets real-time data about opioids into the hand of health professionals.
"This new, real-time data gives us a clear picture we didn't have before," he said in the release. "One life lost to these highly addictive drugs is too many."
Earlier this month, Ducey declared a health crisis because of opioids. Data released in May showed 790 people died of an opioid overdose last year, an increase of 16 percent over 2015.
Ducey also signed an executive order that requires opioid overdoses and deaths be reported to state health officials within 24 hours.
"We're going to do everything that we can from a government perspective here," Ducey told KTAR News 92.3 FM's Mac & Gaydos after signing the order.
"We've limited first-fill of opioids to prescriptions that the government is paying for. We're working with Walgreens so people can return their unused opioids so that they don't get out into the system."
Ducey said a big problem is that when people are facing pain and their prescription drugs run out, they sometimes turn to heroin to help. In turn, the number of heroin deaths in Arizona is up three times as much as last year and they are at the highest level since 2012.
end
AZMEX EXTRA 2-6-17
AZMEX EXTRA 27 JUN 2017
Note: photos at links Major bust? Have not yet learned source of the weapons. Fast & Furious link?
Mexican govt. "leakage"?
Fast & Furious - Mexican Lives didn't Matter.
Gracias
Decommissioning arsenal and thousands of bullets in Sonora
Http://www.elregionaldesonora.com.mx/noticia/67930
Sonoyta Sonora.-
Elements of the State Coordination of the Federal Police in Sonora secured an arsenal that included 18 long arms, including a Barret and over a hundred thousand cartridges, which were transported hidden in a lead-lined compartment in a tractor trailer truck.
The facts were recorded when and at kilometer 226 + 800 of the Altar-Sonoyta highway, Caborca-Sonoyta section, had contact with a semi-trailer, which was driven in an irregular manner, That they proceeded to stop the truck.
When questioning the driver, identified as Luis "N" 44, was nervous and said that the unit was from Tijuana and was destined the city of Torreon.
The members of the Federal Police requested a inspection of the truck, where they located a hidden compartment lined with lead to avoid the x-rays, in the center and along the platform, which concealed firearms and cartridges of different calibers.
Therefore, the driver was arrested, who was read the Card of Rights that Assist the Persons in Detention.
18 long arms were counted,
12 of them with grenade launchers,
1 Barret 50 caliber rifle,
A .38 caliber handgun,
Magazines of different sizes and
16 20 liter( 5 Gal.) buckets filled in total of more than 100 thousand cartridges of caliber 7.62.
The detainee, the vehicle and the materials were placed at the disposal of the Agent of the Public Prosecutor of the Federation, an authority that will follow up the investigation and assign responsibilities.
Also: https://cdn.oem.com.mx/tribunadesanluis/2017/06/portada20170626.jpg
end
Note: photos at links Major bust? Have not yet learned source of the weapons. Fast & Furious link?
Mexican govt. "leakage"?
Fast & Furious - Mexican Lives didn't Matter.
Gracias
Decommissioning arsenal and thousands of bullets in Sonora
Http://www.elregionaldesonora.com.mx/noticia/67930
Sonoyta Sonora.-
Elements of the State Coordination of the Federal Police in Sonora secured an arsenal that included 18 long arms, including a Barret and over a hundred thousand cartridges, which were transported hidden in a lead-lined compartment in a tractor trailer truck.
The facts were recorded when and at kilometer 226 + 800 of the Altar-Sonoyta highway, Caborca-Sonoyta section, had contact with a semi-trailer, which was driven in an irregular manner, That they proceeded to stop the truck.
When questioning the driver, identified as Luis "N" 44, was nervous and said that the unit was from Tijuana and was destined the city of Torreon.
The members of the Federal Police requested a inspection of the truck, where they located a hidden compartment lined with lead to avoid the x-rays, in the center and along the platform, which concealed firearms and cartridges of different calibers.
Therefore, the driver was arrested, who was read the Card of Rights that Assist the Persons in Detention.
18 long arms were counted,
12 of them with grenade launchers,
1 Barret 50 caliber rifle,
A .38 caliber handgun,
Magazines of different sizes and
16 20 liter( 5 Gal.) buckets filled in total of more than 100 thousand cartridges of caliber 7.62.
The detainee, the vehicle and the materials were placed at the disposal of the Agent of the Public Prosecutor of the Federation, an authority that will follow up the investigation and assign responsibilities.
Also: https://cdn.oem.com.mx/tribunadesanluis/2017/06/portada20170626.jpg
end
Sunday, June 18, 2017
AZMEX I3 POLICY 18-6-17
AZMEX I3 POLICY 18 JUN 2017
Note: It is, as always, about illegal immigration.
SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 2017
Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus to Stand in Solidarity with Texas Latino Community in Wake of SB 4 Legislation at NALEO Annual Conference in Dallas
http://www.naleo.org/dallas2017
http://www.americanfreedombybarbara.com/2017/06/arizona-latino-legislative-caucus-to.html
STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Less than seven weeks after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 4 into law, the Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus will join the nation's largest gathering of Latino policymakers for a discussion on next steps during the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials 34th Annual Conference in Dallas.
The three-day event, which will take place June 22-24, 2017, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, will bring together the Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus with Texas lawmakers and colleagues from across the country as Latino policymakers join forces to strategize on how best to protect and support the immigrant community in the current political climate.
"In Arizona, we know the fight Texas has on its hands. We have seen similar harmful legislation when Arizona enacted SB 1070, which was one of the most destructive pieces of legislation that oppressed an entire community and which had a devastating economic impact in Arizona," stated Rep. Diego Espinoza, D-Tolleson (District 19). "The Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus stands in solidarity with those who oppose SB 4 in Texas and look forward to joining colleagues in Texas to discuss a plan of action."
On Saturday, June 24, Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus members will participate in a special plenary session devoted to the newly signed legislation entitled, "Supporting the Lone Star State Post SB 4: How Latino Leaders Can Unite to Combat Anti-Immigrant Laws and Practices." This plenary session will explore how different communities are responding to this new paradigm and how lessons learned from California's Proposition 187 and Arizona's SB 1070 can be applied to best support the immigrant community today and to mobilize toward increased civic participation.
Following the plenary session, Arizona Latino Legislative Latino Caucus members will join Latino policymakers from California, Texas and across the nation for three working group break-out sessions focused on key issues relating to SB 4 and other similar anti-immigration measures. The meetings will focus on policy and legal tools that Latino policymakers can use to support immigrants, strategies for ensuring the immigrant community knows its rights, and an examination of the negative impact these laws have on state and local economies.
A number of Texas Latino elected officials who led the fight against the SB 4 legislation will be in attendance with the Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus during the three-day event, including NALEO President and Dallas County Treasurer Pauline Medrano, Texas State Senator and Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus Chair Sylvia R. Garcia, Texas State Representative and Mexican American Legislative Caucus Chairman Rafael Anchia, Texas State Representative Cesar Blanco, Texas State Representative Armando Walle, Harris County Sherriff Ed Gonzalez and Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez.
More information on the NALEO 34th Annual Conference can be found at www.naleo.org/dallas2017.
The bipartisan Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus has 17 members from both the state House and Senate. Members hold strategic leadership positions and promote legislation and policies that directly affect Latinos in Arizona. The caucus also encourages more Latinos to engage in the political process through public policy and community events.
-30-
Note: It is, as always, about illegal immigration.
SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 2017
Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus to Stand in Solidarity with Texas Latino Community in Wake of SB 4 Legislation at NALEO Annual Conference in Dallas
http://www.naleo.org/dallas2017
http://www.americanfreedombybarbara.com/2017/06/arizona-latino-legislative-caucus-to.html
STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Less than seven weeks after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 4 into law, the Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus will join the nation's largest gathering of Latino policymakers for a discussion on next steps during the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials 34th Annual Conference in Dallas.
The three-day event, which will take place June 22-24, 2017, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, will bring together the Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus with Texas lawmakers and colleagues from across the country as Latino policymakers join forces to strategize on how best to protect and support the immigrant community in the current political climate.
"In Arizona, we know the fight Texas has on its hands. We have seen similar harmful legislation when Arizona enacted SB 1070, which was one of the most destructive pieces of legislation that oppressed an entire community and which had a devastating economic impact in Arizona," stated Rep. Diego Espinoza, D-Tolleson (District 19). "The Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus stands in solidarity with those who oppose SB 4 in Texas and look forward to joining colleagues in Texas to discuss a plan of action."
On Saturday, June 24, Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus members will participate in a special plenary session devoted to the newly signed legislation entitled, "Supporting the Lone Star State Post SB 4: How Latino Leaders Can Unite to Combat Anti-Immigrant Laws and Practices." This plenary session will explore how different communities are responding to this new paradigm and how lessons learned from California's Proposition 187 and Arizona's SB 1070 can be applied to best support the immigrant community today and to mobilize toward increased civic participation.
Following the plenary session, Arizona Latino Legislative Latino Caucus members will join Latino policymakers from California, Texas and across the nation for three working group break-out sessions focused on key issues relating to SB 4 and other similar anti-immigration measures. The meetings will focus on policy and legal tools that Latino policymakers can use to support immigrants, strategies for ensuring the immigrant community knows its rights, and an examination of the negative impact these laws have on state and local economies.
A number of Texas Latino elected officials who led the fight against the SB 4 legislation will be in attendance with the Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus during the three-day event, including NALEO President and Dallas County Treasurer Pauline Medrano, Texas State Senator and Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus Chair Sylvia R. Garcia, Texas State Representative and Mexican American Legislative Caucus Chairman Rafael Anchia, Texas State Representative Cesar Blanco, Texas State Representative Armando Walle, Harris County Sherriff Ed Gonzalez and Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez.
More information on the NALEO 34th Annual Conference can be found at www.naleo.org/dallas2017.
The bipartisan Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus has 17 members from both the state House and Senate. Members hold strategic leadership positions and promote legislation and policies that directly affect Latinos in Arizona. The caucus also encourages more Latinos to engage in the political process through public policy and community events.
-30-
AZMEX I3 SPECIAL 18-6-17
AZMEX I3 SPECIAL 18 JUN 2017
Note: photos at link. "Red Migrante" is Migrant Network.
Comment: "stems from border militarization and immigration policy in the United States, which has created a flow of people attempting to cross the border illegally " Apparently it is the fault of the U.S. for wanting to control it's own border?
Gracias
Group's report decries impunity for abusers of migrants in Sonora
By Kendal Blust
Nogales International Jun 16, 2017
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/group-s-report-decries-impunity-for-abusers-of-migrants-in/article_ddd1c2a6-5224-11e7-af9a-03f7718faa07.html
A panel of leaders from migrant aid organizations in Sonora discuss the report "Y la impunidad continua" during a press conference on Thursday. From left: Rev. Samuel Lozano de los Santos, Alba Gloria Andrade Murieta, Perla Del Angel, Maria Engracia Robles Robles, Rev. Prisciliano Pereza and Bishop José Leopoldo González González.
Sister Maria Engracia Robles Robles of the Kino Border Initiative detailed the Red Migrante Sonora's recommendations to address violence and abuse of migrants in Sonora.
Nogales, Sonora Mayor Cuauhtemoc "Temo" Galindo speaks about the importance of sharing the report with federal authorities.
"Todo pasa y no pasa nada," said Rev. Prisciliano Pereza, using a phrase that roughly translates as "Things happen but nothing gets done" to decry what he and a group of fellow migrant advocates say is near-complete impunity for human rights abuses of migrants in the Mexican state of Sonora.
"(Migrants) won't even report crimes because no one will listen to them, and the last thing they want are more problems," said Pereza, director of a migrant assistance organization in Altar, Sonora, which is part of the Red Migrante Sonora, or the Sonora Migrant Network.
During a press conference Thursday morning at the Nogales, Sonora art museum, the group presented a report called "Y la impunidad continua," or "And the Impunity Continues," which details abuses experienced by migrants and deported people who arrive at shelters in the Sonoran cities of Nogales, Altar, Caborca and Agua Prieta on a daily basis, and the lack of recourse victims have to bring their abusers to justice.
U.S.-bound migrants, who are often fleeing violence, poverty and persecution at home, are vulnerable not only because of their desperation but also because they often have to rely on others to reach and cross the border, a fact that can easily lead to exploitation, said Sister Maria Engracia Robles Robles of the Ambos Nogales-based Kino Border Initiative.
"The deported and journeying migrant has become a dollar sign, not only taken advantage of by criminals, but by Mexican citizens and some authorities," she said.
Migrants who make their way to northern Sonora are regularly robbed, extorted, kidnapped and tortured, said Perla Del Angel, who works with migrants in Agua Prieta. And the report offers first-hand accounts of migrants who have been beaten, burned, starved and raped by human traffickers, law enforcement officials or gangs.
But while these abuses are commonplace, little is done by federal, state or local governments to address the problem, allowing abusers to go free, while migrants remain an easy target for exploitation, she said.
"They are not even treated as human beings," she said, describing how authorities routinely set aside complaints of abuse or even threaten migrants who dare to come forward.
Part of that problem stems from border militarization and immigration policy in the United States, which has created a flow of people attempting to cross the border illegally and contributing to the costly, dangerous and violent nature of the journey, according to the report. However, Red Migrante Sonora focused on the injustices that not only take place in Sonora, but are perpetuated by local, state and federal authorities who are either complicit in abuse of migrants or do not seriously investigate and prosecute those crimes.
"We excuse ourselves," Pereza said. "But we have also experienced this impunity that's so detrimental to our society."
To address that impunity, the report suggests six steps that can be taken, including honest and vigorous defense for migrants by authorities; the implementation of security measures in areas identified as especially dangerous for migrants; the creation of secure routes for migrants; human rights workshops for law enforcement and social service organizations; and better communication and follow-through from all levels of government in protecting the rights of migrants and prosecuting those who abuse them.
"At the moment, our goal is to make this reality visible," Robles said of the latest report, a follow-up to information the Red Migrante Sonora released in 2015.
And while the number of deportations and migrants crossing the border has decreased in recent years and months, the level of abuse continues to increase, Robles said.
"There hasn't been any improvement. On the contrary, things have gotten worse," she said.
"It's an inverse function ... the fewer the migrants, the greater the exploitation."
END
Note: photos at link. "Red Migrante" is Migrant Network.
Comment: "stems from border militarization and immigration policy in the United States, which has created a flow of people attempting to cross the border illegally " Apparently it is the fault of the U.S. for wanting to control it's own border?
Gracias
Group's report decries impunity for abusers of migrants in Sonora
By Kendal Blust
Nogales International Jun 16, 2017
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/group-s-report-decries-impunity-for-abusers-of-migrants-in/article_ddd1c2a6-5224-11e7-af9a-03f7718faa07.html
A panel of leaders from migrant aid organizations in Sonora discuss the report "Y la impunidad continua" during a press conference on Thursday. From left: Rev. Samuel Lozano de los Santos, Alba Gloria Andrade Murieta, Perla Del Angel, Maria Engracia Robles Robles, Rev. Prisciliano Pereza and Bishop José Leopoldo González González.
Sister Maria Engracia Robles Robles of the Kino Border Initiative detailed the Red Migrante Sonora's recommendations to address violence and abuse of migrants in Sonora.
Nogales, Sonora Mayor Cuauhtemoc "Temo" Galindo speaks about the importance of sharing the report with federal authorities.
"Todo pasa y no pasa nada," said Rev. Prisciliano Pereza, using a phrase that roughly translates as "Things happen but nothing gets done" to decry what he and a group of fellow migrant advocates say is near-complete impunity for human rights abuses of migrants in the Mexican state of Sonora.
"(Migrants) won't even report crimes because no one will listen to them, and the last thing they want are more problems," said Pereza, director of a migrant assistance organization in Altar, Sonora, which is part of the Red Migrante Sonora, or the Sonora Migrant Network.
During a press conference Thursday morning at the Nogales, Sonora art museum, the group presented a report called "Y la impunidad continua," or "And the Impunity Continues," which details abuses experienced by migrants and deported people who arrive at shelters in the Sonoran cities of Nogales, Altar, Caborca and Agua Prieta on a daily basis, and the lack of recourse victims have to bring their abusers to justice.
U.S.-bound migrants, who are often fleeing violence, poverty and persecution at home, are vulnerable not only because of their desperation but also because they often have to rely on others to reach and cross the border, a fact that can easily lead to exploitation, said Sister Maria Engracia Robles Robles of the Ambos Nogales-based Kino Border Initiative.
"The deported and journeying migrant has become a dollar sign, not only taken advantage of by criminals, but by Mexican citizens and some authorities," she said.
Migrants who make their way to northern Sonora are regularly robbed, extorted, kidnapped and tortured, said Perla Del Angel, who works with migrants in Agua Prieta. And the report offers first-hand accounts of migrants who have been beaten, burned, starved and raped by human traffickers, law enforcement officials or gangs.
But while these abuses are commonplace, little is done by federal, state or local governments to address the problem, allowing abusers to go free, while migrants remain an easy target for exploitation, she said.
"They are not even treated as human beings," she said, describing how authorities routinely set aside complaints of abuse or even threaten migrants who dare to come forward.
Part of that problem stems from border militarization and immigration policy in the United States, which has created a flow of people attempting to cross the border illegally and contributing to the costly, dangerous and violent nature of the journey, according to the report. However, Red Migrante Sonora focused on the injustices that not only take place in Sonora, but are perpetuated by local, state and federal authorities who are either complicit in abuse of migrants or do not seriously investigate and prosecute those crimes.
"We excuse ourselves," Pereza said. "But we have also experienced this impunity that's so detrimental to our society."
To address that impunity, the report suggests six steps that can be taken, including honest and vigorous defense for migrants by authorities; the implementation of security measures in areas identified as especially dangerous for migrants; the creation of secure routes for migrants; human rights workshops for law enforcement and social service organizations; and better communication and follow-through from all levels of government in protecting the rights of migrants and prosecuting those who abuse them.
"At the moment, our goal is to make this reality visible," Robles said of the latest report, a follow-up to information the Red Migrante Sonora released in 2015.
And while the number of deportations and migrants crossing the border has decreased in recent years and months, the level of abuse continues to increase, Robles said.
"There hasn't been any improvement. On the contrary, things have gotten worse," she said.
"It's an inverse function ... the fewer the migrants, the greater the exploitation."
END
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 7-6-17
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 7 JUN 2017
Fast and Furious hearing rips Holder, DOJ for deception in gun-running scandal
By William La Jeunesse, Andrew O'Reilly
Published June 07, 2017 Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/07/fast-and-furious-report-slams-holder-doj-for-deception-in-gun-running-scandal.html
Members of a congressional committee at a public hearing Wednesday blasted former President Barack Obama and his attorney general for allegedly covering up an investigation into the death of a Border Patrol agent killed as a result of a botched government gun-running project known as Operation Fast and Furious.
The House Oversight Committee also Wednesday released a scathing, nearly 300-page report that found Holder's Justice Department tried to hide the facts from the loved ones of slain Border Patrol Brian Terry – seeing his family as more of a "nuisance" than one deserving straight answers – and slamming Obama's assertion of executive privilege to deny Congress access to records pertaining to Fast and Furious.
More on this...
Fast and Furious scandal: Suspected triggerman in border agent's murder arrested
Medellin Cartel Gets Fast and Furious Guns
Former Border agent testifies in case of 2 suspects charged in Fast and Furious slaying
"[Terry's death] happened on Dec. 14, 2010, and we still don't have all the answers," Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, committee chairman, said of Terry's death. "Brian Terry's family should not have to wait six years for answers."
Terry died in a gunfight between Border Patrol agents and members of a six-man cartel "rip crew," which regularly patrolled the desert along the U.S.-Mexico border looking for drug dealers to rob. The cartel member suspected of slaying the Border Patrol agent, Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, was apprehended in April of this year by a joint U.S.-Mexico law enforcement task force.
Terry's death exposed Operation Fast and Furious, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) operation in which the federal government allowed criminals to buy guns in Phoenix-area shops with the intention of tracking them as they were transported into Mexico. But the agency lost track of more than 1,400 of the 2,000 guns they allowed smugglers to buy. Two of those guns were found at the scene of Terry's killing.
Related Image
This undated photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry. Terry was fatally shot north of the Arizona-Mexico border while trying to catch bandits who target illegal immigrants, the leader of a union representing agents said Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection, File)Expand / Collapse
This undated photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry. Terry was fatally shot north of the Arizona-Mexico border while trying to catch bandits who target illegal immigrants, the leader of a union representing agents said Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection, File) (AP Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection, File)
"More than five years after Brian's murder, the Terry family still wonders about key details of Operation Fast and Furious," the committee's report states. "The Justice Department's obstruction of Congress's investigation contributed to the Terry family's inability to find answers."
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, testified Wednesday in front of the committee, accusing DOJ and ATF officials of obstructing the investigation and working to silence ATF agents who informed the Senate of Fast and Furious.
"The Department of Justice and ATF had no intention of looking for honest answers and being transparent," said Grassley, now chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a staunch supporter of whistleblowers.
"In fact, from the onset, bureaucrats employed shameless delay tactics to obstruct the investigation."
One of those silenced ATF agents, John Dodson, testified Wednesday that he remains "in a state of purgatory" since objecting to Fast and Furious and has been the subject of reprisals and ridicule at the agency.
"That decision, the single act of standing up and saying, 'What we are doing is wrong'… instantly took my standing from being that of an agent of the government – to an enemy of the state," Dodson said. "ATF and DOJ officials implemented an all-out campaign to silence and discredit me… Suffice to say, the last six to seven years at ATF have not been the best for me or my career."
Grassley's and Dodson's testimony reinforced findings of the report, which states that the Justice Department knew before Terry's death that the ATF was "walking" firearms to Mexico and knew the day after the agent's death that Fast and Furious guns were involved in the shootout -- despite denying these facts to the media. It goes on to state that the Justice Department's internal investigation focused more on spinning the story to avoid negative media coverage than looking into lapses by either the DOJ or ATF.
Several emails revealed in the report appear to indicate that some Justice Department staffers were working to keep information from political appointees at the department.
"I don't want to jinx it but it really is astounding that the plan worked -- so far," former Deputy Attorney General James Cole wrote in an email to Holder, according to the report.
The report also says that Holder's Justice Department stonewalled inquiries from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and deceptively told him that the "ATF makes every effort to interdict" firearms purchased by straw buyers. The controversial act of straw purchases – where a person who is prohibited from buying firearms uses another person to buy a gun on his or her behalf – has been a popular method that Mexico's drug cartels use to obtain guns.
"There are important reasons for not giving Grassley everything he is asking for: it would embolden him in future fights and would 'use up' a lot of the material that we will eventually need to release to (California Rep. Darrell) Issa . . . as the oversight struggle continues," the Office of Legislative Affairs Assistant Attorney General Ron Welch said in an email to DOJ colleagues.
END
Fast and Furious hearing rips Holder, DOJ for deception in gun-running scandal
By William La Jeunesse, Andrew O'Reilly
Published June 07, 2017 Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/07/fast-and-furious-report-slams-holder-doj-for-deception-in-gun-running-scandal.html
Members of a congressional committee at a public hearing Wednesday blasted former President Barack Obama and his attorney general for allegedly covering up an investigation into the death of a Border Patrol agent killed as a result of a botched government gun-running project known as Operation Fast and Furious.
The House Oversight Committee also Wednesday released a scathing, nearly 300-page report that found Holder's Justice Department tried to hide the facts from the loved ones of slain Border Patrol Brian Terry – seeing his family as more of a "nuisance" than one deserving straight answers – and slamming Obama's assertion of executive privilege to deny Congress access to records pertaining to Fast and Furious.
Fast and Furious scandal: Suspected triggerman in border agent's murder arrested
Medellin Cartel Gets Fast and Furious Guns
Former Border agent testifies in case of 2 suspects charged in Fast and Furious slaying
"[Terry's death] happened on Dec. 14, 2010, and we still don't have all the answers," Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, committee chairman, said of Terry's death. "Brian Terry's family should not have to wait six years for answers."
Terry died in a gunfight between Border Patrol agents and members of a six-man cartel "rip crew," which regularly patrolled the desert along the U.S.-Mexico border looking for drug dealers to rob. The cartel member suspected of slaying the Border Patrol agent, Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, was apprehended in April of this year by a joint U.S.-Mexico law enforcement task force.
Terry's death exposed Operation Fast and Furious, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) operation in which the federal government allowed criminals to buy guns in Phoenix-area shops with the intention of tracking them as they were transported into Mexico. But the agency lost track of more than 1,400 of the 2,000 guns they allowed smugglers to buy. Two of those guns were found at the scene of Terry's killing.
Related Image
This undated photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry. Terry was fatally shot north of the Arizona-Mexico border while trying to catch bandits who target illegal immigrants, the leader of a union representing agents said Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection, File)Expand / Collapse
This undated photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry. Terry was fatally shot north of the Arizona-Mexico border while trying to catch bandits who target illegal immigrants, the leader of a union representing agents said Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection, File) (AP Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection, File)
"More than five years after Brian's murder, the Terry family still wonders about key details of Operation Fast and Furious," the committee's report states. "The Justice Department's obstruction of Congress's investigation contributed to the Terry family's inability to find answers."
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, testified Wednesday in front of the committee, accusing DOJ and ATF officials of obstructing the investigation and working to silence ATF agents who informed the Senate of Fast and Furious.
"The Department of Justice and ATF had no intention of looking for honest answers and being transparent," said Grassley, now chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a staunch supporter of whistleblowers.
"In fact, from the onset, bureaucrats employed shameless delay tactics to obstruct the investigation."
One of those silenced ATF agents, John Dodson, testified Wednesday that he remains "in a state of purgatory" since objecting to Fast and Furious and has been the subject of reprisals and ridicule at the agency.
"That decision, the single act of standing up and saying, 'What we are doing is wrong'… instantly took my standing from being that of an agent of the government – to an enemy of the state," Dodson said. "ATF and DOJ officials implemented an all-out campaign to silence and discredit me… Suffice to say, the last six to seven years at ATF have not been the best for me or my career."
Grassley's and Dodson's testimony reinforced findings of the report, which states that the Justice Department knew before Terry's death that the ATF was "walking" firearms to Mexico and knew the day after the agent's death that Fast and Furious guns were involved in the shootout -- despite denying these facts to the media. It goes on to state that the Justice Department's internal investigation focused more on spinning the story to avoid negative media coverage than looking into lapses by either the DOJ or ATF.
Several emails revealed in the report appear to indicate that some Justice Department staffers were working to keep information from political appointees at the department.
"I don't want to jinx it but it really is astounding that the plan worked -- so far," former Deputy Attorney General James Cole wrote in an email to Holder, according to the report.
The report also says that Holder's Justice Department stonewalled inquiries from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and deceptively told him that the "ATF makes every effort to interdict" firearms purchased by straw buyers. The controversial act of straw purchases – where a person who is prohibited from buying firearms uses another person to buy a gun on his or her behalf – has been a popular method that Mexico's drug cartels use to obtain guns.
"There are important reasons for not giving Grassley everything he is asking for: it would embolden him in future fights and would 'use up' a lot of the material that we will eventually need to release to (California Rep. Darrell) Issa . . . as the oversight struggle continues," the Office of Legislative Affairs Assistant Attorney General Ron Welch said in an email to DOJ colleagues.
END
Sunday, June 4, 2017
AZMEX SPECIAL 4-6-17
AZMEX SPECIAL 4 JUN 2017
Agreement: Rocky Point to be 'port of Arizona'
By HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
Jun 2, 2017 Updated 16 hrs ago (0)
http://www.pinalcentral.com/arizona_news/agreement-rocky-point-to-be-port-of-arizona/article_eb20e7b3-4411-5c87-8844-630305ceda8b.html
Critics said the port could have a harmful impact on the locals, wildlife, environment and biodiversity in the area.
Rocky Point Cruises
This map shows a number of possible cruise destinations from Puerto Penasco.
But a new agreement signed here Friday at the annual summit of the Arizona-Mexico Commission is designed to pave the way for residents of the region to have easy access to cruises — easier, at least than now having to drive to southern California or Texas.
The deal inked between Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Claudia Pavlovich, his Sonora counterpart, would have Arizona firms service the ships that the Mexican government hopes will soon be docking in Puerto Penasco.
Hector Platt Mazon, Sonora's tourism director, said construction of the necessary pier and terminal, which has been stalled at about 50 percent completion, is now expected to resume.
And Pavlovich told Capitol Media Services that the agreement she signed with Ducey, assuring the cruise companies they will have access to needed services, should help loosen up the federal dollars.
"I think it will make it easier," she said, predicting that the community, known on this side of the border, will become "the port of Arizona."
Platt Mazon said he intends to deliver the signed "memorandum of understanding" to Mexican federal officials on Monday.
Pavlovich said the idea has everything going for it.
She noted that Hermosillo, Sonora's largest city and its capital, is six hours from Puerto Penasco, too far to be a steady source of everything from linens to flowers for cruise ships that routinely need supplies for 3,000 passengers at a pop. By contrast, she said, Phoenix is just half as far away.
And there's something else.
Platt Mazon said he sees it as becoming "the home port of Arizona."
He cited figures that about 1.2 million Arizonans take a cruise each year. Add to that New Mexico, Nevada and California, the potential cruise audience approaches 7 million.
"This is within driving range of Rocky Point," Platt Mazon said. "This causes a very interesting market for it."
He said talks already are underway with Carnival cruise lines which operates ships under several banners. The timing, said Platt Mazon, is excellent because cruise companies are planning voyages that far out.
Platt Mazon said the assurance that goods and services will be available from Arizona is crucial to making the port a success. He said the cruise companies already have relationships with U.S. suppliers.
"So it will be easier for them to continue making business with the ones they already have business," he said.
Still, he acknowledged, there are other potential hurdles. One is the time it can take for people to cross back into the United States.
Platt Mazon said some of that is within the control of Sonora, like widening the road between Puerto Penasco and the border. The rest, however, may require the cooperation of — and funding from — federal governments in both countries.
Ducey said he sees having a cruise port within three hours of the state's largest city as a new — and what might be unexpected — economic benefit.
"We talk about the quality of life here," he told Capitol Media Services. "We think our geographic location to a port like Puerto Penasco ... just provides another tourism opportunity for people in our state."
Ducey called it "a big win" for the state. And even for those who may not be interested in cruises, the promise of improved roads and a better border crossing has benefits.
"As beautiful as it is here in the desert, we need an easy, convenient way to get to the beach," the governor said.
"There's tourism opportunities on both sides of the border," Ducey continued. "And this is one that Angela (his wife) and I and our family will certainly take advantage of."
Still, there is no absolute guarantee that the port, now half built, will happen.
Plans and construction began four years ago, with progress in fits and starts.
END
Also: http://www.elregionaldesonora.com.mx/noticia/67386
Agreement: Rocky Point to be 'port of Arizona'
By HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
Jun 2, 2017 Updated 16 hrs ago (0)
http://www.pinalcentral.com/arizona_news/agreement-rocky-point-to-be-port-of-arizona/article_eb20e7b3-4411-5c87-8844-630305ceda8b.html
Critics said the port could have a harmful impact on the locals, wildlife, environment and biodiversity in the area.
Rocky Point Cruises
This map shows a number of possible cruise destinations from Puerto Penasco.
But a new agreement signed here Friday at the annual summit of the Arizona-Mexico Commission is designed to pave the way for residents of the region to have easy access to cruises — easier, at least than now having to drive to southern California or Texas.
The deal inked between Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Claudia Pavlovich, his Sonora counterpart, would have Arizona firms service the ships that the Mexican government hopes will soon be docking in Puerto Penasco.
Hector Platt Mazon, Sonora's tourism director, said construction of the necessary pier and terminal, which has been stalled at about 50 percent completion, is now expected to resume.
And Pavlovich told Capitol Media Services that the agreement she signed with Ducey, assuring the cruise companies they will have access to needed services, should help loosen up the federal dollars.
"I think it will make it easier," she said, predicting that the community, known on this side of the border, will become "the port of Arizona."
Platt Mazon said he intends to deliver the signed "memorandum of understanding" to Mexican federal officials on Monday.
Pavlovich said the idea has everything going for it.
She noted that Hermosillo, Sonora's largest city and its capital, is six hours from Puerto Penasco, too far to be a steady source of everything from linens to flowers for cruise ships that routinely need supplies for 3,000 passengers at a pop. By contrast, she said, Phoenix is just half as far away.
And there's something else.
Platt Mazon said he sees it as becoming "the home port of Arizona."
He cited figures that about 1.2 million Arizonans take a cruise each year. Add to that New Mexico, Nevada and California, the potential cruise audience approaches 7 million.
"This is within driving range of Rocky Point," Platt Mazon said. "This causes a very interesting market for it."
He said talks already are underway with Carnival cruise lines which operates ships under several banners. The timing, said Platt Mazon, is excellent because cruise companies are planning voyages that far out.
Platt Mazon said the assurance that goods and services will be available from Arizona is crucial to making the port a success. He said the cruise companies already have relationships with U.S. suppliers.
"So it will be easier for them to continue making business with the ones they already have business," he said.
Still, he acknowledged, there are other potential hurdles. One is the time it can take for people to cross back into the United States.
Platt Mazon said some of that is within the control of Sonora, like widening the road between Puerto Penasco and the border. The rest, however, may require the cooperation of — and funding from — federal governments in both countries.
Ducey said he sees having a cruise port within three hours of the state's largest city as a new — and what might be unexpected — economic benefit.
"We talk about the quality of life here," he told Capitol Media Services. "We think our geographic location to a port like Puerto Penasco ... just provides another tourism opportunity for people in our state."
Ducey called it "a big win" for the state. And even for those who may not be interested in cruises, the promise of improved roads and a better border crossing has benefits.
"As beautiful as it is here in the desert, we need an easy, convenient way to get to the beach," the governor said.
"There's tourism opportunities on both sides of the border," Ducey continued. "And this is one that Angela (his wife) and I and our family will certainly take advantage of."
Still, there is no absolute guarantee that the port, now half built, will happen.
Plans and construction began four years ago, with progress in fits and starts.
END
Also: http://www.elregionaldesonora.com.mx/noticia/67386
Friday, June 2, 2017
AZMEX UPDATE 2-6-17
AZMEX UPDATE 2 JUN 2017
New leaders for two Border Patrol stations
Craig Smith
7:50 PM, Jun 1, 2017
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/new-leaders-for-two-border-patrol-stations
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - There are two new leaders taking on the challenge of two busy Border Patrol stations.
The 500 agents at the Nogales Border Patrol station will be led by Sabri Dikman.
John Scanlon will be commanding about 180 agents at the station in Willcox.
They've both seen a lot of changes in their 19 years as agents.
John Scanlon says drug smuggling used to have more small operations. Now they're large, criminal networks.
He says, "Now one of the challenges we come across in Willcox is adjusting quickly to changes in smuggling tactics. So where as maybe ten or fifteen years ago we would see ten or fifteen aliens in a car, now we see one or two aliens in the trunk, vs a more packed car. As far as narcotics smuggling we get cases like a hearse that has a coffin full of narcotics, that came out in the news so as the smuggling tactics change we need to adjust quickly to adapt to that."
The agents say illegal crossing have been going down but border concerns mean recruitment for new agents is going up.
"It's a phenomenal job, great career and once they are hired and are on duty at the station we set them up with peer mentors to help them assimilate to the local environment."
And the agents hope civilians understand they are your neighbors working to keep the community safe.
END
Feds don hazmat suits during suspected fentanyl bust in Rio Rico
By Arielle Zionts
Nogales International 14 hrs ago (0)
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/feds-don-hazmat-suits-during-suspected-fentanyl-bust-in-rio/article_11df1812-472d-11e7-8f22-cb2674db2664.html
Fentanyl is so dangerous, law enforcement officers use personal protective equipment to handle it, as seen here in a photo taken after a seizure in April at a Nogales port of entry.
A Rio Rico home suspected of housing a dangerous narcotic was searched by federal agents wearing hazmat suits last month while local first responders stood by in case of an emergency.
Ray Sayre, director of emergency management in Santa Cruz County, said in situations like this where the synthetic opioid fentanyl is suspected to be present, it's a "no-brainer."
"We're going to use the highest level of protection that we have," he said.
The Santa Cruz County Regional Hazmat Team – consisting of personal from the Rio Rico, Tubac and Nogales fire districts – was dispatched to the site during the May 8 search in case they needed to decontaminate an agent exposed to the substance, Sayre said. A paramedic team with naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid effects, was also on standby.
Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, confirmed that agents from ICE's Homeland Security Investigations executed a federal search warrant for drug possession at the home on Paseo Cieneguita. However, because the warrant is sealed, she could not say if there were any arrests or what substance or scenario (a laboratory, distribution site, etc.) they were looking for.
Sayre said the home was suspected of housing fentanyl, a painkiller 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine that can cause respiratory distress and eventual cardiac arrest. He noted that fentanyl can be used safely and legally when administered by medical professionals.
According to the DEA, fentanyl comes in several forms including powder, blotter paper, tablets and spray. Its dosage amount is a microgram, about the same as a few granules of table salt, and can be deadly even at very low doses.
Sayre said the identity of the substance at the home was not confirmed on site because there is no field test for the drug. In case it was indeed fentanyl, he said, HSI agents wore hazmat suits with self-contained breathing systems because the drug may have been airborne and can be ingested via the mouth and skin.
The DEA has warned law enforcement, public health workers and first responders about the deadly hazards of contact with fentanyl, and two cases last month show the reality of that danger and the growing concern over exposure. In Ohio, a police officer accidentally overdosed when he came into contact with powdered fentanyl while searching a vehicle, and in Manitoba, Canada, a postal worker refused a paramedic's 911 instruction to perform CPR on an unresponsive woman because he feared the woman had overdosed on fentanyl.
Neither Sayre nor Genaro Rivera, assistant fire chief at the Tubac Fire District, who was at the Rio Rico home on May 8, knew how much of the drug was found there or whether it was being manufactured, sold or used for personal consumption.
Sayre said after the HSI agents completed their search, they locked the house and covered it with signs and stickers warning not to enter. If the substance is confirmed to be fentanyl, the homeowner would need to hire a professional decontamination company to clean the property, he said.
Nationwide trend
As a synthetic opiate painkiller, fentanyl is being mixed with heroin to increase its potency, exacerbating the opioid crisis in the United States and Canada. That crisis has largely bypassed Santa Cruz County – overdose deaths were so uncommon in 2014 that the Arizona Department of Health Services could not provide a reliable statistic for the county – but local authorities are concerned that the trend could change.
"If we look at it from a nationwide perspective, it looks like everybody is seeing traces of (fentanyl)," Rivera said, adding: "I think there's more of it to come (in the local area)."
Sayre agreed, saying: "We suspected that we were going to have this issue come forward because it's happening all over the United States and that's what's called the opioid crisis."
He said while fentanyl and similar opioids have been apprehended at the border in Nogales, this was the first time his office responded to an instance where the substance was suspected of being stored in a local home.
In late April, a man was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for smuggling 23 pounds of fentanyl worth $378,000 through the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry. Early that month, CBP officers used protective equipment to remove five pounds of the drug from a woman smuggling the substance in her infant's stroller at the Morley Avenue pedestrian crossing.
END
Monday, May 22, 2017
AZMEX SPECIAL 19-5-17
AZMEX SPECIAL 19 MAY 2017
Note: extensive video at link.
Given the corruption of the Obama regime, many of us locals believe Ashurst is right.
Thx
FOLLOW-UP: Border Patrol sticks to its guns, says Ivie shooting was not a cover-up
By: John Hook
POSTED:MAY 20 2017 11:24AM MST
UPDATED:MAY 20 2017 11:37AM MST
http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/255939734-story
BISBEE, Ariz (KSAZ) - The FBI never released a report on the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent near Bisbee in 2012.
However, the agency determined the shooting was a case of friendly fire. The agent, Nicholas Ivie, opened fire on two border patrol agents approaching a hilltop from a different direction.
And one agent returned fire, killing Ivie. But some think Mexican drug smugglers were on that hilltop, and that a government cover-up blamed Ivie for what happened.
Now, the Border Patrol also doesn't want anyone to think Agent Nicholas Ivie is to blame for what happened that night. "Nick did nothing wrong and I want to be really clear about that," said Jeffrey D. Self, the Chief Patrol Agent of the El Paso Border Patrol Sector.
But on October 2, 2012, the night Nicholas Ivie was killed, Self was the Joint Field Commander for Arizona.
"It ended up being a horrific evidence of friendly fire blue on blue," said Self.
There is now a monument to Nick Ivie that stands on the hilltop where he was killed.
"They perceived each other as a deadly threat and they took the action that they deemed necessary for that threat and we lost Nick," said Self.
"But the fact is there were outlaws. There was some kind of catalyst that set gunfire off," said Ed Ashurst, an Arizona rancher and author.
Rancher and author, Ed Ashurst, believes Ivie was actually ambushed by drug smugglers. And he's not the only one. We spoke to one Border Patrol agent, anonymously, who believes Ivie would have never opened fire without good reason.
Ashurst also points to this Cochise County Sheriff's report which says the one Border Patrol agent not hurt says she saw three or four other people on the hill that night. "She heard multiple voices, Spanish-speaking individuals and she saw several bodies. Three or four walking south toward Mexico," said Ashurst.
"That report does exist, that interview did take place," said Self.
Self knows about the report, and he knows what the agent said just moments after the shooting. But he thinks people should take a look at all the evidence -- not just what a traumatized agent said just after the shooting.
"They are taking that one piece and drawing a conclusion -- there was some kind of conspiracy or cover-up as a result of this one report," said Self.
The alleged conspiracy has its roots in the 2012 al Qaeda attack on Benghazi, Libya.
The uproar over how that attack was handled by the White House led some to believe that the Ivie killing was really the result of a shootout with drug smugglers.
They believe the White House wanted it covered up after promising the country the border was secure.
"They did not want anybody to know there might be an armed outlaw north of the border," said Ashurst.
Not true, says the Border Patrol. Self says no one was pressured into a cover-up.
"I can tell you that would never happen. We would be screaming from the rooftops if anyone even approached us on that," said Self.
And that any suggestion that the Border Patrol blamed Ivie for what happened that night is just wrong.
"Nick Ivie is not responsible for what happened to him. Nick Ivie was a stellar agent. Nick Ivie exercised sound tactics in doing his job. Everybody who knew Nick knows that Nick was just a good, dedicated Border Patrol agent, dedicated father, dedicated husband. And paid the ultimate sacrifice and is an American Hero," said Self.
Chief Self says the two other Border Patrol agents were transferred after the shooting at their own request, and that Self's own transfer to El Paso had nothing to do with the Nicholas Ivie shooting investigation.
END
Note: extensive video at link.
Given the corruption of the Obama regime, many of us locals believe Ashurst is right.
Thx
FOLLOW-UP: Border Patrol sticks to its guns, says Ivie shooting was not a cover-up
By: John Hook
POSTED:MAY 20 2017 11:24AM MST
UPDATED:MAY 20 2017 11:37AM MST
http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/255939734-story
BISBEE, Ariz (KSAZ) - The FBI never released a report on the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent near Bisbee in 2012.
However, the agency determined the shooting was a case of friendly fire. The agent, Nicholas Ivie, opened fire on two border patrol agents approaching a hilltop from a different direction.
And one agent returned fire, killing Ivie. But some think Mexican drug smugglers were on that hilltop, and that a government cover-up blamed Ivie for what happened.
Now, the Border Patrol also doesn't want anyone to think Agent Nicholas Ivie is to blame for what happened that night. "Nick did nothing wrong and I want to be really clear about that," said Jeffrey D. Self, the Chief Patrol Agent of the El Paso Border Patrol Sector.
But on October 2, 2012, the night Nicholas Ivie was killed, Self was the Joint Field Commander for Arizona.
"It ended up being a horrific evidence of friendly fire blue on blue," said Self.
There is now a monument to Nick Ivie that stands on the hilltop where he was killed.
"They perceived each other as a deadly threat and they took the action that they deemed necessary for that threat and we lost Nick," said Self.
"But the fact is there were outlaws. There was some kind of catalyst that set gunfire off," said Ed Ashurst, an Arizona rancher and author.
Rancher and author, Ed Ashurst, believes Ivie was actually ambushed by drug smugglers. And he's not the only one. We spoke to one Border Patrol agent, anonymously, who believes Ivie would have never opened fire without good reason.
Ashurst also points to this Cochise County Sheriff's report which says the one Border Patrol agent not hurt says she saw three or four other people on the hill that night. "She heard multiple voices, Spanish-speaking individuals and she saw several bodies. Three or four walking south toward Mexico," said Ashurst.
"That report does exist, that interview did take place," said Self.
Self knows about the report, and he knows what the agent said just moments after the shooting. But he thinks people should take a look at all the evidence -- not just what a traumatized agent said just after the shooting.
"They are taking that one piece and drawing a conclusion -- there was some kind of conspiracy or cover-up as a result of this one report," said Self.
The alleged conspiracy has its roots in the 2012 al Qaeda attack on Benghazi, Libya.
The uproar over how that attack was handled by the White House led some to believe that the Ivie killing was really the result of a shootout with drug smugglers.
They believe the White House wanted it covered up after promising the country the border was secure.
"They did not want anybody to know there might be an armed outlaw north of the border," said Ashurst.
Not true, says the Border Patrol. Self says no one was pressured into a cover-up.
"I can tell you that would never happen. We would be screaming from the rooftops if anyone even approached us on that," said Self.
And that any suggestion that the Border Patrol blamed Ivie for what happened that night is just wrong.
"Nick Ivie is not responsible for what happened to him. Nick Ivie was a stellar agent. Nick Ivie exercised sound tactics in doing his job. Everybody who knew Nick knows that Nick was just a good, dedicated Border Patrol agent, dedicated father, dedicated husband. And paid the ultimate sacrifice and is an American Hero," said Self.
Chief Self says the two other Border Patrol agents were transferred after the shooting at their own request, and that Self's own transfer to El Paso had nothing to do with the Nicholas Ivie shooting investigation.
END
Friday, May 19, 2017
AZMEX UPDATE 18-5-17
AZMEX UPDATE 18 MAY 2017
Border Patrol ID's man shot at checkpoint near Tombstone
Arizona Daily Star May 18, 2017 Updated 22 min ago
http://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/border-patrol-id-s-man-shot-at-checkpoint-near-tombstone/article_95c8d9e1-2dbe-523f-9288-d55409533c58.html
Officials: Man shot at Tombstone Border Patrol checkpoint was subject of call
Courtesy US Border Patrol
A 76-year-old man was shot Wednesday after agents say his vehicle struck barriers and he fired at agents.
Authorities identified the man shot Wednesday at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Tombstone.
Gary Smith, a 76-year-old resident of Tombstone, shot at agents through the window of his Dodge Dakota after he crashed into barricades at the checkpoint, the Border Patrol said in a news release Thursday.
The two agents working the checkpoint returned fire and Smith was wounded in his left arm, the agency said. Smith was taken by helicopter from the checkpoint at the intersection of State Route 80 and State Route 82 to a Tucson hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No agents were wounded.
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office said a woman called 911 to say her father had driven off, had medical issues and had guns and alcohol with him. A Border Patrol spokeswoman said the woman's father was the man involved in the checkpoint shootout.
The FBI is investigating the incident. FBI officials didn't immediately respond to a request for additional information.
END
Comment: Tillerson is correct. Jail for dopers. If they are in jail they can't steal your stuff. The gringo / gringa doper has a lot of Mexican blood on their hands. Just as the Obama people behind "Fast & Furious. Mexican Lives didn't Matter.
But not to forget, so many of Mexico's problems are the consequence of years of a Chicago style culture of corruption.
Gracias
Tillerson: US must deal with demand to stem drug violence
Matthew Lee, Ap Diplomatic Writer
Updated 1:01 pm, Thursday, May 18, 2017
http://www.lmtonline.com/news/politics/article/Tillerson-US-must-deal-with-demand-to-stem-drug-11156024.php?ipid=hppolitics
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two top Trump administration officials said Thursday that Americans' demand for illicit narcotics is fueling violence in Mexico and must be reduced if cross-border security issues are to be addressed.
Speaking after talks on combatting transnational crime with their Mexican counterparts, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly both said the United States bears significant responsibility for the problem. They said U.S. demand for opioids and other drugs is the prime driver of not only devastating overdose death tolls in the United States, but also of raging gang violence in Mexico.
"We Americans must own this problem," Tillerson told reporters. "It is ours."
He called for a comprehensive campaign against domestic drug addiction combined with stepped-up intelligence and information sharing with Mexico to disrupt drug traffickers by hitting production sites, transportation networks and their cash flows.
"There is no other market, it is all us," Tillerson said. "But for us, Mexico wouldn't have a transnational organized crime problem."
Kelly echoed those comments, saying that until the consumption of illicit drugs in the United States drops "we are fighting a losing battle on the border." He said construction of President Donald Trump's promised border wall would have to be supplemented with drug demand reduction in the U.S. and greater coordination with Mexico to make a serious dent in the drug flow.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray and Secretary of Government Miguel Osorio agreed and said their government would take steps to improve cooperation as well as do more to prosecute gang members. "Violence is not being addressed on our side," Osorio said.
In accepting even partial American responsibility for the surge in drug violence and crime, Tillerson and Kelly appeared to take a page from the Obama administration, which had been criticized by some Republicans for blaming the United States for Mexico's problems.
end
Border Patrol ID's man shot at checkpoint near Tombstone
Arizona Daily Star May 18, 2017 Updated 22 min ago
http://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/border-patrol-id-s-man-shot-at-checkpoint-near-tombstone/article_95c8d9e1-2dbe-523f-9288-d55409533c58.html
Officials: Man shot at Tombstone Border Patrol checkpoint was subject of call
Courtesy US Border Patrol
A 76-year-old man was shot Wednesday after agents say his vehicle struck barriers and he fired at agents.
Authorities identified the man shot Wednesday at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Tombstone.
Gary Smith, a 76-year-old resident of Tombstone, shot at agents through the window of his Dodge Dakota after he crashed into barricades at the checkpoint, the Border Patrol said in a news release Thursday.
The two agents working the checkpoint returned fire and Smith was wounded in his left arm, the agency said. Smith was taken by helicopter from the checkpoint at the intersection of State Route 80 and State Route 82 to a Tucson hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No agents were wounded.
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office said a woman called 911 to say her father had driven off, had medical issues and had guns and alcohol with him. A Border Patrol spokeswoman said the woman's father was the man involved in the checkpoint shootout.
The FBI is investigating the incident. FBI officials didn't immediately respond to a request for additional information.
END
Comment: Tillerson is correct. Jail for dopers. If they are in jail they can't steal your stuff. The gringo / gringa doper has a lot of Mexican blood on their hands. Just as the Obama people behind "Fast & Furious. Mexican Lives didn't Matter.
But not to forget, so many of Mexico's problems are the consequence of years of a Chicago style culture of corruption.
Gracias
Tillerson: US must deal with demand to stem drug violence
Matthew Lee, Ap Diplomatic Writer
Updated 1:01 pm, Thursday, May 18, 2017
http://www.lmtonline.com/news/politics/article/Tillerson-US-must-deal-with-demand-to-stem-drug-11156024.php?ipid=hppolitics
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two top Trump administration officials said Thursday that Americans' demand for illicit narcotics is fueling violence in Mexico and must be reduced if cross-border security issues are to be addressed.
Speaking after talks on combatting transnational crime with their Mexican counterparts, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly both said the United States bears significant responsibility for the problem. They said U.S. demand for opioids and other drugs is the prime driver of not only devastating overdose death tolls in the United States, but also of raging gang violence in Mexico.
"We Americans must own this problem," Tillerson told reporters. "It is ours."
He called for a comprehensive campaign against domestic drug addiction combined with stepped-up intelligence and information sharing with Mexico to disrupt drug traffickers by hitting production sites, transportation networks and their cash flows.
"There is no other market, it is all us," Tillerson said. "But for us, Mexico wouldn't have a transnational organized crime problem."
Kelly echoed those comments, saying that until the consumption of illicit drugs in the United States drops "we are fighting a losing battle on the border." He said construction of President Donald Trump's promised border wall would have to be supplemented with drug demand reduction in the U.S. and greater coordination with Mexico to make a serious dent in the drug flow.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray and Secretary of Government Miguel Osorio agreed and said their government would take steps to improve cooperation as well as do more to prosecute gang members. "Violence is not being addressed on our side," Osorio said.
In accepting even partial American responsibility for the surge in drug violence and crime, Tillerson and Kelly appeared to take a page from the Obama administration, which had been criticized by some Republicans for blaming the United States for Mexico's problems.
end
AZMEX UPDATE 18-5-17
AZMEX UPDATE 18 MAY 2017
Border Patrol ID's man shot at checkpoint near Tombstone
Arizona Daily Star May 18, 2017 Updated 22 min ago
http://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/border-patrol-id-s-man-shot-at-checkpoint-near-tombstone/article_95c8d9e1-2dbe-523f-9288-d55409533c58.html
Officials: Man shot at Tombstone Border Patrol checkpoint was subject of call
Courtesy US Border Patrol
A 76-year-old man was shot Wednesday after agents say his vehicle struck barriers and he fired at agents.
Authorities identified the man shot Wednesday at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Tombstone.
Gary Smith, a 76-year-old resident of Tombstone, shot at agents through the window of his Dodge Dakota after he crashed into barricades at the checkpoint, the Border Patrol said in a news release Thursday.
The two agents working the checkpoint returned fire and Smith was wounded in his left arm, the agency said. Smith was taken by helicopter from the checkpoint at the intersection of State Route 80 and State Route 82 to a Tucson hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No agents were wounded.
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office said a woman called 911 to say her father had driven off, had medical issues and had guns and alcohol with him. A Border Patrol spokeswoman said the woman's father was the man involved in the checkpoint shootout.
The FBI is investigating the incident. FBI officials didn't immediately respond to a request for additional information.
END
Comment: Tillerson is correct. Jail for dopers. If they are in jail they can't steal your stuff. The gringo / gringa doper has a lot of Mexican blood on their hands. Just as the Obama people behind "Fast & Furious. Mexican Lives didn't Matter.
But not to forget, so many of Mexico's problems are the consequence of years of a Chicago style culture of corruption.
Gracias
Tillerson: US must deal with demand to stem drug violence
Matthew Lee, Ap Diplomatic Writer
Updated 1:01 pm, Thursday, May 18, 2017
http://www.lmtonline.com/news/politics/article/Tillerson-US-must-deal-with-demand-to-stem-drug-11156024.php?ipid=hppolitics
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two top Trump administration officials said Thursday that Americans' demand for illicit narcotics is fueling violence in Mexico and must be reduced if cross-border security issues are to be addressed.
Speaking after talks on combatting transnational crime with their Mexican counterparts, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly both said the United States bears significant responsibility for the problem. They said U.S. demand for opioids and other drugs is the prime driver of not only devastating overdose death tolls in the United States, but also of raging gang violence in Mexico.
"We Americans must own this problem," Tillerson told reporters. "It is ours."
He called for a comprehensive campaign against domestic drug addiction combined with stepped-up intelligence and information sharing with Mexico to disrupt drug traffickers by hitting production sites, transportation networks and their cash flows.
"There is no other market, it is all us," Tillerson said. "But for us, Mexico wouldn't have a transnational organized crime problem."
Kelly echoed those comments, saying that until the consumption of illicit drugs in the United States drops "we are fighting a losing battle on the border." He said construction of President Donald Trump's promised border wall would have to be supplemented with drug demand reduction in the U.S. and greater coordination with Mexico to make a serious dent in the drug flow.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray and Secretary of Government Miguel Osorio agreed and said their government would take steps to improve cooperation as well as do more to prosecute gang members. "Violence is not being addressed on our side," Osorio said.
In accepting even partial American responsibility for the surge in drug violence and crime, Tillerson and Kelly appeared to take a page from the Obama administration, which had been criticized by some Republicans for blaming the United States for Mexico's problems.
end
Border Patrol ID's man shot at checkpoint near Tombstone
Arizona Daily Star May 18, 2017 Updated 22 min ago
http://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/border-patrol-id-s-man-shot-at-checkpoint-near-tombstone/article_95c8d9e1-2dbe-523f-9288-d55409533c58.html
Officials: Man shot at Tombstone Border Patrol checkpoint was subject of call
Courtesy US Border Patrol
A 76-year-old man was shot Wednesday after agents say his vehicle struck barriers and he fired at agents.
Authorities identified the man shot Wednesday at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Tombstone.
Gary Smith, a 76-year-old resident of Tombstone, shot at agents through the window of his Dodge Dakota after he crashed into barricades at the checkpoint, the Border Patrol said in a news release Thursday.
The two agents working the checkpoint returned fire and Smith was wounded in his left arm, the agency said. Smith was taken by helicopter from the checkpoint at the intersection of State Route 80 and State Route 82 to a Tucson hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No agents were wounded.
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office said a woman called 911 to say her father had driven off, had medical issues and had guns and alcohol with him. A Border Patrol spokeswoman said the woman's father was the man involved in the checkpoint shootout.
The FBI is investigating the incident. FBI officials didn't immediately respond to a request for additional information.
END
Comment: Tillerson is correct. Jail for dopers. If they are in jail they can't steal your stuff. The gringo / gringa doper has a lot of Mexican blood on their hands. Just as the Obama people behind "Fast & Furious. Mexican Lives didn't Matter.
But not to forget, so many of Mexico's problems are the consequence of years of a Chicago style culture of corruption.
Gracias
Tillerson: US must deal with demand to stem drug violence
Matthew Lee, Ap Diplomatic Writer
Updated 1:01 pm, Thursday, May 18, 2017
http://www.lmtonline.com/news/politics/article/Tillerson-US-must-deal-with-demand-to-stem-drug-11156024.php?ipid=hppolitics
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two top Trump administration officials said Thursday that Americans' demand for illicit narcotics is fueling violence in Mexico and must be reduced if cross-border security issues are to be addressed.
Speaking after talks on combatting transnational crime with their Mexican counterparts, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly both said the United States bears significant responsibility for the problem. They said U.S. demand for opioids and other drugs is the prime driver of not only devastating overdose death tolls in the United States, but also of raging gang violence in Mexico.
"We Americans must own this problem," Tillerson told reporters. "It is ours."
He called for a comprehensive campaign against domestic drug addiction combined with stepped-up intelligence and information sharing with Mexico to disrupt drug traffickers by hitting production sites, transportation networks and their cash flows.
"There is no other market, it is all us," Tillerson said. "But for us, Mexico wouldn't have a transnational organized crime problem."
Kelly echoed those comments, saying that until the consumption of illicit drugs in the United States drops "we are fighting a losing battle on the border." He said construction of President Donald Trump's promised border wall would have to be supplemented with drug demand reduction in the U.S. and greater coordination with Mexico to make a serious dent in the drug flow.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray and Secretary of Government Miguel Osorio agreed and said their government would take steps to improve cooperation as well as do more to prosecute gang members. "Violence is not being addressed on our side," Osorio said.
In accepting even partial American responsibility for the surge in drug violence and crime, Tillerson and Kelly appeared to take a page from the Obama administration, which had been criticized by some Republicans for blaming the United States for Mexico's problems.
end
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
AZMEX UPDATE2 17-5-17
AZMEX UPDATE2 17-5-17
Border Patrol agents involved in shooting at immigration checkpoint
Mac Colson
4:41 PM, May 17, 2017
3 hours ago
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/shooting-reported-at-border-patrol-checkpoint-near-tombstone
TOMBSTONE, Ariz. (KGUN9-TV) - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents were involved in a shooting at the border patrol checkpoint near Tombstone.
A vehicle driving northbound on SR 80 crashed into traffic barriers at the immigration checkpoint.
The adult male driver began shooting at agents at the checkpoint.
Agents returned fire and shot the suspect according to a release.
Carol Capas with CCSD says a call came in at 3:04 p.m. Wednesday from a woman in Tombstone saying her father left the Tombstone home
and she thought he was headed towards Sierra Vista.
Capas added that the woman said her father had guns and alcohol in the car with him.
The call for shots fired came in just after 3:45 p.m.
Capas says the 76-year-old suspect was shot and airlifted to a hospital.
No agents were shot, according to Capas.
END
Border Patrol agents involved in shooting at immigration checkpoint
Mac Colson
4:41 PM, May 17, 2017
3 hours ago
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/shooting-reported-at-border-patrol-checkpoint-near-tombstone
TOMBSTONE, Ariz. (KGUN9-TV) - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents were involved in a shooting at the border patrol checkpoint near Tombstone.
A vehicle driving northbound on SR 80 crashed into traffic barriers at the immigration checkpoint.
The adult male driver began shooting at agents at the checkpoint.
Agents returned fire and shot the suspect according to a release.
Carol Capas with CCSD says a call came in at 3:04 p.m. Wednesday from a woman in Tombstone saying her father left the Tombstone home
and she thought he was headed towards Sierra Vista.
Capas added that the woman said her father had guns and alcohol in the car with him.
The call for shots fired came in just after 3:45 p.m.
Capas says the 76-year-old suspect was shot and airlifted to a hospital.
No agents were shot, according to Capas.
END
AZMEX UPDATE 17-5-17
AZMEX UPDATE 17 MAY 2017
US supports Mexico in fight against narco: Jacobson
Details Posted on Wednesday May 17, 2017,
Written by Special
Http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=89701
CD. MEXICO
The United States will continue to support Mexico in the fight against drug trafficking, said the United States Ambassador to Mexico, Roberta S. Jacobson, in the framework of the first National Conference on Forensic Chemistry of Fentanyl.
"In the United States it is one of our top priorities, along with increasing access to addiction treatment; You can be sure that we will continue to support Mexico as we fight together against this shared challenge. "
She also warned of increased fentanyl in the United States, a drug more potent than heroin.
"My government has made it clear that stopping the flow of opioids and other illegal narcotic drugs entering the United States is one of our top priorities, along with increasing access to addiction treatment."
According to recent data, she detailed, in 2015 alone, more than 33 thousand people died in the US of opioid overdose, representing a 72 percent increase over 2014, "and everything indicates that the data for 2016 and 2017 will show even greater numbers. "
END
Border authorities seize more than $7.2 million in drugs
Posted: May 17, 2017 12:19 PM MST
Updated: May 17, 2017 12:19 PM MST
By The Associated Press
By News Staff
http://www.azfamily.com/story/35453646/border-authorities-seize-more-than-72-million-in-drugs
NOGALES, AZ (AP) -
Authorities say more than 13,700 pounds of marijuana hidden in a tractor trailer with a load of bell peppers has been seized in southern Arizona.
Officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of Nogales say the marijuana had an estimated value of more than $6.85 million.
The big rig underwent a secondary inspection Saturday at the Mariposa Commercial Facility.
CBP officers searched the semi with the help of a drug-sniffing canine and found the marijuana hidden among the bell peppers.
On Saturday night, officers at the Dennis DeConcini Crossing used a drug-sniffing dog to search a suspicious SUV.
They reported finding more than 34 pounds of cocaine hidden in the truck's back seats.
Authorities say the cocaine had an estimated value of $386,000.
The narcotics and vehicles were seized, and both subjects were arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigation.
END
ICE officers deport Mexican National wanted for sex trafficking
Posted: May 17, 2017 10:33 AM MST
Updated: May 17, 2017 10:33 AM MST
Posted By Faye DeHoff
http://www.kvoa.com/story/35452665/ice-officers-deport-mexican-national-wanted-for-sex-trafficking
PHOENIX -
A Mexican national wanted in his native country for sex trafficking minors was handed over to Mexican law enforcement officials Tuesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales.
Valentin Mendiola Castaneda, 35, was transferred to the custody of Mexico's Procuraduria General de la Republica (PGR) and Mexican immigration by deportation officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Mendiola was arrested in January by officers with
ERO's Fugitive Operations and special agents with ICE Homeland Security Investigations.
In addition to sex trafficking, the Mexican arrest warrant issued in June 2014 charges Mendiola Castaneda with the aggravated sexual exploitation of minors. The charging document alleges Mendiola Castaneda sexually exploited two young girls at hotels and residences in Toluca, Mexico, and participated in sexual acts with the minors.
"The removal of this sex trafficking suspect to face criminal charges in Mexico is the direct result of continued cooperation between ICE and our law enforcement counterparts in Mexico," said Henry Lucero, field office director for ERO in Phoenix. "Foreign criminal fugitives who believe they can escape justice by fleeing to the U.S. will be apprehended and handed over to the proper law enforcement authorities."
Relevant Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Mendiola Castaneda has been repatriated to Mexico 11 times since 1998. He also has two federal convictions for entering the U.S. illegally and served prison time in both cases. ICE reinstated Mendiola Castaneda's prior removal order paving the way for Tuesday's repatriation.
Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 1,700 foreign fugitives from the United States who were sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. In fiscal year 2016, ICE conducted 240,255 removals nationwide. Ninety-two percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States had previously been convicted of a criminal offense.
ERO works with the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office of International Operations, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the United States.
Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE tip line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE's online tip form.
END
US supports Mexico in fight against narco: Jacobson
Details Posted on Wednesday May 17, 2017,
Written by Special
Http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=89701
CD. MEXICO
The United States will continue to support Mexico in the fight against drug trafficking, said the United States Ambassador to Mexico, Roberta S. Jacobson, in the framework of the first National Conference on Forensic Chemistry of Fentanyl.
"In the United States it is one of our top priorities, along with increasing access to addiction treatment; You can be sure that we will continue to support Mexico as we fight together against this shared challenge. "
She also warned of increased fentanyl in the United States, a drug more potent than heroin.
"My government has made it clear that stopping the flow of opioids and other illegal narcotic drugs entering the United States is one of our top priorities, along with increasing access to addiction treatment."
According to recent data, she detailed, in 2015 alone, more than 33 thousand people died in the US of opioid overdose, representing a 72 percent increase over 2014, "and everything indicates that the data for 2016 and 2017 will show even greater numbers. "
END
Border authorities seize more than $7.2 million in drugs
Posted: May 17, 2017 12:19 PM MST
Updated: May 17, 2017 12:19 PM MST
By The Associated Press
By News Staff
http://www.azfamily.com/story/35453646/border-authorities-seize-more-than-72-million-in-drugs
NOGALES, AZ (AP) -
Authorities say more than 13,700 pounds of marijuana hidden in a tractor trailer with a load of bell peppers has been seized in southern Arizona.
Officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of Nogales say the marijuana had an estimated value of more than $6.85 million.
The big rig underwent a secondary inspection Saturday at the Mariposa Commercial Facility.
CBP officers searched the semi with the help of a drug-sniffing canine and found the marijuana hidden among the bell peppers.
On Saturday night, officers at the Dennis DeConcini Crossing used a drug-sniffing dog to search a suspicious SUV.
They reported finding more than 34 pounds of cocaine hidden in the truck's back seats.
Authorities say the cocaine had an estimated value of $386,000.
The narcotics and vehicles were seized, and both subjects were arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigation.
END
ICE officers deport Mexican National wanted for sex trafficking
Posted: May 17, 2017 10:33 AM MST
Updated: May 17, 2017 10:33 AM MST
Posted By Faye DeHoff
http://www.kvoa.com/story/35452665/ice-officers-deport-mexican-national-wanted-for-sex-trafficking
PHOENIX -
A Mexican national wanted in his native country for sex trafficking minors was handed over to Mexican law enforcement officials Tuesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales.
Valentin Mendiola Castaneda, 35, was transferred to the custody of Mexico's Procuraduria General de la Republica (PGR) and Mexican immigration by deportation officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Mendiola was arrested in January by officers with
ERO's Fugitive Operations and special agents with ICE Homeland Security Investigations.
In addition to sex trafficking, the Mexican arrest warrant issued in June 2014 charges Mendiola Castaneda with the aggravated sexual exploitation of minors. The charging document alleges Mendiola Castaneda sexually exploited two young girls at hotels and residences in Toluca, Mexico, and participated in sexual acts with the minors.
"The removal of this sex trafficking suspect to face criminal charges in Mexico is the direct result of continued cooperation between ICE and our law enforcement counterparts in Mexico," said Henry Lucero, field office director for ERO in Phoenix. "Foreign criminal fugitives who believe they can escape justice by fleeing to the U.S. will be apprehended and handed over to the proper law enforcement authorities."
Relevant Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Mendiola Castaneda has been repatriated to Mexico 11 times since 1998. He also has two federal convictions for entering the U.S. illegally and served prison time in both cases. ICE reinstated Mendiola Castaneda's prior removal order paving the way for Tuesday's repatriation.
Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 1,700 foreign fugitives from the United States who were sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. In fiscal year 2016, ICE conducted 240,255 removals nationwide. Ninety-two percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States had previously been convicted of a criminal offense.
ERO works with the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office of International Operations, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the United States.
Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE tip line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE's online tip form.
END
AZMEX WALL SPECIAL 14-5-17
AZMEX WALL SPECIAL 14 MAY 2017
Comment: Bugs, critters, reptiles, weeds etc. etc. before citizens.
Thx
Environmentalists face uphill battle with proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall
GARRISON MURPHY/CRONKITE NEWS |
May 14, 2017 @ 8:01 am
https://ktar.com/story/1570866/environmentalists-face-uphill-battle-with-proposed-border-wall/
Barrier construction along the border near Naco is affecting wildlife and causing erosion. (Cronkite News/Garrison Murphy)
Phoenix — As the bidding war for the construction of President Donald Trump's wall comes to a close, many environmental activists remain concerned over the potential impact it will have on wildlife and ecology on the border.
The wall could affect a broad range of animal and plant species as well as water flow along border territory.
"The north and south mountain ranges serve as wildlife corridors and a border wall and related militarization essentially cut that in half," said Craig Miller, Senior Southwest Representative of Defenders of Wildlife, a conservationist group.
"That has significant and long-term, and in some cases permanent consequences for wildlife and the habitat. Jaguars, black bears, mountain lions – the list goes on and on. We're just beginning to understand the impact of severing those wildlife corridors," Miller said.
More than 700 species of birds, mammals and insects migrate through the borderlands each year, according to the Sky Island Alliance. At least 450 rare species live in the borderlands.
(Video by Garrison Murphy/Cronkite News)
One hurdle for many environmental activists is the 2005 Real ID act, which waives U.S. Border Patrol's obligation to follow certain environmental and cultural laws that exist on the border.
Former Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, waived at least 37 of these laws.
"I think that those laws being laid are devastating, and not taking a look at these resources on our public lands," said Louise Misztal, conservation director of the Sky Island Alliance, an environmental activist group focused on the Sky Island region in southeast Arizona.
"There's all sorts of springs and sacred sites that are in the public lands in the Sky Island that were protected in those lands because they're really gems of the nation and the laws and infrastructure damage those sites," Misztal said.
No other Secretary of Homeland Security has authorized the use of the Real ID act.
Dinah Bear is a board member of the Border Action Network and practices environmental law. She said some in government believe the Real ID act is a governmental overreach.
"People are being deprived of their normal opportunities for normal review of proposals for protection of environment and communities," Bear said.
Even the U.S. Border Patrol has criticized the Real ID act.
"Even as we continue to carry out our core mission, we remain strongly committed to demonstrating sound environmental and cultural stewardship practices", said Chief of Border Patrol Michael J. Fisher before the House Committee on Homeland Security in 2011. "Border security and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive."
The Real ID act has faced challenges from organizations such as Miller's Defenders of Wildlife, but none have undergone judicial review.
Despite this, Miller said he has seen improvements in ecology around the border recently and is the result of 30 years of binational cooperation. But he is afraid this cooperation will go to waste if an all-encompassing wall is built.
"A border wall threatens all of those decades of collaboration," Miller said. "It throws away all the coordination that goes into working out reasonable solutions. This border wall flies in the face of all the experts and it dismisses expertise."
Effect on wildlife
Among the wildlife that could be affected by a permanent border wall is the northern jaguar, a few which have been spotted in Arizona and Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Sky Island Alliance)
One recent example of this is the reintroduction of the Mexican gray wolf into Northern Sonora and Southern Arizona. There are only two populations in the wild and one is in Arizona and the other is on the eastern slope of Sonora.
Miller said further splitting of these two populations could be detrimental to the species' survival.
"The ability for these wild populations to eventually connect and exchange genes is essential to their long-term survival," he said. "You can't have isolated populations of wildlife survive in the long term."
He also said despite the difficulties he and other environmental activists face on the border, the U.S. Border Patrol has historically recognized the importance of wildlife crossing across the border.
"Border Patrol and DHS have been actually pretty responsive," he said. "They have used a diversity of approaches to balance their need to secure areas and the values tied to wild landscapes and wild features."
Miller said he hopes politicians consider further use of technology based barriers such as infrared and motion detectors instead of physical barriers in that "the combination of the infrared motion sensors Is far less destructive."
Walls are not the only thing threatening wildlife and ecology in the borderlands. Roads, foot traffic, vehicle traffi, and even air traffic can affect wildlife and plants in the borderlands.
In addition to the Mexican gray wolf, the borderlands harbor a diversity of animal and plant species. Many are endangered or threatened because of the current infrastructure along the border, Miller said. An extended wall could potentially be even more harmful to those species.
He said many animals cross the border to get to hard-to-find resources in the desert. Many species' traditional migration routes cross the international boundary.
Some examples of animals threatened by increased border security are the ocelot, northern jaguar and black bear. Border walls even affect birds like the pygmy owl, which has a tendency to fly at low altitudes.
"The types of species that have particular flight patterns can be very affected by this large barrier," Misztal said. "Birds can fly into that and get stuck and die."
Amphibious species that live near waterways on the border, such as the Sonoran Desert Toad, are unable to cross border barriers. This phenomenon can result in "inbreeding depression and behavioral oddities" in many species.
She said the Sky Island Region is particularly susceptible to damage caused by border infrastructure.
"Something that is really important about this area is the picture of the ecosystem is very connected and the border and infrastructure would really be cutting right through the heart of the region," Misztal said. "There's large areas of the Sky Island Region in Arizona in particular that there is border infrastructure that is an impermeable wall. All sorts of critters cannot get through large portions of the wall."
Work in jeopardy
Misztal said she agreed the work she and others have done in the border region could be in jeopardy.
The harmful effects don't just pertain to habitat and wildlife. Communities around the border can be indirectly affected by the exacerbating ecology.
"Healthy human communities, especially in these rural areas, really depend on the ecosystems," Misztal said. "That kind of sea-to-shining-sea wall would be devastating to natural and human communities around the border and I don't think it's the solution to the problem we are trying to solve."
Other problems border structures can cause include preventing seed distribution and genetic diversity across the border as well as flooding along the wall. Any structure can act as a dam for rainwater.
Some politicians in border communities agree with Misztal and Miller. However,
Misztal said many politicians make misinformed judgments about the borderlands because they are not familiar with them.
"A lot of people around the country don't necessarily understand what the landscape looks like around here and it's a really wonderful, beautiful diversity of plants and animals that live down here," Misztal said. "I think it's a really important natural resource of our country and is important to protect and keep functioning.
"People don't usually think of desert areas being diverse and full of life but they definitely are down here," she said.
Nogales, Ariz., mayor John Doyle said he has experienced flooding due to the current wall and infrastructure on the border.
"It would be a disaster; it would be terrible for wildlife," Doyle said. "These people in Washington don't understand the border."
END
Comment: Bugs, critters, reptiles, weeds etc. etc. before citizens.
Thx
Environmentalists face uphill battle with proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall
GARRISON MURPHY/CRONKITE NEWS |
May 14, 2017 @ 8:01 am
https://ktar.com/story/1570866/environmentalists-face-uphill-battle-with-proposed-border-wall/
Barrier construction along the border near Naco is affecting wildlife and causing erosion. (Cronkite News/Garrison Murphy)
Phoenix — As the bidding war for the construction of President Donald Trump's wall comes to a close, many environmental activists remain concerned over the potential impact it will have on wildlife and ecology on the border.
The wall could affect a broad range of animal and plant species as well as water flow along border territory.
"The north and south mountain ranges serve as wildlife corridors and a border wall and related militarization essentially cut that in half," said Craig Miller, Senior Southwest Representative of Defenders of Wildlife, a conservationist group.
"That has significant and long-term, and in some cases permanent consequences for wildlife and the habitat. Jaguars, black bears, mountain lions – the list goes on and on. We're just beginning to understand the impact of severing those wildlife corridors," Miller said.
More than 700 species of birds, mammals and insects migrate through the borderlands each year, according to the Sky Island Alliance. At least 450 rare species live in the borderlands.
(Video by Garrison Murphy/Cronkite News)
One hurdle for many environmental activists is the 2005 Real ID act, which waives U.S. Border Patrol's obligation to follow certain environmental and cultural laws that exist on the border.
Former Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, waived at least 37 of these laws.
"I think that those laws being laid are devastating, and not taking a look at these resources on our public lands," said Louise Misztal, conservation director of the Sky Island Alliance, an environmental activist group focused on the Sky Island region in southeast Arizona.
"There's all sorts of springs and sacred sites that are in the public lands in the Sky Island that were protected in those lands because they're really gems of the nation and the laws and infrastructure damage those sites," Misztal said.
No other Secretary of Homeland Security has authorized the use of the Real ID act.
Dinah Bear is a board member of the Border Action Network and practices environmental law. She said some in government believe the Real ID act is a governmental overreach.
"People are being deprived of their normal opportunities for normal review of proposals for protection of environment and communities," Bear said.
Even the U.S. Border Patrol has criticized the Real ID act.
"Even as we continue to carry out our core mission, we remain strongly committed to demonstrating sound environmental and cultural stewardship practices", said Chief of Border Patrol Michael J. Fisher before the House Committee on Homeland Security in 2011. "Border security and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive."
The Real ID act has faced challenges from organizations such as Miller's Defenders of Wildlife, but none have undergone judicial review.
Despite this, Miller said he has seen improvements in ecology around the border recently and is the result of 30 years of binational cooperation. But he is afraid this cooperation will go to waste if an all-encompassing wall is built.
"A border wall threatens all of those decades of collaboration," Miller said. "It throws away all the coordination that goes into working out reasonable solutions. This border wall flies in the face of all the experts and it dismisses expertise."
Effect on wildlife
Among the wildlife that could be affected by a permanent border wall is the northern jaguar, a few which have been spotted in Arizona and Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Sky Island Alliance)
One recent example of this is the reintroduction of the Mexican gray wolf into Northern Sonora and Southern Arizona. There are only two populations in the wild and one is in Arizona and the other is on the eastern slope of Sonora.
Miller said further splitting of these two populations could be detrimental to the species' survival.
"The ability for these wild populations to eventually connect and exchange genes is essential to their long-term survival," he said. "You can't have isolated populations of wildlife survive in the long term."
He also said despite the difficulties he and other environmental activists face on the border, the U.S. Border Patrol has historically recognized the importance of wildlife crossing across the border.
"Border Patrol and DHS have been actually pretty responsive," he said. "They have used a diversity of approaches to balance their need to secure areas and the values tied to wild landscapes and wild features."
Miller said he hopes politicians consider further use of technology based barriers such as infrared and motion detectors instead of physical barriers in that "the combination of the infrared motion sensors Is far less destructive."
Walls are not the only thing threatening wildlife and ecology in the borderlands. Roads, foot traffic, vehicle traffi, and even air traffic can affect wildlife and plants in the borderlands.
In addition to the Mexican gray wolf, the borderlands harbor a diversity of animal and plant species. Many are endangered or threatened because of the current infrastructure along the border, Miller said. An extended wall could potentially be even more harmful to those species.
He said many animals cross the border to get to hard-to-find resources in the desert. Many species' traditional migration routes cross the international boundary.
Some examples of animals threatened by increased border security are the ocelot, northern jaguar and black bear. Border walls even affect birds like the pygmy owl, which has a tendency to fly at low altitudes.
"The types of species that have particular flight patterns can be very affected by this large barrier," Misztal said. "Birds can fly into that and get stuck and die."
Amphibious species that live near waterways on the border, such as the Sonoran Desert Toad, are unable to cross border barriers. This phenomenon can result in "inbreeding depression and behavioral oddities" in many species.
She said the Sky Island Region is particularly susceptible to damage caused by border infrastructure.
"Something that is really important about this area is the picture of the ecosystem is very connected and the border and infrastructure would really be cutting right through the heart of the region," Misztal said. "There's large areas of the Sky Island Region in Arizona in particular that there is border infrastructure that is an impermeable wall. All sorts of critters cannot get through large portions of the wall."
Work in jeopardy
Misztal said she agreed the work she and others have done in the border region could be in jeopardy.
The harmful effects don't just pertain to habitat and wildlife. Communities around the border can be indirectly affected by the exacerbating ecology.
"Healthy human communities, especially in these rural areas, really depend on the ecosystems," Misztal said. "That kind of sea-to-shining-sea wall would be devastating to natural and human communities around the border and I don't think it's the solution to the problem we are trying to solve."
Other problems border structures can cause include preventing seed distribution and genetic diversity across the border as well as flooding along the wall. Any structure can act as a dam for rainwater.
Some politicians in border communities agree with Misztal and Miller. However,
Misztal said many politicians make misinformed judgments about the borderlands because they are not familiar with them.
"A lot of people around the country don't necessarily understand what the landscape looks like around here and it's a really wonderful, beautiful diversity of plants and animals that live down here," Misztal said. "I think it's a really important natural resource of our country and is important to protect and keep functioning.
"People don't usually think of desert areas being diverse and full of life but they definitely are down here," she said.
Nogales, Ariz., mayor John Doyle said he has experienced flooding due to the current wall and infrastructure on the border.
"It would be a disaster; it would be terrible for wildlife," Doyle said. "These people in Washington don't understand the border."
END
AZMEX EXTRA 16-5-17
AZMEX EXTRA 16 MAY 2017
Note: Add a Chicago style culture of corruption aiding and abetting the violence.
Gracias
New Study Shows How Gun Control Has Not Slowed Violence in Mexico
BY AWR HAWKINS |
TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2017
https://www.nraila.org/articles/20170516/new-study-shows-how-gun-control-has-not-slowed-violence-in-mexico
Mexico's gun controls are strict and, when enumerated, read like a wish list for U.S. Senate Democrats. Think about it: For a Mexican citizen to legally acquire a gun, he or she must obtain a license, a process which requires them to pass a background check. That background check looks at criminal history, mental history, physical health and any past drug additions.
Making the background check even more onerous, CBS News reports, is the requirement that applicants submit six pieces of documentation: A birth certificate, a letter confirming employment, proof of a clean criminal record from the attorney general's office in the applicant's home state, a utility bill with current address, a copy of a government-issued ID and a federal social security number.
Additionally, the University of Sydney's GunPolicy.org reports that the would-be gun purchaser has to prove a bona fide reason for getting a firearm. In this way, Mexico is like California or New Jersey, but the requirements are at a national level.
All firearms owned by Mexican citizens must subsequently be registered with Mexican authorities.
And for those who pass the background check, submit all the necessary documentation, and prove why they need a gun, the options for gun purchases are limited to government-approved weapons. Civilians are not allowed to possess weapons of war, including automatic firearms; sub-machine guns; machine guns; .357 Magnum revolvers and those greater than .38 caliber; handguns greater than 9 mm; rifles and carbines of .223, 7mm, 7.62 and .30 calibers; or shotguns with barrels shorter than 635 mm or greater than 12 gauge.
Mexican citizens who would like to carry a gun for self-defense must note that receiving permission to own a gun and receiving permission to carry one are two different things. In this way, Mexico is like Illinois, where you get a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card to own a gun for your home or business, but must go a step further and get a concealed-carry permit in order to carry the gun for self-defense.
The process for being able to carry a gun includes the submission of additional paperwork, including "third-party character references." Such references are necessary "to carry pistols and revolvers."
After all these gun controls—and many others that are not even listed here—one would think Mexico would be far safer than the United States; that it is the utopia that gun controllers in the U.S. Senate promise when they push gun restriction after gun restriction. In truth, however, Mexico is far more dangerous than the U.S.
In fact, Mexico is so dangerous that the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) lists Mexico as second only to Syria when it comes to "armed conflict." And when you think about the fact that Syria is a war-torn nation, ravaged by years of unchecked civil war, the amount of violence required to rank Mexico as number two is breathtaking.
To bring the ramifications of this violence closer to home, consider CBS News' August 2016 observation that "Mexico has a homicide rate more than five times higher than in the U.S."
The truth is, the U.S. is not characterized by anything near the violence of other nations when honestly compared to those nations where citizens can keep arms for self-defense. In fact, an Oct. 22, 2016, Telegraph report—based on findings in the Small Arms Survey and the 2012 Congressional Research Serrvice Report—found the U.S. ranked number one in the world in per-capita gun ownership, but the U.S. did not even crack the top 10 when it came to firearm-related deaths.
Yes, this is contrary to everything the gun control lobby teaches and preaches. Yet unlike so many of their claims, these points are substantiated.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
Note: Add a Chicago style culture of corruption aiding and abetting the violence.
Gracias
New Study Shows How Gun Control Has Not Slowed Violence in Mexico
BY AWR HAWKINS |
TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2017
https://www.nraila.org/articles/20170516/new-study-shows-how-gun-control-has-not-slowed-violence-in-mexico
Mexico's gun controls are strict and, when enumerated, read like a wish list for U.S. Senate Democrats. Think about it: For a Mexican citizen to legally acquire a gun, he or she must obtain a license, a process which requires them to pass a background check. That background check looks at criminal history, mental history, physical health and any past drug additions.
Making the background check even more onerous, CBS News reports, is the requirement that applicants submit six pieces of documentation: A birth certificate, a letter confirming employment, proof of a clean criminal record from the attorney general's office in the applicant's home state, a utility bill with current address, a copy of a government-issued ID and a federal social security number.
Additionally, the University of Sydney's GunPolicy.org reports that the would-be gun purchaser has to prove a bona fide reason for getting a firearm. In this way, Mexico is like California or New Jersey, but the requirements are at a national level.
All firearms owned by Mexican citizens must subsequently be registered with Mexican authorities.
And for those who pass the background check, submit all the necessary documentation, and prove why they need a gun, the options for gun purchases are limited to government-approved weapons. Civilians are not allowed to possess weapons of war, including automatic firearms; sub-machine guns; machine guns; .357 Magnum revolvers and those greater than .38 caliber; handguns greater than 9 mm; rifles and carbines of .223, 7mm, 7.62 and .30 calibers; or shotguns with barrels shorter than 635 mm or greater than 12 gauge.
Mexican citizens who would like to carry a gun for self-defense must note that receiving permission to own a gun and receiving permission to carry one are two different things. In this way, Mexico is like Illinois, where you get a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card to own a gun for your home or business, but must go a step further and get a concealed-carry permit in order to carry the gun for self-defense.
The process for being able to carry a gun includes the submission of additional paperwork, including "third-party character references." Such references are necessary "to carry pistols and revolvers."
After all these gun controls—and many others that are not even listed here—one would think Mexico would be far safer than the United States; that it is the utopia that gun controllers in the U.S. Senate promise when they push gun restriction after gun restriction. In truth, however, Mexico is far more dangerous than the U.S.
In fact, Mexico is so dangerous that the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) lists Mexico as second only to Syria when it comes to "armed conflict." And when you think about the fact that Syria is a war-torn nation, ravaged by years of unchecked civil war, the amount of violence required to rank Mexico as number two is breathtaking.
To bring the ramifications of this violence closer to home, consider CBS News' August 2016 observation that "Mexico has a homicide rate more than five times higher than in the U.S."
The truth is, the U.S. is not characterized by anything near the violence of other nations when honestly compared to those nations where citizens can keep arms for self-defense. In fact, an Oct. 22, 2016, Telegraph report—based on findings in the Small Arms Survey and the 2012 Congressional Research Serrvice Report—found the U.S. ranked number one in the world in per-capita gun ownership, but the U.S. did not even crack the top 10 when it came to firearm-related deaths.
Yes, this is contrary to everything the gun control lobby teaches and preaches. Yet unlike so many of their claims, these points are substantiated.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
Friday, May 12, 2017
AZMEX UPDATE 11-5-17
AZMEX UPDATE 11 MAY 2017
CBP agents arrest 11, confiscate 3 weapons in 72 hours
Thursday, May 11th 2017, 5:07 pm MST
Thursday, May 11th 2017, 5:07 pm MST
By Carolyn Yaussy
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/35410308/cbp-agents-arrest-11-confiscate-3-weapons-in-72-hours
SOUTHERN, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents were busy early this week. Within 72 hours agents arrested 11 people and confiscated three weapons, according to a release.
On Sunday a citizen near Bisbee reported seeing someone walk out of the desert, and get into a vehicle. Agents from Terry Station tracked down that vehicle, and arrested the passenger who was a Mexican national in the United States illegally. Agents also arrested the driver, who is a U.S. citizen, and confiscated a 9 mm handgun.
On Monday agents working on Interstate 8 near Gila Bend saw five people pile into a Honda Pilot on the side of the road. After investigating, agents determined the five passengers were Mexican nationals in the U.S. illegally. Agents also arrested that driver, who is a U.S. citizen, and confiscated a .45 caliber hand gun.
Early on Tuesday agents near Three Points got a report of someone getting into a Lincoln Navigator on the side of Robles Junction Road. Agents caught up with the vehicle which was stopped a short distance from the reported area. Two men inside were U.S. citizens and claimed to be alone, but agents found another man, a Mexican national, hiding on the floor between the rear seats. All three men were arrested, and agents also confiscated a 9 mm handgun from the car.
END
Note: A Mexican patriot.
Departure from prison, Mireles will be out this Friday: Lawyer
By: SUN | 11/05/2017 18:47
CITY OF MEXICO (SUN)
Http://www.elimparcial.com/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Nacional/11052017/1212913-Salida-de-Mireles-sera-este-viernes-Abogado.html
For the local deputy, Daniel Moncada Sánchez, the Fifth District Judge based in Uruapan has issued the release on bail of Jose Manuel Mireles Valverde, former leader of the self-defense groups, is only a step, as they now seek absolution .
The legislator of Citizen Movement, precursor of legal and political defense of Mireles Valverde, said that it will be until this Friday when he leaves the bars of the federal prison of Tepic, Nayarit.
This, he explained, is due to the formalities and payment of the bond of 30 thousand pesos that assumed the same deputy and the former candidate for the governorship of that political institute, Manuel Antúnez Oviedo.
"But I repeat, this is only an advance; It is not a victory nor can we feel completely satisfied and today the only thing that was done is to do justice, attached to right; It is not a gift, nor is it a favor; I consider that the judge acted well, based on the law and now the most important and the fundamental objective is to get him acquitted, "said Moncada Sánchez.
He explained that what the judge determined, it is only that Mireles faces his criminal process out of prison, so they will seek the Mexican State to recognize that he is innocent; "That is the primary goal," said MC's representative.
For its part, the State Commission for Human Rights (CEDH) endorsed the determination of the Fifth District Court, based in the city of Uruapan, so that José Manuel Mireles Valverde, continue its process in freedom.
"This body has pronounced on several occasions on the need to grant a substitution or modification of precautionary measures other than pre-trial detention and the urgency of monitoring its state of health; As well as for the decision of the judge to be attached to independence, autonomy and not be subject to factors other than the value of justice, "the body quoted in a statement.
On Wednesday, April 26, the Mexican ombudsman, Victor Manuel Serrato Lozano, held a meeting with the head of the Fifth District Court, who asked to take into consideration the uncertainty prevailing in the state, before which Mireles Valverde was seen In the need to defend their heritage, their families and the inhabitants of their region.
End
CBP agents arrest 11, confiscate 3 weapons in 72 hours
Thursday, May 11th 2017, 5:07 pm MST
Thursday, May 11th 2017, 5:07 pm MST
By Carolyn Yaussy
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/35410308/cbp-agents-arrest-11-confiscate-3-weapons-in-72-hours
SOUTHERN, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents were busy early this week. Within 72 hours agents arrested 11 people and confiscated three weapons, according to a release.
On Sunday a citizen near Bisbee reported seeing someone walk out of the desert, and get into a vehicle. Agents from Terry Station tracked down that vehicle, and arrested the passenger who was a Mexican national in the United States illegally. Agents also arrested the driver, who is a U.S. citizen, and confiscated a 9 mm handgun.
On Monday agents working on Interstate 8 near Gila Bend saw five people pile into a Honda Pilot on the side of the road. After investigating, agents determined the five passengers were Mexican nationals in the U.S. illegally. Agents also arrested that driver, who is a U.S. citizen, and confiscated a .45 caliber hand gun.
Early on Tuesday agents near Three Points got a report of someone getting into a Lincoln Navigator on the side of Robles Junction Road. Agents caught up with the vehicle which was stopped a short distance from the reported area. Two men inside were U.S. citizens and claimed to be alone, but agents found another man, a Mexican national, hiding on the floor between the rear seats. All three men were arrested, and agents also confiscated a 9 mm handgun from the car.
END
Note: A Mexican patriot.
Departure from prison, Mireles will be out this Friday: Lawyer
By: SUN | 11/05/2017 18:47
CITY OF MEXICO (SUN)
Http://www.elimparcial.com/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Nacional/11052017/1212913-Salida-de-Mireles-sera-este-viernes-Abogado.html
For the local deputy, Daniel Moncada Sánchez, the Fifth District Judge based in Uruapan has issued the release on bail of Jose Manuel Mireles Valverde, former leader of the self-defense groups, is only a step, as they now seek absolution .
The legislator of Citizen Movement, precursor of legal and political defense of Mireles Valverde, said that it will be until this Friday when he leaves the bars of the federal prison of Tepic, Nayarit.
This, he explained, is due to the formalities and payment of the bond of 30 thousand pesos that assumed the same deputy and the former candidate for the governorship of that political institute, Manuel Antúnez Oviedo.
"But I repeat, this is only an advance; It is not a victory nor can we feel completely satisfied and today the only thing that was done is to do justice, attached to right; It is not a gift, nor is it a favor; I consider that the judge acted well, based on the law and now the most important and the fundamental objective is to get him acquitted, "said Moncada Sánchez.
He explained that what the judge determined, it is only that Mireles faces his criminal process out of prison, so they will seek the Mexican State to recognize that he is innocent; "That is the primary goal," said MC's representative.
For its part, the State Commission for Human Rights (CEDH) endorsed the determination of the Fifth District Court, based in the city of Uruapan, so that José Manuel Mireles Valverde, continue its process in freedom.
"This body has pronounced on several occasions on the need to grant a substitution or modification of precautionary measures other than pre-trial detention and the urgency of monitoring its state of health; As well as for the decision of the judge to be attached to independence, autonomy and not be subject to factors other than the value of justice, "the body quoted in a statement.
On Wednesday, April 26, the Mexican ombudsman, Victor Manuel Serrato Lozano, held a meeting with the head of the Fifth District Court, who asked to take into consideration the uncertainty prevailing in the state, before which Mireles Valverde was seen In the need to defend their heritage, their families and the inhabitants of their region.
End
AZMEX I3 11-5-17
AZMEX I3 11 MAY 2017
City's Human Relations Commission discusses sanctuary city status
Wednesday, May 10th 2017, 3:15 pm MST
Thursday, May 11th 2017, 12:52 pm MST
By Monica Grimaldo, Multimedia Journalist
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/35398640/citys-human-relations-commission-to-discuss-sanctuary-city-status
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
There's a push now to make Tucson a sanctuary city, even as President Donald Trump tries to crackdown on them.
Tucson's Human Relations Commission, which works closely with immigrants, is behind the latest push.
The commission said if Tucson proclaims itself a sanctuary city, it will give immigrants more confidence they're in a safe place, especially when they send their kids to school.
"We feel on principle, you know, especially our schools should be safe places," a commission member said. "We think that you know health care and things like that are human rights."
As of now, Tucson is an immigrant friendly city.
A federal judge recently blocked the Trump administration from withholding federal money from cities that don't follow immigration law
Tucson City Councilwoman Regina Romero said with the judge's recent ruling, Tucson will keep pushing its long-standing policy which doesn't discriminate.
The Tucson HRC discussed the issue at a public meeting Wednesday night. The next step would be to meet with city council members to try to convince them.
END
50 percent less deportations in this area
Details Published on Thursday, May 11, 2017,
Written by Editor / El Diario
Http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=89492
Nogales
Just 15,780 migrants last April were secured by federal agents in the southwestern United States, compared to 48,550 in the same month, of the previous year, according to figures from Customs and Border Protection (CBP). acronym in English).
According to the Mexican consul in Nogales, Arizona, Ricardo Santana Velásquez, these figures coincide with those that the Federal Government has and is evidenced by the low flow witnessed by employees of the Consulate General on the border with Sonora.
"We maintain contact with all agencies of the United States government, especially the Border Patrol and ICE, who report that the numbers fell drastically, in some cases by more than 50 percent, compared to the same period of the year Previous, "he said.
He also said that in the case of incoming migrants, statistics are still quite low.
The Mexican consul pointed out that it is a remarkable contrast, however, the programs that are exercised with the Mexican community are organized according to the changes of the migratory policies in the United States.
"We are offering them all the support and information they require, so as not to be in difficult situations," he said.
Santana Velázquez said that according to police and immigration agencies, this drop in deportations of illegals and income flows is due to a combination of factors, a decline that occurred before Donald Trump took office.
"We do not know exactly what the reason itself is, I do not think there is one in particular, but if it could be a combination of several factors," he said.
END
City's Human Relations Commission discusses sanctuary city status
Wednesday, May 10th 2017, 3:15 pm MST
Thursday, May 11th 2017, 12:52 pm MST
By Monica Grimaldo, Multimedia Journalist
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/35398640/citys-human-relations-commission-to-discuss-sanctuary-city-status
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
There's a push now to make Tucson a sanctuary city, even as President Donald Trump tries to crackdown on them.
Tucson's Human Relations Commission, which works closely with immigrants, is behind the latest push.
The commission said if Tucson proclaims itself a sanctuary city, it will give immigrants more confidence they're in a safe place, especially when they send their kids to school.
"We feel on principle, you know, especially our schools should be safe places," a commission member said. "We think that you know health care and things like that are human rights."
As of now, Tucson is an immigrant friendly city.
A federal judge recently blocked the Trump administration from withholding federal money from cities that don't follow immigration law
Tucson City Councilwoman Regina Romero said with the judge's recent ruling, Tucson will keep pushing its long-standing policy which doesn't discriminate.
The Tucson HRC discussed the issue at a public meeting Wednesday night. The next step would be to meet with city council members to try to convince them.
END
50 percent less deportations in this area
Details Published on Thursday, May 11, 2017,
Written by Editor / El Diario
Http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=89492
Nogales
Just 15,780 migrants last April were secured by federal agents in the southwestern United States, compared to 48,550 in the same month, of the previous year, according to figures from Customs and Border Protection (CBP). acronym in English).
According to the Mexican consul in Nogales, Arizona, Ricardo Santana Velásquez, these figures coincide with those that the Federal Government has and is evidenced by the low flow witnessed by employees of the Consulate General on the border with Sonora.
"We maintain contact with all agencies of the United States government, especially the Border Patrol and ICE, who report that the numbers fell drastically, in some cases by more than 50 percent, compared to the same period of the year Previous, "he said.
He also said that in the case of incoming migrants, statistics are still quite low.
The Mexican consul pointed out that it is a remarkable contrast, however, the programs that are exercised with the Mexican community are organized according to the changes of the migratory policies in the United States.
"We are offering them all the support and information they require, so as not to be in difficult situations," he said.
Santana Velázquez said that according to police and immigration agencies, this drop in deportations of illegals and income flows is due to a combination of factors, a decline that occurred before Donald Trump took office.
"We do not know exactly what the reason itself is, I do not think there is one in particular, but if it could be a combination of several factors," he said.
END
Thursday, May 11, 2017
AZMEX UPDATE 9-5-17
AZMEX UPDATE 9 MAY 2017
Note: Original story from Sun UK. Graphics, photos at link.
TROUBLE IN PARADISE Brit holiday hotspot Mexico revealed as the world's second deadliest country ahead of IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN
An arms race between rival organised crime groups and government forces has caused a spike in violence
By Sam Webb
9th May 2017, 6:30 pm Updated: 9th May 2017, 6:31 pm
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3520091/brit-holiday-hotspot-mexico-revealed-as-the-worlds-second-deadliest-country-ahead-of-iraq-and-afghanistan/
MEXICO is the second most deadly warzone in the world – even worse than Iraq and Afghanistan – according to new research.
The crime-plagued nation, which had 513,800 British visitors in 2016, is second only to Syria in combat deaths, according to this year's Armed Conflict Survey by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
There were 157,000 deaths from conflict worldwide last year
A woman cries over a relative who was shot dead in Veracruz, eastern Mexico, in June 2016. There were 23,000 recorded deaths from fighting in Mexico
A Mexican soldier stands guard next to a mass grave, in Zitlala, Mexico on November 25, 2016
An arms race between rival organised crime groups and government forces has pushed the level of violence to that of a war – with 23,000 recorded deaths.
A total of 50,000 died in fighting in Syria, 17,000 were killed in Iraq and continuing fighting in Afghanistan caused the deaths of 16,000 people.
The ten most lethal conflicts were: Syria, Mexico, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey, South Sudan and Nigeria.
Family members cry in front of a car in which two men were killed in Juarez, Mexico
The conflict in Syria has topped the grim list for five years
A Somali firefighter gestures at the site of car bomb attack in Mogadishu yesterday
Syria's conflict was the world's most lethal for the fifth year running.
Dr John Chipman, chief executive and director-general of the IISS said: "The death toll in Mexico's conflict surpasses those for Afghanistan and Somalia.
"This is all the more surprising, considering that the conflict deaths are nearly all attributable to small arms.
"Mexico is a conflict marked by the absence of artillery, tanks or combat aviation."
A man from the Dinka tribe in South Sudan poses with his AK 47 rifle
A Kalashnikov assault rifle found after a shooting in Cancun, a tourist hotspot
The violence has spiralled as criminal groups like the Sinaloa Catel, Los Zetas and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel look for more extreme methods of controlling territory and sources of cash like cocaine smuggling, heroin production and, increasingly, synthetic drugs laboratories.
They are not afraid to launch direct assaults on cops and the military. In one incident in May 2016 criminals opened fire on a patrol of the Mexican Navy, one of the most capable combat forces in Mexico, killing a marine.
The resulting gunfight also left six suspected criminals dead. Because several small criminal groups operate in the area it has been difficult to discover who launched the attack.
However, the Armed Conflict Survey also reveals deaths from conflict worldwide fell to 157,000 last year, compared to 167,000 in 2015.
It contains detailed analysis of 36 of the world's high-, medium- and low intensity conflicts.
end
Note: from cnn even.
Mexico was second deadliest country in 2016
By Elizabeth Roberts, CNN
Updated 12:48 PM ET, Tue May 9, 2017
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/09/americas/mexico-second-deadliest-conflict-2016/index.html?sr=fbCNN050917mexico-second-deadliest-conflict-20160310PMVODtopLink&linkId=37379117
end
More:
Después de Siria, México fue el país más violento en 2016: Informe
Por: SUN | 09/05/2017 10:34
LONDRES, Inglaterra(SUN)
http://www.elimparcial.com/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Nacional/09052017/1212234-Despues-de-Siria-Mexico-fue-el-pais-mas-violento-en-2016-Informe.html
END
Note: At Naco POE that is. "Of the 262 linear miles"
Last panel of border fencing installed near Naco Port of Entry
Posted: May 09, 2017 10:55 AM MST
Updated: May 09, 2017 10:55 AM MST
Posted By Faye DeHoff
http://www.kvoa.com/story/35383820/last-panel-of-border-fencing-installed-near-naco-port-of-entry
Naco -
Granite Construction crews installed the final border fence panel earlier today, near Arizona's Naco Port of Entry. This completes the replacement of an estimated 7.5 miles of outdated primary pedestrian fencing along the U.S-Mexico border.
Plans for the replacement fencing began four years ago. Funding was approved last year as part of the 2016 fiscal budget. The overall project, which includes replacement fencing, road improvements, and improvements to low water crossings, is expected to be completed next month.
The replacement fence creates greater resistance to illegal crossings, and improves situational awareness of illegal activities along the immediate border.
Of the 262 linear miles of border patrolled by Tucson Sector agents, approximately 210 miles have some type of pedestrian or vehicle barrier.
END
PGR stops truck with load of 'crystal' ( meth )
Details Posted on Tuesday May 09, 2017,
Written by Editor / El Diario
Http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=89375
HERMOSILLO
The Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR), through the Deputy Attorney General for Regional Control, Criminal Procedures and Amparo, in its Sonora Delegation, secured methamphetamine and heroin, in support of the "The Truth of the Crystal" program in Santa Ana.
Derived from an anonymous complaint, elements of the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC), attached to the General Directorate of Ministerial and Judicial Orders based in the city of Hermosillo, on highway 15, section Hermosillo-Santa Ana, kilometer 15 + 200 , Arrested Jose and Javier, on board a truck, from Tecomán, Colima, bound for Tijuana, Baja California.
At the time of reviewing the vehicle, AIC staff located and secured 23 packs of 24 kilograms of methamphetamine and three packs of two kilograms, 300 grams of heroin that were hidden in the fuel tank of that unit.
For these actions, the defendants, drugs and the truck, were available to the Public Ministry of the Federation, who continues with the integration of the corresponding Investigation Folder for crimes against health.
End
Note: Original story from Sun UK. Graphics, photos at link.
TROUBLE IN PARADISE Brit holiday hotspot Mexico revealed as the world's second deadliest country ahead of IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN
An arms race between rival organised crime groups and government forces has caused a spike in violence
By Sam Webb
9th May 2017, 6:30 pm Updated: 9th May 2017, 6:31 pm
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3520091/brit-holiday-hotspot-mexico-revealed-as-the-worlds-second-deadliest-country-ahead-of-iraq-and-afghanistan/
MEXICO is the second most deadly warzone in the world – even worse than Iraq and Afghanistan – according to new research.
The crime-plagued nation, which had 513,800 British visitors in 2016, is second only to Syria in combat deaths, according to this year's Armed Conflict Survey by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
There were 157,000 deaths from conflict worldwide last year
A woman cries over a relative who was shot dead in Veracruz, eastern Mexico, in June 2016. There were 23,000 recorded deaths from fighting in Mexico
A Mexican soldier stands guard next to a mass grave, in Zitlala, Mexico on November 25, 2016
An arms race between rival organised crime groups and government forces has pushed the level of violence to that of a war – with 23,000 recorded deaths.
A total of 50,000 died in fighting in Syria, 17,000 were killed in Iraq and continuing fighting in Afghanistan caused the deaths of 16,000 people.
The ten most lethal conflicts were: Syria, Mexico, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey, South Sudan and Nigeria.
Family members cry in front of a car in which two men were killed in Juarez, Mexico
The conflict in Syria has topped the grim list for five years
A Somali firefighter gestures at the site of car bomb attack in Mogadishu yesterday
Syria's conflict was the world's most lethal for the fifth year running.
Dr John Chipman, chief executive and director-general of the IISS said: "The death toll in Mexico's conflict surpasses those for Afghanistan and Somalia.
"This is all the more surprising, considering that the conflict deaths are nearly all attributable to small arms.
"Mexico is a conflict marked by the absence of artillery, tanks or combat aviation."
A man from the Dinka tribe in South Sudan poses with his AK 47 rifle
A Kalashnikov assault rifle found after a shooting in Cancun, a tourist hotspot
The violence has spiralled as criminal groups like the Sinaloa Catel, Los Zetas and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel look for more extreme methods of controlling territory and sources of cash like cocaine smuggling, heroin production and, increasingly, synthetic drugs laboratories.
They are not afraid to launch direct assaults on cops and the military. In one incident in May 2016 criminals opened fire on a patrol of the Mexican Navy, one of the most capable combat forces in Mexico, killing a marine.
The resulting gunfight also left six suspected criminals dead. Because several small criminal groups operate in the area it has been difficult to discover who launched the attack.
However, the Armed Conflict Survey also reveals deaths from conflict worldwide fell to 157,000 last year, compared to 167,000 in 2015.
It contains detailed analysis of 36 of the world's high-, medium- and low intensity conflicts.
end
Note: from cnn even.
Mexico was second deadliest country in 2016
By Elizabeth Roberts, CNN
Updated 12:48 PM ET, Tue May 9, 2017
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/09/americas/mexico-second-deadliest-conflict-2016/index.html?sr=fbCNN050917mexico-second-deadliest-conflict-20160310PMVODtopLink&linkId=37379117
end
More:
Después de Siria, México fue el país más violento en 2016: Informe
Por: SUN | 09/05/2017 10:34
LONDRES, Inglaterra(SUN)
http://www.elimparcial.com/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Nacional/09052017/1212234-Despues-de-Siria-Mexico-fue-el-pais-mas-violento-en-2016-Informe.html
END
Note: At Naco POE that is. "Of the 262 linear miles"
Last panel of border fencing installed near Naco Port of Entry
Posted: May 09, 2017 10:55 AM MST
Updated: May 09, 2017 10:55 AM MST
Posted By Faye DeHoff
http://www.kvoa.com/story/35383820/last-panel-of-border-fencing-installed-near-naco-port-of-entry
Naco -
Granite Construction crews installed the final border fence panel earlier today, near Arizona's Naco Port of Entry. This completes the replacement of an estimated 7.5 miles of outdated primary pedestrian fencing along the U.S-Mexico border.
Plans for the replacement fencing began four years ago. Funding was approved last year as part of the 2016 fiscal budget. The overall project, which includes replacement fencing, road improvements, and improvements to low water crossings, is expected to be completed next month.
The replacement fence creates greater resistance to illegal crossings, and improves situational awareness of illegal activities along the immediate border.
Of the 262 linear miles of border patrolled by Tucson Sector agents, approximately 210 miles have some type of pedestrian or vehicle barrier.
END
PGR stops truck with load of 'crystal' ( meth )
Details Posted on Tuesday May 09, 2017,
Written by Editor / El Diario
Http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=89375
HERMOSILLO
The Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR), through the Deputy Attorney General for Regional Control, Criminal Procedures and Amparo, in its Sonora Delegation, secured methamphetamine and heroin, in support of the "The Truth of the Crystal" program in Santa Ana.
Derived from an anonymous complaint, elements of the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC), attached to the General Directorate of Ministerial and Judicial Orders based in the city of Hermosillo, on highway 15, section Hermosillo-Santa Ana, kilometer 15 + 200 , Arrested Jose and Javier, on board a truck, from Tecomán, Colima, bound for Tijuana, Baja California.
At the time of reviewing the vehicle, AIC staff located and secured 23 packs of 24 kilograms of methamphetamine and three packs of two kilograms, 300 grams of heroin that were hidden in the fuel tank of that unit.
For these actions, the defendants, drugs and the truck, were available to the Public Ministry of the Federation, who continues with the integration of the corresponding Investigation Folder for crimes against health.
End
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
AZMEX EXTRA 10-5-17
AZMEX EXTRA 10 MAR 2017
Note: Are the conflicts from Sinaloa now making it north to the AZMEX border?
Gunfights in Nogales, Son
ABDUCTIONS OF VARIOUS PEOPLE IS BELIEVED; DAMAGE TO HOUSES AND VEHICLES
10 / May / 2017
Hiram G. Machi
New Day / Nogales, Sonora
Http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=34262
Without official details of the shootings made yesterday morning in various sectors of this city, at least four houses and equal number of vehicles with bullet impacts are counted.
That, directly or intentionally and sometimes by collateral damage or "lost bullets" and presumed illegal abduction of people.
The strongest activity took place in Colosio Colony's Los Piras Street, where an armed group and several vehicles caused damage to a house, which one day later appeared in a state of neglect, with the half-open garage door and with several bullet holes on the façade; Likewise, at least two other contiguous homes were hit by assault rifle fire.
At least four vehicles were counted with shots to body and windows, as well as several homes in San Sebastián, El Rastro and other sectors, which according to residents, had damage to windows, shutters, doors and interiors.
The shots were heard to the southwest of the city from the first minutes of yesterday, from the presence of an armed group that crossed the streets.
The shots ceased for some minutes to intensify soon after in the Colosio colony.
Some people were being deprived of their liberty, extracted from their homes, although details of the events were not disclosed, which arose during several hours in various sectors of the city.
End
They exchange weapons for vouchers
Details Posted on Wednesday May 10, 2017,
Written by Marco A. Flores
Http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=89433
NOGALES
Vouchers valued at up to 3,000 pesos ($158 USD) will be delivered to people who come to deliver firearms to the reception module for the 2017 Despistolización Campaign, which began on Tuesday, 9th at Miguel Hidalgo Square.
Celeste Bojórquez Quiñones, coordinator of the Public Security Secretariat's liaison in this border city, informed at a press conference that the event will be held from 9:00 am to 13:00 hours and could be extended until sometime next November. This first stage will be until September 30.
"This campaign is aimed at crime prevention and our main objective is to reduce crime rates, especially so that there are no more assaults or accidents at home, such as homicides and suicides, as well as fostering citizenship coexistence, in which All are well, "she said.
She recalled that community participation in general is required to dispose of firearms in homes, because of the risk they represent to families, for that reason is the opportunity to deliver them and also obtain some economic resources in exchange for these articles.
The state official added that the amount of the vouchers will be evaluated by elements of the Sedena, varying depending on the weapon, if functional could reach up to three thousand pesos and if it is useless, up to one thousand pesos. ($53 USD) They will also take in handguns, cartridges, explosives and all kinds of weapons
"Last year we were somewhat low, compared to the year 2015 for example, here in Nogales, but there was participation and most of the weapons turned in were for hunting, but this time and with the conditions that are taking place in Nogales, we hope That more illegal weapons be delivered, "he recalled.
End
Note: Translated as we got it.
Instructions from ATF on identification of weapons and explosives
Details Posted on Thursday March 09, 2017,
Written by Editor / El Diario
Http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=87109
The Agency of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives of Tijuana
conducted a training on March 8 and 9, about the identification of weapons and explosives to fourteen members of the Tax Administration Service (SAT) and Federal Police in the city of Sonoyta, Sonora.
The weapons and explosives identification course covers the classification of weapons and explosives as well as the use of the Agency of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tracking system. The course also included current trends in Mexico related to the trafficking of firearms and explosives.
The course was of benefit to the police and customs officers conducting searches or inspections as they will be able to discover and identify various parts of a firearm and explosive components.
END
Note: Are the conflicts from Sinaloa now making it north to the AZMEX border?
Gunfights in Nogales, Son
ABDUCTIONS OF VARIOUS PEOPLE IS BELIEVED; DAMAGE TO HOUSES AND VEHICLES
10 / May / 2017
Hiram G. Machi
New Day / Nogales, Sonora
Http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=34262
Without official details of the shootings made yesterday morning in various sectors of this city, at least four houses and equal number of vehicles with bullet impacts are counted.
That, directly or intentionally and sometimes by collateral damage or "lost bullets" and presumed illegal abduction of people.
The strongest activity took place in Colosio Colony's Los Piras Street, where an armed group and several vehicles caused damage to a house, which one day later appeared in a state of neglect, with the half-open garage door and with several bullet holes on the façade; Likewise, at least two other contiguous homes were hit by assault rifle fire.
At least four vehicles were counted with shots to body and windows, as well as several homes in San Sebastián, El Rastro and other sectors, which according to residents, had damage to windows, shutters, doors and interiors.
The shots were heard to the southwest of the city from the first minutes of yesterday, from the presence of an armed group that crossed the streets.
The shots ceased for some minutes to intensify soon after in the Colosio colony.
Some people were being deprived of their liberty, extracted from their homes, although details of the events were not disclosed, which arose during several hours in various sectors of the city.
End
They exchange weapons for vouchers
Details Posted on Wednesday May 10, 2017,
Written by Marco A. Flores
Http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=89433
NOGALES
Vouchers valued at up to 3,000 pesos ($158 USD) will be delivered to people who come to deliver firearms to the reception module for the 2017 Despistolización Campaign, which began on Tuesday, 9th at Miguel Hidalgo Square.
Celeste Bojórquez Quiñones, coordinator of the Public Security Secretariat's liaison in this border city, informed at a press conference that the event will be held from 9:00 am to 13:00 hours and could be extended until sometime next November. This first stage will be until September 30.
"This campaign is aimed at crime prevention and our main objective is to reduce crime rates, especially so that there are no more assaults or accidents at home, such as homicides and suicides, as well as fostering citizenship coexistence, in which All are well, "she said.
She recalled that community participation in general is required to dispose of firearms in homes, because of the risk they represent to families, for that reason is the opportunity to deliver them and also obtain some economic resources in exchange for these articles.
The state official added that the amount of the vouchers will be evaluated by elements of the Sedena, varying depending on the weapon, if functional could reach up to three thousand pesos and if it is useless, up to one thousand pesos. ($53 USD) They will also take in handguns, cartridges, explosives and all kinds of weapons
"Last year we were somewhat low, compared to the year 2015 for example, here in Nogales, but there was participation and most of the weapons turned in were for hunting, but this time and with the conditions that are taking place in Nogales, we hope That more illegal weapons be delivered, "he recalled.
End
Note: Translated as we got it.
Instructions from ATF on identification of weapons and explosives
Details Posted on Thursday March 09, 2017,
Written by Editor / El Diario
Http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=87109
The Agency of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives of Tijuana
conducted a training on March 8 and 9, about the identification of weapons and explosives to fourteen members of the Tax Administration Service (SAT) and Federal Police in the city of Sonoyta, Sonora.
The weapons and explosives identification course covers the classification of weapons and explosives as well as the use of the Agency of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tracking system. The course also included current trends in Mexico related to the trafficking of firearms and explosives.
The course was of benefit to the police and customs officers conducting searches or inspections as they will be able to discover and identify various parts of a firearm and explosive components.
END
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
AZMEX UPDATE 4-5-47
AZMEX UPDATE 4 MAY 2017
Tucson Sector Border Patrol Agents catch two men with a million dollars worth of pot
Posted: May 03, 2017 2:16 PM MST
Updated: May 03, 2017 2:16 PM MST
Posted By Faye DeHoff
http://www.kvoa.com/story/35334880/tucson-sector-border-patrol-agents-catch-two-men-with-a-million-dollars-worth-of-pot
Elgin -
Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents working near Elgin made an immigration stop on a suspicious vehicle Tuesday afternoon, which led to a pursuit and eventual discovery of more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana, worth in excess of $1 million.
When agents attempted to stop a 2003 Chevy pickup truck on Lower Elgin Road, northeast of State Route 83, the vehicle sped up. The truck then abruptly veered off road and collided with a chunk of concrete. Agents later identified the truck's occupants as two male Mexican nationals illegally in the United States. Both men required medical treatment and were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Agents seized the truck and 97 bundles of marijuana found inside. Both men were arrested on drug smuggling charges and will be processed in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines.
Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless or until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Customs & Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free. All calls will be answered and remain anonymous.
END
Man arrested in Snowflake after meth and 14 weapons seized
Posted: May 03, 2017 2:09 PM MST
Updated: May 03, 2017 2:09 PM MST
http://www.kvoa.com/story/35334820/man-arrested-in-snowflake-after-meth-and-14-weapons-seized
HOLBROOK, Ariz. (AP) - Navajo County Sheriff's officials say a man has been arrested in Snowflake after methamphetamine and more than a dozen firearms were found at his home.
They say Scott Dean Anderson is prohibited from possessing firearms.
He was taken into custody Tuesday after a search warrant was executed at his residence.
Sheriff's officials say more than seven ounces of meth was found along with 14 firearms and other weapons.
They say Anderson was arrested without incident.
He's been booked into the county jail on suspicion of methamphetamine possession,
possession meth for sale,
possession of drug paraphernalia,
possession of a weapon during a drug offense and
having a weapon while being a prohibited possessor.
It was unclear Wednesday if Anderson has an attorney for his case yet.
END
Tucson Sector Border Patrol Agents catch two men with a million dollars worth of pot
Posted: May 03, 2017 2:16 PM MST
Updated: May 03, 2017 2:16 PM MST
Posted By Faye DeHoff
http://www.kvoa.com/story/35334880/tucson-sector-border-patrol-agents-catch-two-men-with-a-million-dollars-worth-of-pot
Elgin -
Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents working near Elgin made an immigration stop on a suspicious vehicle Tuesday afternoon, which led to a pursuit and eventual discovery of more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana, worth in excess of $1 million.
When agents attempted to stop a 2003 Chevy pickup truck on Lower Elgin Road, northeast of State Route 83, the vehicle sped up. The truck then abruptly veered off road and collided with a chunk of concrete. Agents later identified the truck's occupants as two male Mexican nationals illegally in the United States. Both men required medical treatment and were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Agents seized the truck and 97 bundles of marijuana found inside. Both men were arrested on drug smuggling charges and will be processed in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines.
Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless or until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Customs & Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free. All calls will be answered and remain anonymous.
END
Man arrested in Snowflake after meth and 14 weapons seized
Posted: May 03, 2017 2:09 PM MST
Updated: May 03, 2017 2:09 PM MST
http://www.kvoa.com/story/35334820/man-arrested-in-snowflake-after-meth-and-14-weapons-seized
HOLBROOK, Ariz. (AP) - Navajo County Sheriff's officials say a man has been arrested in Snowflake after methamphetamine and more than a dozen firearms were found at his home.
They say Scott Dean Anderson is prohibited from possessing firearms.
He was taken into custody Tuesday after a search warrant was executed at his residence.
Sheriff's officials say more than seven ounces of meth was found along with 14 firearms and other weapons.
They say Anderson was arrested without incident.
He's been booked into the county jail on suspicion of methamphetamine possession,
possession meth for sale,
possession of drug paraphernalia,
possession of a weapon during a drug offense and
having a weapon while being a prohibited possessor.
It was unclear Wednesday if Anderson has an attorney for his case yet.
END
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