AZMEX UPDATE 26-2-12

AZMEX UPDATE 26 FEB 2012

Note: group actually facilitating drug/human smuggling. This area
very active for smuggling and related violence.

Border Patrol responds to allegations in wake of video
Posted: Feb 25, 2012 2:59 PM MST
Updated: Feb 25, 2012 7:18 PM MST
Posted by James Bennett - email
By Philip Franchine / Green Valley News

GREEN VALLEY, AZ - A video of a Border Patrol agent dumping water
placed in the desert by a humanitarian group has officials defending
agents while promising to address a report detailing thousands of
incidents of abuse.

The seven-minute video shows an agent confronting members of No More
Deaths, a Tucson-based advocacy group whose goal is to stem illegal
immigrant deaths in the desert. It was posted online in September
2011, in part to illustrate the group's contention that the culture
of the Border Patrol leads to problems it detailed in a 72-page
report released that month.

The footage was shot in spring 2010 off of Ruby Road near Arivaca,
according to No More Deaths volunteer Adam Aguirre, who said he
witnessed the incident.

Read more on the Green Valley News website at: http://www.gvnews.com/
news/border-patrol-to-discuss-abuse-report-as-damning-video-
resurfaces/article_5ad59a36-5fe4-11e1-b334-001871e3ce6c.html

AZMEX BACKGROUND 26-2-12

AZMEX BACKGROUND 26 FEB 2012

Note: Could massive corruption be part of the equation of "safest"
city and reason the Cd. Juarez / El Paso "plaza" is being fought over
so intensely? Corruption not limited to El Paso.

Scandals give area black eye: Officials face uphill battle to restore
trust
By Marty Schladen and Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
Posted: 02/26/2012 12:00:00 AM MST
http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_20047367

Scandals continue to rock the El Paso area, and experts say they are
creating a sense of hope and hopelessness.
The arrest Wednesday of County Commissioner Willie Gandara Jr., along
with the torrent of leaders implicated in the FBI's public-corruption
investigation and questionable activities at the El Paso Police
Department and in local communities, is hammering at the mindset of
residents, said experts and local elected officials.
Gandara's arrest on drug charges was a surprise to many.
It comes after the convictions of two former county judges, the
indictment of a third and a growing public-corruption investigation
that has produced 40 arrests or indictments.

Experts with significant experience with government corruption said
it's important to maintain hope -- and to have a long-term plan to
bring about meaningful reform.
The area also has been hit with other troubles:

Five former El Paso police officers -- the most recent on Feb. 16 --
have been indicted after an investigation into irregularities in
overtime pay linked to grant-funded traffic enforcement. They are
accused of falsifying records to collect money from a state grant.

On Feb. 13, the Texas Rangers and the FBI searched the home of
longtime Anthony (Texas) Mayor Art Franco. News reports have said
that the law enforcement agencies suspect misappropriation of funds,
but Franco has denied that.

Fernando Rodriguez, director of UTEP's Criminal Justice Program, was
placed on paid administrative leave earlier this month as
administrators investigate whether to try to discipline him for not
following university policies. Rodriguez failed to report years of
outside work -- including his pivotal role in a contract that is at
the heart of the latest developments in El Paso's public-corruption
investigation.

In Sunland Park, the mayor pro tem and the city manager were arrested
Saturday on extortion charges in a political race.
"Right now, it seems like a never-ending stream," Mayor John Cook
said. "You ask, 'Who's next?' "
All the news of arrests and indictments is affecting people
differently, he said.
"Some say the system works because we're catching people," Cook said.
"The ones I worry about are painting this with a broad brush."

Chicago residents know well what it's like to see the officials they
elected frog-marched off to jail.
Since 1976, a third of the city's aldermen have been convicted of
corruption, according to a report released Feb. 15 by researchers at
the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Four of Illinois' seven governors since 1970 also have been convicted
-- including Rod Blagojevich, who tried to sell President Barack
Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. In all, Illinois has seen 1,828
people convicted on public-corruption charges since 1976, the report
said.
All that law enforcement has failed to bring about lasting change,
said Dick Simpson, a former Chicago alderman who now heads the
political science department and was the lead author of the
University of Illinois at Chicago report.

"Individual corruption convictions do not cure corruption; they
almost never have," Simpson said on Thursday. "We have a 150-year
history of it here."

The democratic process is weakened when public trust is damaged,
experts said. A lack of trust creates a dangerous void, they said,
which can lead to a downward spiral.
Honest people not involved in illegal schemes tend to stop
participating, whether that means deciding against a run for office
or not to vote, said Bruce A. Huhmann, chairman of New Mexico State
University's Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative. And lack of
participation makes it easier for people with selfish agendas to gain
positions of political power, he said.
"That trust takes a long time to build, and it's easy to destroy,"
Huhmann said. "It harms the government's ability to do its job."

Corruption also damages the public psyche, said Mario Rivera,
University of New Mexico Regents' Professor of public administration.
Trust is higher in cultures with economic equality, he said, where
parents feel their children will be able to do better than they did.
More people volunteer, and honest people run for office, he said.
"They see a shared fate for everyone," he said. "(Corruption)
undercuts that in very vicious ways. Only people who are connected or
wired are going to do well. ... And there's a sense that the wealthy
have gotten wealthy from unfair advantage."
And corruption has its own culture, Rivera said.
"People have a higher or exclusive loyalty to some sort of in-group,"
Rivera said. "And their criteria for serving some people over others
is loyalty."
Historic examples of such groups, he said, include the political
machines in Chicago and Louisiana, and the patronage system in New
Mexico.

Cook said he believes that in El Paso, the cases that have attracted
the attention of law enforcement in recent years used to represent
the normal way business was done by many elected officials.
He said a "new breed" of officials, such as he and city Reps. Susie
Byrd and Steve Ortega have helped combat corruption. Indictments and
convictions have also sent a message to elected officials who might
be considering some crooked act in exchange for sums of money that
often are shockingly small, Cook said.
"Not only is it going to cost you money, it's going to cost you your
reputation and in some cases your family," Cook said.

But more is needed, said Simpson of the University of Illinois at
Chicago. At the heart of any solution is a commitment to a broad plan
that spans decades.
"It can be done, but it isn't easy or simple," he said.
Simpson has proposed a series of reforms for Chicago government, such
as applying the city's ethics ordinance to aldermen and their staffs
and giving the inspector general access to all city records,
including those held in secret by the corporation counsel -- the
Illinois name for a city attorney.

Huhmann, of New Mexico State, said reforms in his state are well
under way.
"In New Mexico, there are a lot of people now trying to turn the
system around," Huhmann said. "The state has passed a law that all
public employees have to have some ethics training each year."
NMSU is creating an ethics training program for state employees,
Huhmann said. And New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez's political
appointees also have received ethics training, he said.
"I think the culture in New Mexico is starting to turn around,"
Huhmann said. "It's amazing how much you can get done when you have
public trust."
But restoring honesty in government will add another burden for
taxpayers.
"If you have to be worried about your public officials, you have to
put in checks and balances," Huhmann said. "If you change the rules
and add extra layers of security and all, those things are going to
cost money."

Audits can ensure that public money is not stolen, the experts said.
Procurement reform, including the process initiated by the El Paso
County Commissioners Court to choose a new financial adviser, add
time and can require additional resources.
"It does cost money, but we have to know that they're (elected
officials) taking steps to show the county commission is honest,"
Huhmann said. "People need to feel that, 'We've uncovered all the
wrongdoings. Everybody who's bad is now out and now we're going to
start fresh.'"
In addition to changing the way financial advisers are chosen, El
Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar has championed other reforms,
including a beefed-up county ethics ordinance and more transparent
procurement procedures.

But more fundamental things are needed, she said, listing among them
an aggressive, responsible news media, ethical, aggressive law
enforcement and an active, engaged citizenry.
Escobar said she is working to attract honest, talented candidates to
run for office in the next election cycle instead of allowing so many
incumbents to run unopposed. "I still am optimistic," Escobar said.

Just feet from El Paso, Juárez residents probably have more reason
for pessimism than in any city in the United States.
"The government here never did the right thing," said Hernan Ortiz, a
professor at Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez.
He described a society in which black-market vendors bribe officials
to avoid paying taxes, depriving the public of much-needed revenue
for such purposes as an effective mass-transit system.
"Everyone knows about it," Ortiz said.

Likening the ruling class in Juárez to a royal court of the Middle
Ages, Ortiz said the city sets aside $700,000 a year for college
scholarships, while it is spending $2.3 million on a metal sculpture
for the Chamizal park that is of dubious artistic value and is taking
an inordinately long time to complete.
"It's a red X like you got something bad on your exam," Ortiz said.
Though Juárez lacks a tradition of an honest government and shows
scant evidence of one now, Ortiz hasn't given up the most basic
element of reform -- hope.
"It's not the government that makes things happen in Ciudad Juárez,
it's the people," Ortiz said. "I think people have hope in people."

Cook holds similar hopes for the people of El Paso. "The everyday
person needs to get involved in what their officials are doing," the
mayor said. "Hold them to task. There are honest people out there and
dishonest people out there."

Marty Schladen may be reached at mschladen@elpasotimes.com; 546-6127.
Chris Roberts may be reached at chrisr@elpasotimes.com; 546-6136.

AZMEX SPECIAL 23-2-12

AZMEX SPECIAL 23 FEB 2012

Note: have to wonder if BP, NG and local law enforcement have any
kind of plan to deal with these when they come north. Mex. Army has
recovered quite a few from the cartels. Haven't tracked the numbers.

Growing market of armored vehicles
POLICY • 23 FEBRUARY 2012 - 9:41 a.m. - VICTOR HUGO MICHEL
Given the proximity of political campaigns, the coordination of some
candidates accelerate land acquisition of such vehicles, initially
reserved for millionaires, entrepreneurs or multinational executives

http://www.milenio.com/cdb/doc/noticias2011/
f8db089b0e2db8b2347556389abb1fda

Mexico • The call-and-sales have not stopped for two years. Have been
accelerated by the closeness of the presidential campaigns. Have been
the coordination of land of different candidates, the federal
government, a municipality in the north and the Judiciary.

Also a senator, a state public safety secretary and the son of a
prominent politician, to name a few. Everyone wants to be shielded.

Eventually, the industry predicts that all will be. It is nothing new
in Mexico armored vehicles have high demand and sales to grow.

But since 2010, TPS Armoring Company claims to have noticed a new
phenomenon: requests of all colors and sectors of the Mexican
political class.

The questions are varied: How much shielding a truck? Would you be
ready for the campaigns? How much is the rent of an armored car? Will
something discreet, to move short distances? "We have attended
numerous prominent politicians who want to be protected. The last
quarter has been very busy, "says Mauricio Natale, vice president of
the Mexican Association of Automotive Shields and manager of the
center of TPS Armoring, a company that controls nearly a third of the
national market for armored vehicles.

In the past two years, a period that coincides with the death of a
candidate for governor, killing two dozen mayors and a federal deputy
and several attacks against federal and state officials, as well as
numerous kidnappings of high-impact, industry Shield has undergone a
transformation.

The use of armored cars, reserved at first millionaires,
entrepreneurs, executives of corporations or senior, has grown into a
relatively untapped market: politicians at different levels, not
necessarily the leaders or those related to security areas, which now
extend the protection previously reserved for few.

"The market for Mexican politicians, that of popular election, is
growing and will grow much more. The government, for example, has
become a good buyer for us because it is a target of crime, "says
Natale.

"Before the government bought us seven trucks a year. Now is 70 ".
Figures of the Mexican Association of Automotive Shields confirm a
marked rise in sales of special vehicles.

In 2009, sold 2 000 vans and cars with different types of protection.
In 2010 were 2 000 200. For 2011 the figure had already reached 2 000
930. For the first time, is expected to break the record of 3 000
units in 2012.

***
Since 2011, Mexico also has an additional distinction reserved only
for countries with high incidence of violence: it is the second
country in the world in which most modified cars are produced
annually, only behind Brazil, which shields an average of 7 000
vehicles of different types each year.

The list of the main consumers of shields includes nations such as
Colombia, Iraq and Afghanistan. "The sales of armored vehicles in the
country rose last year only 35 percent," said Natale.

According to their data, sales of TPS are divided and 70 percent for
private-executives, entrepreneurs and a growing segment of
professionals, and 30 percent for the public sector, in which areas
never before ordering shields now call for protection.

This is the case with the judiciary, now using armored vehicles. "The
government spent five years in vests on patrol. But now is investing
in Humvees. Before it was just the Attorney General's Office or the
Ministry of Public Security, but now we buy the Federal Judiciary
Council, which previously were not consumers of armor, but now to
protect judges, "he said.

Natale, a native of Colombia, participated in the boom of the shields
being raised in that country during the violence of the 80's - he
says it's only a matter of time before Mexican politicians at all
levels to emulate their peers Colombians, who for 20 years moving
basically if it's only armored van.

"Today, in Colombia all senators, deputies, judges have armored
vehicles, because crime reached a point where it was necessary to
shield them if they wanted to continue with democracy. Here the road
will be the same. How much later, I dunno. But the trend is in the
same direction, "he said.

- Now that the presidential campaigns begin and called them?

-We have been contacted by various government entities. They want a
service that we give them special.

***
In Mexico the use of shields is not uniform: as TPS, in the north are
acquired mainly level four vehicles capable of withstanding assault
rifle attacks, especially by the fear of being user with a command of
drug traffickers and kidnappers .

In Mexico City, the use of armor is Level 2 or 3, to repel small arms
only. For fear of assaults callejeros.En recent years, industry has
also been engaged in a kind of technology race with organized crime,
to try to reduce the vulnerabilities of their vehicles.

For example, have been reinforced door seals, which used to be easily
penetrated. And now, it has become standard practice to shield the
floors to avoid the threat of explosive grenades or land.

TPS records shows additional data. Not only sales have skyrocketed
since 2010. Also the number of attacks: their shops have come in the
last two years at least 15 vehicles with bullet holes, both
politicians and entrepreneurs from around the country. It lists,
unprecedented attacks in Mexico.

The catalog of the company, which MILLENNIUM had access, shows nine
SUVs, three pickup trucks and a sedan, and two other trucks, shot in
separate incidents.

Some have relatively little impact, as happened to a BMW that was
shot five times on Oct. 14, 2010 or a shot Tahoe on June 22 of that
year, with five shots. Also a Suburban, attacked on 9 August de2010,
with 40 shots.

Other units were targeted fusilatas true. The trucks of the Public
Security Secretariat of Michoacan and the Public Security Secretary
Escobedo have, together, over a thousand 400 rounds of various calibers.

In both incidents, the bullets failed to penetrate the armor.

AZMEX UPDATE 25-2-12

AZMEX UPDATE 25 FEB 2012

Note; photo looks like Strykers, green. ( to deal with up armored
SUV's?)

BP calls in troops to bolster security
Posted: Friday, February 24, 2012 8:25 am
By Marisa Gerber
For the Nogales International | 0 comments
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/bp-calls-in-troops-to-
bolster-security/article_d25b0350-5efb-11e1-b6d2-0019bb2963f4.html

The tank-like vehicles traversing local roads and the unfamiliar
faces in uniform around town are signs of the government's latest
effort to bolster border security.
Military personnel, who will work alongside Border Patrol agents,
kicked off their two-month stint in Nogales last week, BP spokesman
Andy Adame said.
Under this collaboration between U.S. Customs and Border Protection
and the Department of Defense, dubbed Operation Nimbus II, military
resources were deployed to border communities in Arizona and New
Mexico, Adame said.
This type of collaboration is nothing new, he said.
"CBP works with DoD on a regular basis to identify joint
opportunities that will allow DoD to fulfill training requirements
and, at the same time, enhance CBP's operational capabilities by
leveraging DoD assets and experience," Adame said.
Adame didn't say how many military personal are in Nogales, calling
it "an operational security issue," but he did say that there are
more than 500 soldiers working the operation in Arizona and New Mexico.
Border Patrol will work hand-in-hand with the Joint Task Force North,
a Department of Defense unit that provides support to federal law
enforcement agencies.
Joint Task Force North, which is based in Fort Bliss, Texas, seeks
out volunteer units from all four branches of the military and sends
them around the county to help with specific projects, said Armando
Carrasco, a spokesman for Joint Task Force North.
Law enforcement agencies submit requests for anything from
engineering projects to intelligence support, Carrasco said, and then
the agency seeks out help.
The partnerships are a win-win, Carrasco said, adding that the law
enforcement agencies get a boosted work force and the military units
get hands-on experience.
'These missions provide tremendous training opportunities for the
military units," Carrasco said. "The missions are directly related to
their military duties."
The military units will provide Border Patrol with "limited
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support," Adame said,
adding that they don't have any law enforcement authority.
This isn't the first time Joint Task Force North has sent crews to
Nogales.
In January, a crew of Alaska-based Army airborne engineers came to
town to help carve a border access road through the coarse terrain
west of the Mariposa Port of Entry.
The military units will finish with the border access road on Feb.
27, Carrasco said, but three other engineering missions are slated
for completion in the Nogales area before the end of the fiscal year,
which ends Sept. 30.
Funding for the recent personnel boost comes from dedicated
Department of Defense counter-drug funds, Carrasco said. Law
enforcement agencies only incur costs for the materials needed in
engineering support operations, he said.
Although the Joint Task Force North has provided support to law
enforcement agencies since 1989, people often have misconceptions
about the organization, Carrasco said.
Namely, they are often confused with National Guard troops, which
were earlier deployed to the U.S. -Mexico border.
"National Guard works under state authorities and we work under
federal authorities," Carrasco said.
Another clarification: those things you see that look like tanks,
well, they're not tanks. They're armored wheeled vehicles.
Nogales is no stranger to forces sent to help bolster the border. In
the fall of 2010, per President Barack Obama's request, hundreds of
National Guard troops were deployed to Nogales and other Arizona
border cities.
Although not the same crew, the National Guard troops worked in
largely the same way the Joint Task Force North units will – as a
support system without law enforcement authority.

SECURITY
Announce the arrival of more soldiers to Sinaloa
The troops will join the surveillance and strategies in the fight
against organized crime
Univ
24.02.2012 | 06:11 PM
http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?id=758874

In Sinaloa CULIACÁN._ redouble security with the arrival of more
military elements to be incorporated into the monitoring and
strategies in the fight against crime, Gov. Mario Lopez Valdez.

The commander 'Lynx', then regretted the murder of Coordinator State
Ministerial Police, José Luis Ibarra, said in an interview, now more
than ever requires a better security strategies.

He said his commitment is to ensure greater security for the Sinaloa,
for which they have strengthened ties with the Army, Navy and Federal
Police and, together, coordinating efforts in the operations in this
regard.

He said that has not been easy to catch up, but insisted that
gradually Sinaloa has been lowering the high incidence of crime to be
had.

He noted that along with military leaders to redesign strategies for
precision shots with the growing backlash from criminal groups in the
dispute over the squares.

He said the reaction of the criminal groups is the result of action
by the authority and efficiency in combat to do so, because today is
not easy having them mobility they had before.

Meanwhile, the attorney general, Antonio Higuera Gomez said that the
murder last night, the coordinator of the Ministerial Police arrested
Jose Luis Ibarra, is related to the arrest of Geovany "N", alleged
drug trafficker.

Saturday February 25, 2012
Operating results continue to set in Nogales
http://laperladeldesierto.blogspot.com/2012/02/continuan-los-
resultados-del-operativo.html # more

As part of the work implemented in Nogales operational elements of
the State Police Public Safety (PESP), in coordination with personnel
from the 45th Military Zone of the National Defense Secretariat
(SEDENA), assurance was achieved three people allegedly belong to
organized crime, a gun, a grenade and ammunition, as well as recover
three stolen vehicles.

Among those arrested are Javier Alejandro Figueroa Gonzalez, alias
"The Range", 34, and Jesus Urquijo Julian Banuelos, 19, who were
surprised when they were carrying out "surveillance" for criminal
groups on the street between Bustamante and Peripheral Technology
Luis Donaldo Colosio, in the Colony Farms.

Both were on board a vehicle Ford, Expedition line, and undergo there
is a review body found that "The Range" tucked into the waist brought
a gun, semi auto type, caliber 9 mm, supplied with 11 rounds of
ammunition, while inside the van they found another 22 of the same
caliber ammunition and a portable radio.

To question him about the facts, tried to intimidate state officials
stating that they were part of a criminal cell and were responsible
for "monitoring" the movements of the authorities to report them to
criminals.

Both subjects were arrested and to continue the operation on Calle
Alvaro Obregon, Sonora in the Villa, it marked the highest the driver
of a pickup truck, Ford, F150 line, who exceeded the speed limit.

Santana Carlos Carmona, 20, was driving the vehicle and when asked to
come down detected in the pants pocket brought 42 rounds of
ammunition 9 mm and in reviewing the unit found on the seat by a
portable radio and a small bag which contained a grenade, apparently
of fragmentation, for which he was immediately arrested.

In reviewing data from the car in the Unified Operative Consultation
(SUCO) was detected which had theft report dated January 2011.

Santana Carmona said he worked for organized crime led by a person
nicknamed "The Range", yet only moments before had been arrested.

Later, in the joint operation made sure two other vehicles that had
reported as stolen last year, and these brand Volkswagen Jetta line,
located at different points in the border city.

People, weapons, ammunition, equipment and vehicles were insured to
the Public Prosecutor of the Federation, endorsing the commitment of
state authorities to continue working in coordination with the
Department of Defense and other institutions to safeguard the
security of the Sonoran.
Posted by THE PEARL OF THE DESERT

sábado 25 de febrero de 2012
Continúan los resultados del Operativo Conjunto en Nogales
http://laperladeldesierto.blogspot.com/2012/02/continuan-los-
resultados-del-operativo.html#more

Como parte de las labores operativas que implementan en Nogales
elementos de la Policía Estatal de Seguridad Pública (PESP), en
coordinación con personal de la 45 Zona Militar de la Secretaría de
la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA), se logró el aseguramiento de tres
personas que presuntamente pertenecen al crimen organizado, un arma,
una granada y municiones, además de recuperar tres vehículos robados.

Entre los detenidos están Javier Alejandro Figueroa González, alias
"El Gama", de 34 años, y Jesús Julián Urquijo Bañuelos, de 19, los
cuales fueron sorprendidos cuando realizaban labores de "vigilancia"
para grupos delictivos sobre la calle Bustamante entre Tecnológico y
Periférico Luis Donaldo Colosio, en la colonia Las Granjas.

Ambos estaban a bordo de un vehículo marca Ford, línea Expedition, y
efectuarles una revisión corporal se detectó que "El Gama" traía
fajada en la cintura un arma de fuego, tipo escuadra, calibre 9 mm,
abastecida con 11 cartuchos útiles, mientras que en el interior de la
camioneta hallaron otras 22 municiones del mismo calibre y un radio
portátil.

Al cuestionarle sobre los hechos, trataron de intimidar a los agentes
estatales manifestando que formaban parte de una célula delictiva y
que estaban encargados de "monitorear" los movimientos de las
autoridades para reportarlos a los delincuentes.

Ambos sujetos fueron detenidos y al continuar con el operativo sobre
la calle Álvaro Obregón, en la colonia Villa Sonora, se le marcó el
alto al conductor de un pick up, marca Ford, línea F150, quien
excedía el límite de velocidad.

Carlos Santana Carmona, de 20 años, estaba al volante del vehículo y
al solicitarle que bajara detectaron que en la bolsa del pantalón
traía 42 cartuchos útiles calibre 9 mm y al revisar la unidad
encontraron sobre el asiento un radio portátil y una bolsa pequeña la
cual contenía una granada, al parecer de fragmentación, por lo que
fue detenido de inmediato.

Al revisar los datos del carro en el Sistema Único de Consulta
Operativa (SUCO) se detectó que contaba con reporte de robo con fecha
de enero de 2011.

Santana Carmona mencionó que trabajaba para el crimen organizado al
mando de una persona de apodo "El Gama", mismo que momentos antes
había sido arrestado.

Posteriormente, en el operativo conjunto se aseguraron otros dos
vehículos que contaban con reporte de robo el año pasado, siendo
estos de la marca Volkswagen, línea Jetta, localizados en diferentes
puntos de la ciudad fronteriza.

Las personas, armas, municiones, equipos y vehículos asegurados
quedaron a disposición del Ministerio Público de la Federación,
refrendando así el compromiso de las autoridades estatales de seguir
trabajando coordinados con la Sedena y otras instituciones para
salvaguardar la seguridad de los sonorenses.
Publicado por LA PERLA DEL DESIERTO

SEGURIDAD
Anuncian arribo de más militares a Sinaloa
Los efectivos se incorporarán a la vigilancia y a las estrategias en
la lucha contra el crimen organizado
Univ
24-02-2012 | 06:11 PM
http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?id=758874

CULIACÁN._ En Sinaloa se redoblará la seguridad con el arribo de más
elementos militares que se incorporarán a la vigilancia y a las
estrategias en la lucha contra el crimen, anunció el gobernador Mario
López Valdez.

El comandante 'Lince', luego de lamentar el asesinato del coordinador
de detenciones de la Policía Ministerial Estatal, José Luis Ibarra,
expuso en entrevista, que hoy más que nunca se requiere afinar las
estrategias de seguridad.

Indicó que su mayor compromiso es garantizar seguridad a los
sinaloenses, para lo cual se han estrechado los lazos con el
Ejército, la Marina y la Policía Federal y, juntos, coordinador los
esfuerzos en los operativos al respecto.

Refirió que no ha sido fácil recuperar terreno, pero insistió en que
gradualmente en Sinaloa se ha ido abatiendo la alta incidencia
delictiva que se tenía.

Destacó que junto con jefes militares se rediseñarán las estrategias
para dar tiros de precisión, ante la creciente reacción violenta de
los grupos delincuenciales en la disputa por las plazas.

Dijo que la reacción de los grupos delincuenciales es consecuencia de
la acción de la autoridad en combatirlos y a la eficiencia en
hacerlo, porque hoy no les resulta nada fácil tener la movilidad que
antes tenían.

Por su parte, el procurador de Justicia, Antonio Higuera Gómez, dijo
que el homicidio, anoche, del coordinador de detenciones de la
Policía Ministerial, José Luis Ibarra, está relacionado con la
detención de Geovany "N", presunto narcotraficante.

SEGURIDAD
Culiacán bajo fuego: Asesinan a 14 personas en dos días
La jornada violenta también ha dejado a 8 lesionados de bala, entre
los que destacan tres agentes de la policía municipal de Culiacán
IONSA
24-02-2012 | 11:15 AM
http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?id=758858

CULIACÁN._ Un total de 14 personas muertas y al menos 8 lesionados de
bala, entre los que destacan tres agentes de la policía municipal de
Culiacán, es el saldo que a dejado una jornada violenta en la capital
del estado la cual se ha desatado en los últimos dos días.

El azote de la violencia se comenzó a vivir a las 3:00 horas del
pasado miércoles, cuando los cuerpos de tres jóvenes que horas antes
habían sido levantados fueron encontrados torturados y ejecutados con
pistolas 'matapolicias' a un costado del canal 7, cerca de la
carretera Culiacán- Eldorado.

A las 7:30 horas oficiales localizaron el cuerpo de otra persona por
el libramiento Benito Juárez "La Costerita", quien también presentaba
impactos del arma antes mencionada, las cosas pasaron a mayores a las
12.20 horas, cuando cinco presuntos sicarios al parecer integrantes
del grupo delictivo 'Los Antrax', brazo armado del Cártel de Sinaloa
fueron ejecutados en la colonia Guadalupe Victoria, cuando viajaban
en un automóvil blindado que portaba placas robadas.

Pero la cosa no paró ahí ya que para 15:30 horas los cuerpos de dos
sujetos ejecutados a balazos fueron ubicados en la sindicatura de
Sanalona.

Ayer la violencia se volvió a hacer presente en Culiacán al
registrarse el asesinato del Coordinador Operativo de la Policía
Ministerial del Estado y un hermano del mando policíaco, quienes
fueron acribillados por dos sicarios armados con fusiles AK-47 cuando
ingresaban a un estacionamiento ubicado en pleno centro de la ciudad.

A la misma hora los oficiales encontraron el cuerpo de un hombre en
avanzado estado de descomposición quien se encontraba semienterrado a
un costado de un camino de terracería de la sindicatura de Costa
Rica, poco después tres elementos de la Policía Municipal sufrieron
un atentado al ser atacados a balazos cuando patrullaban por la
colonia Antonio Nakayama.

En la zona y de forma simultanea cuatro personas, entre ellos una
mujer fueron atacados a balazos al parecer por el mismo grupo armado
que atentó contra los oficiales, además de un hombre que fue baleado
en la colonia Jorge Almada, mismo que recibió al menos dos impactos
en el tórax.

AZMEX I3 26-2-12

AZMEX I3 26 FEB 2012

Note: Thx to M3 Report for this one. Pretty much verified by
personal experience dealing with agency.

ICE Considered One Of The Worst Places To Work In The Federal Government
from the maybe-if-they-spent-time-not-censoring-the-web dept
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120220/03193617806/ice-considered-
one-worst-places-to-work-federal-government.shtml

Last month, we noted the odd propaganda film from ICE director John
Morton, in which he seemed to be trying to pat himself on the back
and pump up the morale of ICE agents for their hard work in illegally
censoring the internet. Perhaps it's because he knew that ICE agents
apparently hate working there. An anonymous person pointed us to the
news that in a recent ranking of government agencies, ICE ranked very
near the bottom -- 222 out of 240 agencies. It seems that morale
isn't particularly high there.

The same person pointed us to the news of a leaked memo from Morton
concerning his disappointment about these rankings, and planning some
sort of typical bureaucratic response to bad rankings: appointing
someone to lead the effort to improve morale, looking at other
agencies with happier employees and hosting some townhall meetings.
Perhaps he could also try keeping ICE agents focused on issues
related to their actual mandate, rather than having them work on
seizing domain names and censoring the internet. Just a thought.

Note: a god bit of spin, among other things, last we knew it was a
free ride home. Also last we knew, most Mexicans have never trusted
law enforcement, long before they ever came here. For very good
reason in Mexico.

Report: Laws don't make illegal immigrants 'self-deport'
February 25, 2012 9:58 PM
ShareThis| Print Story | E-Mail Story
DUSTIN VOLZ - CRONKITE NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON — Strong family ties, the cost of returning to their
native countries and fewer economic opportunities back home have kept
illegal immigrants in the U.S., despite strict immigration laws here,
a new report claims.

The report, released this week by the Center for American Progress,
said tough laws like Arizona's SB 1070 do not prompt illegal
immigrants to "self-deport." Instead, those people either stay where
they are, but "in the shadows," or they move to neighboring cities,
counties or states, it said.

"There is really no evidence to show that people go back to Mexico
when their states or localities pass anti-immigration laws," said
Leah Muse-Orlinoff, a doctoral student at the University of
California-San Diego and the author of the report. "In the most
extreme cases, they move to another jurisdiction."

But Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state who co-authored SB
1070 and a similar law passed last year in Alabama, questioned
findings of the report, "Staying Put but Still in the Shadows."
"It's a shoddy report because they haven't considered all the
evidence," Kobach said.

He pointed to lawmakers in the Mexican state of Sonora who expressed
concern about illegal immigrants returning home and being jobless
after Arizona's E-Verify law took effect in 2008. That law requires
employers to check the immigration status of any prospective employee.

"When Mexican public officials are telling us that illegal aliens are
self-deporting, we should take that information and consider it as
true," he said.

Muse-Orlinoff said fewer immigrants are coming in to the country now
because of increased border security, coupled with higher costs of
crossing and less economic opportunity in the U.S. But those who are
already here are staying put because the "mental arithmetic" of
leaving doesn't add up, she said.

She called the policy of "attrition through enforcement" irrational
and said that laws like SB 1070, Arizona's omnibus immigration law,
make policing more difficult.
"The biggest detriment by far with these state and local laws is that
it creates tremendous distrust and fear between migrant communities
and law enforcement," Muse-Orlinoff said.

Muse-Orlinoff's report is based primarily on surveys and interviews
conducted in Oklahoma City between 2009 and 2010. Oklahoma passed
laws cracking down on illegal immigration in 2007 and 2009, before
Arizona passed SB 1070 in April 2010.

Lt. Paco Balderrama of the Oklahoma City Police Department said the
laws passed in his state made Hispanics afraid to call authorities
when violent crimes were committed, because they feared deportation.
He said criminals now target the Hispanic community because people
there were thought to be less likely to report the crime.

"We'll never have the numbers of people who didn't call," Balderrama
said. "It doesn't benefit anyone for Hispanics to not call the
police ... the fact is those crimes are going to spread."

Kobach agreed with at least part of the report, that illegal
immigrants do sometimes relocate to states with lesser immigration
laws, and suggested that some in Arizona may have moved to California.

But he said there are no numbers suggesting immigrants do not also
return to their home countries, especially in a border state like
Arizona.

Read more: http://www.yumasun.com/articles/laws-77040-report-
illegal.html#ixzz1nV5m5jyd

Note: worth the time to read.

Between 2 worlds: Former undercover agent infiltrated smuggling rings
by Ramón Rentería \ El Paso Times
Posted: 02/26/2012 12:00:00 AM MST
http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_20046860

Hipolito Acosta grew up on the border in Redford, Texas. As a special
agent of what was then the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization
Service, he spent part of his career as an undercover agent in the
high-stakes game of human smuggling.
Mexican coyotes smuggled Hipolito "Poli" Acosta into California in
the trunk of an old 1968 Chevy Nova that leaked carbon monoxide into
the coffinlike space.
"I did things nobody had ever done and nobody will ever do because
things have changed so much," Acosta said.
Acosta, the son of Mexican-American migrant workers from Redford,
Texas, infiltrated the dangerous, deadly underworld of criminal
cartels involving illegal immigrant smugglers in Mexico, Central and
South America, Europe, the Far East and the Middle East.
He was once based in El Paso and Juárez.
Acosta, 58, describes some of his assignments as a former federal
undercover special agent in "The Shadow Catcher," a memoir scheduled
to be released in April by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster.
"Being locked in the trunk of a car was probably one of the most
exasperating situations I encountered during my undercover
operations," Acosta writes about the California smuggling case in
which he shared the trunk with a 16-year-old boy from El Salvador. "I
felt completely out of control and the claustrophobic feeling was
killing me."
He used a baseball cap to plug a hole in the trunk that was sucking
in deadly carbon monoxide from the muffler.
On another case, Acosta was locked in the back of a U-Haul truck with
a group of immigrants smuggled from Juárez on their way to Chicago
without food or water. He once infiltrated a gang of international
counterfeiters. Another time, he wound up in the Juárez jail where
authorities revealed his identity to his criminal cellmates.
Acosta also was the target of multiple death threats for sending bad
guys to prison during his three decades as a federal agent who
routinely participated in undercover operations and later supervised
various high-profile investigations.
The book is billed as a rare insider's glimpse into the high-stakes
game of human smuggling, drug running and counterfeiting.
The co-author is Lisa Pulitzer, a former correspondent for the New
York Times and best-selling author who also helped write a 2007
nonfiction book, "Daughters of Juárez: A True Story of Serial Murder
South of the Border," with Univision's Teresa Rodriguez.
Some of Acosta's colleagues and supervisors describe him as a down-to-
earth, street-wise criminal investigator. They also describe Acosta
as one of the best undercover agents in the history of what was then
the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
The book has already generated positive early buzz in some literary
circles.
Acosta, a first-time author, has been invited to the 17th Los Angeles
Book Festival April 21-22, which this year is featuring well-known
authors such as Luis Alberto Urrea, Judy Blume and Dan Chaon. A
Spanish version of the book is scheduled for release in May.
"Hipolito Acosta's world has been one of shadows and danger of a kind
seldom seen or imagined by the average American," Hugh Aynesworth of
the Washington Times wrote, praising the book in advance.
Acosta retired in Texas after 30 years in federal law enforcement. He
is one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the
old Immigration and Naturalization Service.
He also worked as a criminal investigator in Chicago, as a special
agent with the Border Patrol in El Paso and as a supervisory special
agent in Brownsville.
"I worked undercover cases, sometimes by myself, for long periods of
time," Acosta said. "I infiltrated rings that had never been
infiltrated."
The book suggests that the U.S. conducted various undercover
operations in Mexico without the knowledge or blessing of Mexican
authorities, who usually could not be trusted.
Brian Perryman, now retired after more than 30 years in federal law
enforcement, was the acting head of the anti-smuggling unit in
Chicago when Acosta arrived as a young investigator trainee in the
mid-1970s. Acosta and two of his partners helped transform the unit
into a model anti-smuggling unit.
Perryman remembers Acosta for his sense of humor and for being honest
even when he made mistakes.
"Not just anybody can do undercover work. You have to be a particular
type of personality, a person that can think on his feet and make the
right calls," Perryman said.
"Poli was all of those things. And he had the ability to gain trust,
not only from me, his supervisor, but also the crooks."
Perryman described one case in which Acosta infiltrated a $1-million-
a-year human-trafficking operation out of Tijuana.
"He was tremendously brave and always in control. As he progressed as
a special agent, he really set the standard," Perryman said. "Poli is
probably one of the best undercover agents I've seen operate in the
Department of Justice. The people that he worked with had the utmost
confidence in him."
Acosta retired in 2005 after working as district director for the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Houston.
"I thought the book would give me a platform. The old INS, the Border
Patrol, was a great agency with a lot of responsibilities and few
resources but much maligned," Acosta said. "We were a whipping boy
for the politicians and the Department of Justice."
He is often critical of leaders who do not have the political will to
tackle sensitive issues such as immigration reform.
"We have a responsibility to address the issue of immigration, but
let's not hide behind the curtain of 'not until the border is
secure,' a catch-all phrase," he said.
"There's a lot of double talk. If employers know they're going to
jail if they have illegal aliens, that will stop illegal immigration."
Acosta suggests that the nation has no choice but to also address
what to do with the estimated 15 million undocumented people already
in the United States.
Bert Avila of El Paso, a retired immigration criminal investigator,
described Acosta as a mentor who worked long hours.
"From what I know about undercover agents up and down the border, I
rank him as the number one undercover agent when it came down to
infiltrating alien smuggling organizations" Avila said. "We made a
lot of great, multiple defendant alien smuggling cases."
Avila, a former Border Patrol intelligence officer and liaison with
Mexican law enforcement in Juárez, came to the rescue when Acosta was
arrested and jailed in Juárez while conducting an undercover alien
smuggling operation.
Acosta managed to call the Border Patrol in El Paso. But he worried
about his fate if he wasn't bailed out in a hurry.
"A number of cops had sadistically bragged about methods they used to
extract confessions," Acosta writes. "Mexican cops were waterboarding
experts before the American public ever heard of that torture method."
Mexican officials were extremely angered that he was carrying a gun
and working undercover without their knowledge. Avila called various
high-level contacts in Juárez and asked them to intervene.
"Poli Acosta was a positive influence on me big time. He's so down-to-
earth that he never minimizes people," Avila said.
Acosta doesn't brag about his achievements or the dangerous
assignments he accepted. He points out that he always took precautions.
"I went after criminals, those people who abused not only our laws
but the people who were seeking a better way of life," he said. "I
took my job seriously and enforced the law but I'm also human. How
can you not relate to the emotional drama in immigration?"

Ramón Rentería may be reached at rrenteria@elpasotimes.com; 546-6146.
Acosta bio
Hipolito Acosta rose through the ranks from Border Patrol agent to a
key administrative position in the Department of Homeland Security.
Acosta worked as a criminal investigator, special agent and
supervisory special agent on the front lines of the United States'
fight against illegal immigrant smuggling rings.
The son of Mexican-American migrant workers, Acosta was one of the
most highly decorated officers in the history of the Immigration and
Naturalization Service during his 30 years in the the U.S. government.
An expert in immigration, Acosta has been interviewed on ABC, CNN,
NBC, NPR, Voice of America, Telemundo and Univision, as well as by
various print publications.
Acosta was the district director of U.S. Citizenship & Immigration
Services in Houston in his last assignment before retiring in 2005.
He lives in Texas.
Copies of his book, "The Shadow Catcher," may be ordered through
simonandschuster.com, amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and other
booksellers.
Information: hipolitoacosta.com.

AZMEX I3 24-2-12

AZMEX I3 24 FEB 2012

3 February 2012 Last updated at 07:22 ET
American 'illegals' in Mexico
By Ignacio de los Reyes
BBC Mundo, Mexico City
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-radio-and-tv-17098719

Puerto Vallarta draws many US visitors - some of whom stay for longer
than they should
The issue of undocumented Mexican migrants in America is widely
reported. But what about the thousands of Americans living illegally
south of the border? Mexico Direct looks at why they come, and why
Mexicans aren't yet making an issue about it.

When Jessica departed the US early in 2011, she left a country where
illegal immigration is rarely off the political agenda.

Little did she imagine she herself would become an 'alien' - in Mexico.

She came to Puerto Vallarta, a tourist resort on the Pacific coast,
to work legally for a Mexican company. She took a second job to earn
extra money, first in an internet cafe and then a restaurant.

Fines for overstayers
But her employers - also Americans - never filled in the paperwork to
make her second job legal.

"I insisted, but they told me it wasn't necessary, that they would
pay me in cash every night and it was fine," she tells the BBC.

"It was clearly illegal for me to work there, but I did not take the
authorities in Mexico seriously. My employers then found themselves
in legal trouble and I feared I could face deportation, so I quit."

Last year about 1,000 US citizens were questioned over irregularities
in their immigration status, according to Mexican authorities. They
face a modest fine - up to $50 - if officials find them working
without a permit or living in Mexico without proper documents.

Those who lose their visas or are asked to leave the country and then
discovered to be overstaying are fined up to $400.

But the National Migration Institute in Mexico has no idea just how
many Americans are living or working illegally in Mexico.

There are no advocacy groups defending American aliens in Mexico.
Mexican politicians haven't raised it as a major issue - a far cry
from the controversy around illegal migration on the other side of
the border.

With thousands of people from Central America crossing into Mexico
illegally every year, and the threat from drug gangs and human
traffickers on their way to the US, the presence of undocumented
Americans is considered little more than a minor issue for Mexico's
immigration services.

Continue reading the main story
"
Start Quote

No one really knows how many of them there are in Mexico."

Monica Mora
National Institute of Anthropology and History
Some are Americans tourists who decide to extend their stay in Mexico
without notifying the authorities, or students who wish to earn extra
money teaching English in Mexico City. Others just fall in love with
the Latin American lifestyle.

"No one really knows how many of them there are in Mexico. They are
usually people who live for a while in Mexico and then return home.
They do not stay indefinitely," says Monica Mora, an expert on
American migration in Mexico.

"Nowadays most Americans live legally in Mexico, working as employees
of multinational companies for a couple of years here, but also
retirees and students," says Mrs Mora, who is a researcher at the
National Institute of Anthropology and History.

Constant flow
According to the last Mexican census (2010), more than 738,000 people
born in the United States now live in Mexico.

Some 60,000 of them are living in the country indefinitely, mostly in
Baja California in the northwest of the country and in Mexico City.

The rest are temporary visitors and legal employees of international
companies.

Most American visitors stay within the rules - but officials say
thousands overstay
Tropical weather, the cheaper cost of living and an exotic atmosphere
a few hours from home have drawn curious Americans to Mexico since
World War II.

They are now the largest foreign group in Mexico, according to
official records.

Elaine Levin, an expert on international migration, was one of
thousands of Americans who emigrated to Mexico 40 years ago.

She came legally and now has Mexican nationality. She says the
comfortable life of Americans in Mexico contrasts with the
persecution and harsh immigration legislation Mexicans have to face
in the US.

Retirees' favourite
"There havn't been any integration issues here because this has
always been part of Mexico's history. Even the ancestors of a
candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination, Mitt
Romney, came to Mexico as immigrants," she tells the BBC.

Continue reading the main story
"
Start Quote

After my experience here I have come to support more illegal
immigration"

Jenny
American overstayer
"In fact, Mexico treats 'gringos' much better that the US does
Mexicans," Mrs Levin says.

There is little public debate about the issue - many Mexicans would
be surprised that an American would want to come here and live
illegally.

The coasts of the Baja California peninsula, the idyllic town of San
Miguel de Allende in central Mexico, and villages around Lake Chapala
(by the Pacific coast) are favourite spots for retired Americans who
come to spend their last years - and their life savings - in Mexico.

"It's still to be seen whether the news reports about the drug
violence from American networks will have an effect on this," Mrs
Levin says.

"Some people might think twice before going to some areas, but that
hasn't happened yet," she adds.

Even though US tourist numbers dropped 6% last year, towns like San
Miguel de Allende are still full of American-run businesses and home
owners from the US.

Warm weather and an exotic lifestyle tempt some Americans south of
the border
Some Americans in Mexico are beginning to see a different side of the
immigration debate.

"I used to live in a large Mexican community, in Chicago. I always
knew some of them were illegal and wondered how they could get away
with it," Jessica says.

She's now legally entitled to stay in the country and is living in
Mexico City.

"After my experience here I have come to support more illegal
immigration. At the end of the day I would imagine most illegals have
good intentions, working to support their family, wanting a new
life," she says.

"I don't think we should make it so hard for people to get that.
Isn't that what America is all about anyway, freedom?"

AZMEX UPDATE 23-2-12

AZMEX UPDATE 23 FEB 2012

Note: "some type"

Outdated fence in Douglas replaced
Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 3:19 PM MST
Douglas Dispatch
http://www.douglasdispatch.com/articles/2012/02/23/news/
doc4f453f4aae0a9871640131.txt

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced last week the
completion of construction replacing an estimated 6.1 miles of
outdated primary pedestrian fencing along the U.S-Mexico border
adjacent to the city of Douglas.

The new fence stands 18 feet tall and goes down 6-8 feet into the
ground. The project began in early October as part of CBP's ongoing
effort to strengthen the security of Arizona's border with Mexico by
replacing "landing mat" style fencing, originally constructed in the
early 1990s, establishes better levels of persistent impedance by
raising the overall height and providing a deeper, more robust below-
grade foundation in areas susceptible to erosion — making it
significantly more difficult to breach.

"This new fencing will greatly hinder transnational criminal
organizations from attempting to commit their criminal acts and allow
our agents to see threats more easily, thus keeping our communities
safer for our friends and families," said Tucson Sector Border Patrol
Chief Richard A. Barlow.

Of the 262 linear miles of border Tucson Sector is responsible for
securing, approximately 210 miles have some type of pedestrian and
vehicle fencing.

Border agents seize $206K in undeclared cash in Ariz.
Feb. 23, 2012 04:14 PM
Associated Press

NOGALES, Ariz. -- Federal authorities say they've seized more than
$206,000 of unreported currency in southern Arizona from a woman
headed for Mexico.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound
inspections Wednesday at the Dennis DeConcini Port selected a 46-year-
old Mexican woman for additional questioning and a closer examination
of her SUV.

When officers searched the vehicle, they found 12 packages inside a
factory compartment containing $206,330.

The unreported funds and vehicle were processed for seizure. The
woman was arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. Her name hasn't been
released.

It's the third significant seizure of undeclared currency by CBP
officers in two weeks in southern Arizona. Officers seized almost
$168,000 Tuesday and nearly $169,000 on Feb. 13.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/
2012/02/23/20120223border-agents-seize-206k-undeclared-cash-
ariz.html#ixzz1nJLAYfeK

Man at 'wrong place at the wrong time' has extensive record
Posted: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 8:18 am
Nogales International |
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/man-at-wrong-place-at-the-
wrong-time-has-extensive/article_5aa4b92c-5c9f-11e1-
a133-001871e3ce6c.html

A man who said he was "with the wrong man at the wrong place at the
wrong time" when he was busted in downtown Nogales with a juvenile
who had two packages of methamphetamine strapped to his crotch has
been sentenced to two years in prison.
Daniel Guillen, 32, a Nogales native recently residing in Tucson, was
sentenced Feb. 6 by Superior Court Judge James A. Soto after pleading
guilty to facilitation - unlawful transportation of a dangerous drug
for sale, a Class 6 felony.
According to court documents, a Nogales Police Officer received a
report of two suspicious men at the downtown McDonald's the morning
of June 20, 2011. The men had reportedly been signaling each other
with a series of head nods while leaving the restaurant.
The officer responded to the area and saw a man get into a black
Dodge Neon parked on North Terrace Avenue near the intersection of
West Elm Street. The man then got out of the car and approached the
officer, showing a driver's license that identified him as Guillen.
He said he was the owner of the Neon.
The officer asked him about the young man sitting in the fully
reclined passenger seat of the Neon, but Guillen couldn't identify
him by name. He said his passenger was someone he had just met.
When the officer ran a records check on Guillen, he learned that he
had an outstanding arrest warrant for assault, so he arrested him.
The officer then identified the passenger by his border-crossing card
as a Mexican youth, who reportedly started crying, saying that he
would be beaten up or killed for being involved in a "drug
situation." The boy allegedly said he came into the U.S. carrying a
package, and that he was supposed to meet an unknown person at
McDonald's.
A subsequent search allegedly revealed that the boy had two packages
taped to his crotch area, and that they contained a total of 1.1
pounds of methamphetamine.
During a pre-sentenceing interview with a Santa Cruz County probation
officer, Guillen denied knowing about the drugs.
"I didn't have that methamphetamine on me and I didn't know that kid
had it on him," he said.
"I was with the wrong man at the wrong place at the wrong time," he
said, adding that he pleaded guilty because he thought he wouldn't
have much chance in front of a jury because of his criminal history.
The pre-sentence report shows that Guillen has three prior felony
convictions, including aggravated assault, armed robbery with a
deadly weapon and aggravated assault on a corrections employee. He
also has three misdemeanor convictions and had an outstanding warrant
from Tucson City Court at the time of his arrest.
The report also shows that Guillen attended A.J. Mitchell, Pierson
and Nogales High School before moving to Tucson in 1995.
Guillen's co-defendant, the Mexican youth, was charged as an adult in
Santa Cruz County Superior Court and convicted on July 21, 2011of
attempted unlawful possession of a dangerous drug for sale, a Class 3
felony.
He served 120 days in juvenile detention and was released on Oct. 9,
2011 to serve one year of unsupervised probation, according to court
documents.

Note: A rare bust in Pima county

$8 million dollar drug bust involving 15 people
CREATED FEB. 22, 2012
15 people busted in Tucson drug probe
Web Producer: Marlena Hamilton
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/140054513.html

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV)- The Counter Narcotics Alliance group arrested 15
people for various narcotics-related charges and recovered nine and a
half pounds of heroin worth about $8 million dollars.

The Counter Narcotics Alliance is an investigative group made up of
officers from the Tucson Police Department, the Pima County Sheriff's
Department, the Arizona Department of Public
Safety, the Marana Police Department, the Oro Valley Police
Department, the University of Arizona Police Department, the
Sahuarita Police Department and Border Patrol.

This investigation started on June 1, 2011and ended February 16, 2012.

During the course of the seven and a half months, Counter Narcotics
Alliance investigative
personnel and undercover operatives identified not only high-volume
suppliers of heroin in the Tucson area, but also a primary source of
the heroin entering the United States from Mexico, said Maria Hawke
Public Information Officer for TPD.

The nine and a half pounds of heroin were distributed mostly
throughout the Tucson area.

On February 15th and 16th, the investigation team were able to get
seven search warrants throughout different locations in Tucson and
were able to arrest the 15 people involved.

The names and photographs of each suspect are included, except a
juvenile who was released to his parent upon arrest, 16-year-old
Josue Rodriguez, whose photo is not available.

Each person was charged with drug-related charges specifically
relating to the sale of narcotics, the transportation of narcotics,
and the distribution of narcotics as well as for their participation
in a criminal syndicate, all felony offenses, according to Hawke.

AZMEX EXTRA 23-2-12

AZMEX EXTRA 23 FEB 2012

Seize mega arsenal
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2012 13:15
CÉSAR BARRAGÁN /
Nogales

http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/index.php?
ption=com_content&view=article&id=22730:cae-arsenal-en-mega-
operativo&catid=82:nogales&Itemid=198

As a result of special operation carried out in this city by members
of the State Police Public Safety (PESP) on Tuesday succeeded in
securing an arsenal and tactical gear.
This was the assurance of five assault rifles of various calibers, 1
pistol, 25 magazines, 463 rounds of ammunition, four masks, 1 body
armor unit, two tactical vests and pouches, plus two stolen vehicles.
The armed forces moved through the peripheral Luis Donaldo Colosio
and several streets in different neighborhoods, including Farm, Canoe
fractionation, Paseo Chula Vista residential and city center, among
others.
According to official data the arsenal was secured in the Colony
Farm, in a wagon-type vehicle, Toyota, white, recent model that was
in apparent state of neglect, also secured a Chevrolet Montecarlo,
color gray, which was close with the engine running.
The authorities said that both vehicles are reported as stolen from
the years 2011 and 2009, respectively.
The material was seized during the operation made available to the
Federal Prosecutor, who is responsible for conducting investigations.

Seized:
1 AR15 assault rifle 5.56 mm caliber.
2 AR15 assault rifle caliber .223 mm.
2 AK47 assault rifle 7.62x39 mm caliber.
1 Pistol 9mm.
25 magazines for cartridges of different calibers.
1 mag pouch with several compartments.
21 cartridges .223 caliber.
396 7.62x39mm caliber cartridges.
10 9mm cartridges.
36 10mm cartridges.
4 Balaclava.
A bullet-proof vest.
2 Tactical Vests.

Note: of interest mostly to the gunnies. F&F linked by mayor.
Local, state and federal law enforcement in the area has numerous .
223 weapons.

Murguía plays down Juárez link to gunshot
By Alejandro Martinez Cabrera / El Paso Times
Posted: 02/22/2012 11:44:14 PM MST
http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_20019985

JUAREZ -- Mayor Héctor "Teto" Murguía disagreed with El Paso
authorities and said on Wednesday he doesn't believe a bullet that
struck a woman in Downtown El Paso on Tuesday came from Juárez.
Instead, Murguía hinted authorities should investigate whether the
bullet was fired from the U.S. or an American weapon smuggled into
Mexico.
"I think it is unlikely that the bullet was from Ciudad Juárez. They
would be better served looking at 'Fast and Furious' operations,"
Murguía said referring to the name of a botched U.S. Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives operation that allowed guns
to be smuggled into Mexico.
On Tuesday about 11 a.m., Maria Romero, 48, who was shopping in the
200 block of East Overland Avenue, was shot in the leg by a stray
bullet. Romero was treated for a minor wound at Universal Medical
Center and released the same day.
The incident could be the first time a person in El Paso has been
wounded by a bullet fired in Juárez since drug-related violence began
in 2008.
El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said at a news conference Tuesday
that he believed the bullet was fired from Juárez during a
confrontation between police officers and two car thieves that
occurred around the same time near the Rio Grande.
The bullet that hit Romero was a .223-caliber, a type of ammunition
used by Juárez police assault rifles, and didn't match the caliber of
firearms reportedly seized from the carjacking suspects. According
to the Chihuahua state's prosecutor's office, authorities retrieved
83 .223-caliber bullet casings and nine 9mm casings.
El Paso police estimated the shot was fired from about 3,000 feet (or
0.56 miles) from where the woman was hit. They said it is not an
unusual distance for a rifle round.
Murguía questioned whether a bullet fired in Juárez could have
traveled that far with buildings and cars. Murguía cited city
technicians and said the bullet couldn't have gone farther than 750
meters, or 0.47 miles.
"From where the bullet came, and where it landed, the distance is not
close," he said.
However, ballistics experts disagreed.
"I'd say it can easily go over a mile," said Max J. Scott, owner of a
crime scene reconstruction firm, Forensic Trio, in Lafayette, Colo.
Ballistics experts with RNA Consulting in Los Altos Hills, Calif.,
said that .223-caliber bullets would not be recommended to shoot a
target 3,000 feet away, but added they could travel the distance
without much problem.
El Paso Mayor John Cook acknowledged there was no way to conclusively
determine whether the bullet was fired from Juárez without a
ballistics test on the bullet that injured Romero and the weapons
fired during the confrontation. But Cook said that after looking at
the evidence, it appeared "very possible" the bullet came from the
other side of the border.
"Intuitively, you'd think it's more than coincidental that at the
same exact moment there's a gunbattle in Juárez, a bullet hits
someone a half a mile away, considering that assault rifles will fire
bullets over a mile," he said. "It would seem reasonable there's a
possibility that that's where it came from, especially since there
were no other reports of gunfire."
Murguía said he would like some proof and a detailed report of what
happened on Tuesday and how a stray bullet landed in El Paso before
he or anyone else "blames" the Juárez municipal police officers for
the incident. And even if the bullet came from Juárez, the incident
should be seen as a rare occurrence, he said.
After hearing reports of Murguía's comments, Cook responded by
offering to conduct the needed tests in El Paso.
"There's one way we could find out for sure" what happened, Cook
said. "We're sending the bullet to ballistic tests, and if he wants
to send us all the weapons involved, we can check them. If there were
assault rifles in that shooting in Juárez that fire .223s, we can
compare bullets that we fire in the fire range. But I doubt that they
would allow us to do that."
Wednesday's incident once again raised concerns about cross-border
violence -- concerns that both Cook and Murguía have repeatedly tried
to abate in their cities.
Cook has defended El Paso's image as the country's safest city by
saying there is no evidence that bloodshed in Juárez has spilled
over. Murguía, along with Chihuahua Gov. César Duarte and Mexican
President Felipe Calderón, often point to declining crime statistics
from last year to argue that public safety has improved.
The two mayors said Wednesday they hadn't had a chance to discuss
Tuesday's incident. Cook said each has left phone messages for the
other, and Murguía said he would contact Cook as soon as possible.
Murguía hinted he was open to a cross-border investigation, but he
did not confirm one would take place.
"We're going to do everything possible to collaborate with each other
and ensure that Ciudad Juárez and El Paso as a region come out as
least-hurt as possible (from this incident) and things don't get
tense," he said.
Alejandro Martínez-Cabrera may be reached at
a.martinez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6129.

AZMEX BACKGROUND 22-2-12

AZMEX BACKGROUND 22 FEB 2012

Can Mexico re-brand itself?
By Len Freeman
BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/fast_track/9694817.stm

Drug-related violence in the resort of Acapulco has driven tourists
away and put armed police and soldiers on the streets

Can you re-brand a country in the same way you might re-brand a
packet of soap powder?
Some in Mexico are hoping you can after the intensive media coverage
of drug cartels, violence, murder and kidnappings in the country.
Mexico's President Felipe Calderon has called in a British expert on
country branding for advice, and the country's tourism industry is
now headed by a man who has worked for some of the biggest consumer
brands in the world.
More than 47,500 people have been killed since 2006 in drug-related
incidents, with the numbers of tourists and investors going to Mexico
well down as a result.

Flawed reputation
Simon Anholt is an expert on the branding of countries. He thinks
Mexico's image problems go much deeper than the negative reports of
drug violence.
The first thing you have got to do without any shadow of doubt is
fix the product.
Simon Anholt
"The psychological diagnosis is extremely low self-esteem," he said.
"Mexico has been trying for nearly 300 years to emerge in some way in
the mighty shadow of the United States, and partly as a result of
that it has simply never bothered to present itself to the rest of
the world."

Mr Anholt has advised the governments of more than 40 countries on
questions of national identity, reputation, trade, tourism and
foreign relations.
He produced a detailed report on Mexico's image for the president
which concluded that Mexico had "an already weak and in some cases
badly flawed reputation" which was "undergoing a further downward
correction".
Much of the report was based on the 2010 Anholt-GfK Roper Nation
Brands Index, which ranked Mexico 31st out of 50 countries by public
perception. The US came top at number one.
Nearly 20,000 people in 20 countries are questioned each year for the
poll. Respondents are asked more than 40 questions about their
perceptions of the 50 countries.
Mexico got some of its best rankings from other Latin American
countries but its US neighbour ranked it very close to the bottom at
42nd.
Most respondents in the 20 countries polled regarded Mexico as less
beautiful than Finland, having no more cultural heritage than
Scotland, less attractive as a tourist destination than Belgium and
virtually on a par with the United States for being rich in historic
buildings.
Hidden cameras
One man hoping to transform Mexico's image is Gerardo Llanes, who
took up the post of executive director for marketing at the Mexico
Tourism Board a year ago.

Tourist numbers are increasing after a new PR campaign
He has previously worked for some of the world's biggest brands,
including Kellogg's and Coca Cola, and is credited with launching
Diet Coke in Mexico.
One of his first priorities was to tackle the falling numbers of
tourists from the United States and Canada - countries which Mexico
is most dependent on for visitors.
His campaign aimed at North America shows Americans, filmed by hidden
cameras in taxis, talking about their holidays in Mexico.
"That has built the credibility of our message because it is not me
or Mexico's tourism board talking to you - it is real Americans
telling their real stories about their vacations."
But he acknowledged that PR alone would not solve the image problem.
Mexico's problems are tied up with the international demand for drugs
and a need for social reform at home.
"We need more social equality so that people who might be thinking of
becoming bad guys might not think about it because they can have
other opportunities."
There are signs the PR campaign is working.
Although tourist numbers are dramatically down in Acapulco , which
has seen some of the worst of the violence, other areas are seeing a
revival. December 2011 showed an overall 10% increase on the previous
year.

International leadership
PR is fine for promoting tourism, Mr Anholt argues, but it won't
change a country's image.

Gerardo Llanes: Social reform is needed
"If you are talking about the overall reputation of the country,
that's not subject to marketing because it is not a product for sale.
"There is no point in standing around moaning about Mexico's image
when hundreds, thousands of people are being killed each year.
"It is not Mexico's fault, if it is anybody's fault it is America's
fault, but they have still got to fix it."
President Calderon has himself pointed the finger at the United States.
He has said the problem of drugs trafficking stems from the fact that
Mexico's neighbour - the US - is the largest consumer of drugs in the
world.

And many of the guns used by the drug gangs are being smuggled in
from the US.
Two independent US reports have recently highlighted the scale of the
problem. One by the US state department estimated that as much as 90%
of all cocaine consumed in the US came via Mexico.
A second report by the US Senate, Halting US Firearms Trafficking to
Mexico, suggested that some 70% of firearms recovered from Mexican
crime scenes in 2009 and 2010 and submitted for tracing came from the
US.

More than 50,000 troops and federal police in Mexico are now actively
involved in the fight against the cartels.
Mr Anholt said one way for Mexico to boost its image would be to find
new, imaginative and effective ways of tackling the drugs problem.
The country could demonstrate international leadership by offering
solutions to other problems too such as climate change, poverty and
inequality.
"Then people will start looking to Mexico as a place that is not a
victim of its problems but a leader in resolving those problems and
then the change begins to happen," he said.

AZMEX I3 22-2-12

AZMEX I3 22 FEB 2012

Note: groups of IA's getting larger recently, all along the border

87 illegal immigrants detained in Alamo investigation
February 21, 2012 9:00 PM

Jared Taylor
http://www.themonitor.com/news/alamo-58910-investigation-detained.html

ALAMO — Federal agents took 87 illegal immigrants into custody Monday
at a stash house.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement discovered the immigrants
following five traffic stops that netted six arrests in the Alamo
area, a criminal complaint states. That led to a stash house where
agents found 74 illegal immigrants.

In all, agents detained 87 illegal immigrants as part of the
investigation, including six criminal suspects.

An unknown immigrant smuggler paid $700 to Mexican national Jose
Manuel Bretado Capetillo, 27, to rent the stash house, the complaint
states. Agents did not disclose the address of the residence in court
records.

Also arrested in the case were Guatemalan nationals Angel Armando
Gonzalez Davila, 31, and Brenda Nineth Crisostomo Mendez, 30, and
Mexican nationals Jesus Torivio Cadena Bretado, 32; Daniel Gonzalez
Suarez, 30, Julio Cepeda Borja, 24.

The six suspects admitted to either providing care for the
undocumented immigrants or helping to transport them to the stash house.

AZMEX POLICY 22-2-12

AZMEX POLICY 22 FEB 2012

DHS chief tours RGV for 1st time, touts border security
February 21, 2012 11:16 PM
http://www.themonitor.com/articles/mcallen-58912-security-touts.html

Naxiely Lopez and Jared Taylor
The Monitor
TWITTER:
Follow Naxiely Lopez on Twitter: @Naxiely
Follow Jared Taylor on Twitter: @jaredataylor

McALLEN — Secretary Janet Napolitano called her first visit to South
Texas a productive one.

The two-day appearance was her first since her appointment as head of
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security January 2009, she said
Tuesday afternoon.

Napolitano toured the Rio Grande and met with an array of federal and
local law enforcement officers, including those at the Pharr-Reynosa
International Bridge and Falcon Dam, to learn about security
operations and efforts to facilitate lawful trade.

The former Arizona governor said she learned a lot about the
challenges the terrain here presents for officers and technology.

"Some of the things we do in Arizona — the high towers with the
special radar sensors — that makes sense in broad expansions of open
land, (but) they may not work here because of the kind of vegetation
we have," she said, adding that all acquired knowledge will be taken
into consideration for future planning.

Napolitano touted $600 million in additional federal funding that has
gone to the Southwest border in the past three years. That money
hired an additional 1,000 Border Patrol agents, 250 Immigration and
Customs Enforcement special agents and 250 customs officers, who
patrol ports of entry.

"We are not just reacting, we are also proactive," Napolitano said.

That sentiment isn't shared by everyone along the border, though.

The Texas Border Coalition, an alliance of local politicians and
business leaders along the border, last week criticized President
Barack Obama's newest budget proposal, saying it doesn't provide
enough funding to upgrade international crossings and facilitate trade.

The group pointed to a Government Accountability Office estimate that
$6 billion is needed to modernize and expand international crossings.
The president's budget calls for about 73 new customs agents, while
the Texas Border Coalition contends another 6,000 are necessary.

Napolitano did not reveal any major plans or changes for operations
in the area, and instead spoke about the continued partnership
between local, state and federal agencies.

"It's about one team addressing the border as a whole," said CBP
Commissioner David Aguilar in response to criticism from the Texas
Border Coalition, which recently called for more funding for CBP
officers. "This is not about just between the ports of entry, it's
not about just the ports of entry — it's about the border as a whole."

Napolitano acknowledged drug-related crime in the area, but would not
refer to it as spillover violence.

"The sheriffs I just met with told me they haven't seen it," she
said, adding that law enforcement officers have not seen cartel-on-
cartel or cartel-on-law enforcement violence like the kind seen in
Mexico. "That kind of spillover violence we have not seen."

Sheriff Lupe Treviño has said Hidalgo County experienced its first
case of spillover violence in late October when one of his deputies
was shot and wounded by a local gang member who was trying to recover
a drug load for the Gulf Cartel.

IMMIGRATION PROTEST

A group of about 20 protesters from La Union del Pueblo Entero, a
nonprofit organization based in San Juan, picketed outside the
McAllen U.S. Border Patrol station, hoping to catch a glimpse of
Napolitano or perhaps more importantly catch her ear.

They called for an end to the use of Secure Communities, a federal
database that uses fingerprints to identify criminals, which the
protestors said is skyrocketing deportations and splitting families
apart for traffic violations.

Napolitano responded by reiterating the administration's effort to
prioritize the deportations, which target recent border crossers,
fugitives of warrants and criminals.

"That does not mean there will not be families, unfortunately, that
get separated in an immigration process," she said. "I think that
what they are really advocating for is that our nation's immigration
laws be reformed."

The president has been one of the strongest supporters for that, but
he does not have the unilateral power to do it himself, she added.

Napolitano said that while seizures of drugs, currency and weapons
are on the rise, violent crime along the border is down significantly.

"These are among the safest areas in the United States," she said.
"We have made a lot of progress, but we are not standing here to take
a victory lap. We are here to say, 'We are listening, we are
learning, we are moving, we are acting.'

"This area of the border is very important to us."

AZMEX UPDATE 22-2-12

AZMEX UPDATE 22 FEB 2012

Note: After period of relative calm, things heating up in Sinaloa
again. Also word of a big bust of precursor chemicals headed for Cd.
Obregon.

Operation Nimbus II aids border patrol
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 00:10
BILL HESS
Herald/Review
http://www.svherald.com/content/news/2012/02/22/250199

More than 500 soldiers from Fort Bliss and Fort Hood in Texas are
part of Operation Nimbus II, supporting the U.S. Border Patrol by
providing intelligence and surveillance assistance, according to a
spokesman for Joint Field Command.
You must be a premium member to read the rest of this story. To
become a member, please click here.

Note: about 400 miles north of the old "secure" border

Homeland Security to up presence in Four Corners
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 15:15
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.svherald.com/associatedpress/250319

FARMINGTON, N.M.(AP) — Homeland Security officials say the federal
agency is planning to increase its presence fighting drug cartels in
New Mexico's Four Corners region.
The Farmington Daily Times reports (http://bit.ly/wxZvqT) that the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations in New Mexico is
proposing that two agents move to San Juan County full-time and that
more agents be dispatched occasionally to the area to assist with
serious criminal investigations.

The move comes after local law enforcement agencies have asked
federal officials to assist cash-strapped departments in battling
gangs, drug trafficking and weapons violations. In recent months,
authorities have said violent Mexican drug cartels have increased
their presence in the remote area of northwest New Mexico.
Federal agents have been assigned to other parts of New Mexico to
battle drug cartels and gangs.
___
Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com

Feb 22, 10:45 AM EST
2 with nephew of ex-Gulf cartel boss sentenced

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TX_GULF_CARTEL_TEXAS_TXOL-?
SITE=TXMCA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Two men arrested last fall with the nephew
of the former boss of Mexico's Gulf cartel have been sentenced to
time served for giving false statements to federal agents.

Court records indicate Francisco Javier Escalante-Jimenez and German
Alejandro Huizar-Marroquin were sentenced by a federal judge in
Brownsville on Wednesday to 126 days in prison. They have been locked
up since their October arrests in Port Isabel.

The two Mexican citizens were accompanying Rafael Cardenas Vela,
nephew of Osiel Cardenas Guillen, who was sentenced to 25 years in
prison last year.

Records indicate Cardenas Vela presented a valid Mexican passport and
U.S. visa under a false name, but later admitted to trafficking
cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. He has an April trial date on
drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

CBP Officers Seize $1 Million in Narcotics during Busy Celebration
Weekend at the Laredo Port of Entry
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
By: Special to The Laredo Sun
http://laredosun.us/notas.asp?id=20348

Laredo , Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers
at the Laredo Port of Entry seized more than 30 pounds of cocaine and
two pounds of heroin during one of the last Washington's Birthday
Celebration weekends that included the Abrazo Ceremony, at two of
Laredo's international crossings.
The narcotics seized in two different enforcement actions have an
estimated combined total value of $1,160,000.
The most recent seizure occurred on Saturday, February 18 when a CBP
officer conducting pedestrian passenger inspections at the Gateway to
the Americas Bridge referred a 23-year-old female U.S.
citizen from Dallas, Texas for a secondary examination. CBP officers
conducted an intensive examination of the passenger and discovered
four packages weighing approximately 2.2 pounds of alleged heroin.
The heroin has an estimated street value of $200,000.
The second and largest of the two seizures, in terms of weight, took
place on February 17 at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge as CBP
officers inspected a 2008 Nissan Tiida sedan that was driven by a 34-
year-old male Mexican citizen from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
The CBP officers' inspection resulted in the discovery of 12 bundles
of alleged cocaine, weighing 30 pounds within the vehicle. The
cocaine is estimated to be worth $960,000.
CBP officers seized the narcotics and the vehicle involved in these
unrelated incidents. Both the female subject and the male driver were
turned over by CBP officers to U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations
(ICE-HSI) agents for further investigation.
"With festivities in full swing and the added travelers who make
their way to partake in these annual events, the ever-vigilant
Frontline to the borders of the United States, our CBP officers,
continue to maintain a tenacious enforcement posture, in fulfilling
CBP's mission and the security of our international crossings,"
said Sidney K. Aki, Port Director, Laredo, Texas.

Note: don't even try to steal the wrong pickup or suv. just south
of Lukeville.

Posted February 22, 2012, 1:54 a.m.
Were killed as "car thieves"
Frank Enrique Higuera Luque, René Alfonso López Valenzuela y Alonso
Rojo López, , were killed in auto theft in Sonoyta, Sonora.
Left a message attached to the bodies, which have several bullet
holes, in Sonoyta
Alfonso Campos Rubio
SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO - New Day
http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/estado/fueron-asesinados-por-robacarros/

At about half past eight last Monday, at kilometer 61.3 of the
Federal Highway Two, in the direction of Sonoyta, were found gagged
and bound, tortured and shot by, in addition to the "goat horn", .38
Super and 9 mm, the bodies of those who take the names of Frank
Enrique Luque Higuera, Rene Valenzuela and Alfonso Lopez Lopez Alonso
Rojo, 30, 24 and 25 years, showing a card with the legend "For car
thieves," it said.

This occurred near the site known as "Los Vidrios", whose bodies were
left out by the Chevrolet "Tahoe", white, 2003, plates WBE-20-70, the
entity reported stolen last Sunday in this city ​​and the
Chevrolet Silverado, "pick-up", gold, 2007, Arizona plates, of which
there was no complaint whatsoever.

Noting that the first two victims had their homes in the El Mesquite
and the third down the Oaxaca street, reporting via telephone at 066
the deadly discovery, for which reason the site is constituted
officers of the Federal Highway Police, ESRP and the AMPFC, lawyer
Miguel Angel Rios Mendez, who found the bodies with impacts of
firearm projectiles in the chest and the classic "coup de grace" in
the head and bound with tape also collected shell casings from the
7.62 by 39 mm caliber, fired from AK-47 machine gun or "goat horn",
as well as pistols .38 Super and 9 mm, achieving encontrárseles
identification with these identities, making it easier to identify them.
It was noted that the now deceased apparently came from Sonoyta,
where they apparently moved stolen vehicles, both in this city, and
Baja California and the American Union, to make a series of
documents for sale within the republic,

AZMEX EXTRA 2 21-2-12

AZMEX EXTRA 2 21 FEB 2012

Note: recap on some of the weapons going to govt. forces in NW
Mexico. No media found yet on ARX-160's coming to Sonora. Also have
not yet come across data for Mex. arms imports for 2011. Mex. govt.
still seems unable to provide any significant number of functional
FX05 rifles. The U.S. made and supplied AR15/M16/M4 platforms
continue to be very wide spread throughout the country.

PUBLIC SAFETY
Delivered more than 600 assault rifles to corporations
This afternoon, the Ministry of Public Security of the State will
receive a major batch of weapons to the police forces of seven
municipalities and the State Preventive Police
NORTHWEST / EDITORIAL
24.01.2012 | 12:40 p.m.
http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?
id=750790&id_seccion=10&fecha=2012-01-24

CULIACÁN._ This afternoon, the Ministry of Public Security of the
State will receive a major batch of weapons to the police forces of
seven municipalities and the State Preventive Police.

This is assault rifles, Beretta, of Italian origin.

Delivery will be made at 16:30 hours at the State Institute for
Criminal Sciences and Public Safety, where will attend the Governor
Mario Lopez Valdez.

It is unclear that investment was the purchase of these weapons.
According to unofficial informacón, the lot consists of more than 600
assault rifles.

Note: about $2,880,000 USD Number of rifles vs. number of mags also
interesting, but not really viable.

They deliver 677 weapons and bullets, magazines
The team had a cost of over $ 35.4 million, announced that there will
be another re
Joseph Abraham Sa nz
25/01/2012
The delivery of the weapons was yesterday at the State Institute of
Science Penalty
Photo: IONSA.
http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?
id=750945&id_seccion=70&fecha=2012-01-25

Gov. Mario Lopez Valdez gave yesterday to seven municipal
corporations rifles, magazines and ammunition worth little more than
37 million 400 thousand pesos.

The Secretary of Defense authorized the transfer of 677 rifles, 837
magazines and 1,005,000 rounds of munitions, it was announced
yesterday at an event.

Valdez Lopez led the event on the sports field of the State Institute
of Criminal Sciences, with Secretary General of Government, Gerardo
Vargas Landeros, Secretary of Security, Francisco Cordova Celaya, the
Attorney Marco Antonio Higuera and some mayors of the municipalities
benefited. "The police also need a weapon, to hear that they had to
buy their weapons, they had to buy their own ammunition, with its
money, was to leave us in a very bad position to the authorities," he
said.

More guns will come after "This is a first batch that has authorized
the Ministry of National Defense. There will be more. I have a huge
commitment to society Sinaloa, and I know I'm not alone. Recently we
have been threatened and attacked personally" .

The Governor made the symbolic presentation of some mayors of the
municipalities of Ahome, El Fuerte, Navolato, Culiacan, Guasave,
Mazatlan and Salvador Alvarado. The investment, which amounted to 35
million 743 thousand 294 pesos was completed between the Fund
Contributions to Public Safety, the Police Grant Creditable,
resources of the Government of Sinaloa and most of the Public Safety
Grant to Municipalities . "There is demand to have more claim than
safety. More is what society demands, is what most politicians
promise, but unfortunately is where most bad walk," admitted Lopez
Valdez.

The second batch, still pending for managing, will include 583
handguns, 893 magazines, 28,887 rounds.

Note: specifications wrong, as usual

WEAPONS DELIVERED
ARX ​​160 (619 delivered)
* It is an assault rifle that was developed
recognized by the arms company Beretta
to meet the requirements
Soldier of the Future program of the army
of the Republic of Italy

* Type: assault rifle
* Operators: Army of Italy, Military
Mexico, Albanian Special Forces
* Weight: 3.1 kg (unladen)
* Caliber: 0.9 mm
* Range: 600 meters
* Magazine: 30 rounds

SCP 70/90 (40 delivered)
* Type: assault rifle
* Operators: Army of Italy, Burkina
Faso, India, Jordan, Lesotho, Malaysia, Morocco,
Nigeria, Paraguay, Zimbabwe
* Weight: 3.9 kg (unladen)
* Caliber: 0.9 mm
* Range: 500 meters
* Magazine: 30 rounds

TIKKA T3 (6 handed)
* Type: Tactical Rifle
* Weight: 3.6 kilos
* Caliber: .308 Winchester
* Range: 540 meters
* Magazine: 5 rounds

BENELLI M4 (12 delivered)
* Type: Semi-Automatic Shotgun
* Operators: Special forces of Italy,
Slovenia, Slovakia, United States Army
Australia, Malaysia and the UK.
* Weight: 3.82 kilos
* Caliber: .12 mm
* Range: 50.2 meters
* Charger: 1 cartridge

Exhibit new rifle
Special forces of the State Police are trained with the ARX-160 in
reaction to ambush scenarios
Abraham Jose Sanz
02.08.2012 | 01:55 PM
http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?
id=754812&id_seccion=10&fecha=2012-02-08

CULIACÁN._ The first group of Creditable State Police made a couple
of hours a demonstration of new assault rifles ARX-160.

The event, led by Secretary Francisco Javier Martinez was held in the
range of the State Preventive Police. It involved dozens of officers
of the Tactical Analysis Unit, including a good number of women in
two patrols.

Of new weapons, whose greater capacities are lightness and power of
impact, were given 65 to the State Police for their panels.

The troops made the attack exercises in moving cars, reaction after a
surprise and ambush maneuvers and reaction envoltentes on assault
vehicle when descending.

"The Beretta gun is light. All police have to go through this type of
training, right now we enter the Group Operations and Analysis Unit,
we lack the research unit," said retired Maj. Alfredo Mejia Perez,
director of PEP.

Right now, there are 210 members trained with this new rifle and two
hundred more to be trained.
"You know that in these cases, organized crime is better armed than
one, right now we may say at the forefront, not quite, but with this
training be assured that we are more even," he said.

During 2011, members of the Preventive State and the Ministerial
police were killed by ambushes perpetrated by criminal groups.

SEGURIDAD PÚBLICA
Entregarán más de 600 fusiles de asalto a corporaciones
Esta tarde la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública del Estado hará
entrega de un importante lote de armamento a las corporaciones
policiacas de siete municipios y a la Policía Estatal Preventiva
NOROESTE / REDACCIÓN
24-01-2012 | 12:40 PM
http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?
id=750790&id_seccion=10&fecha=2012-01-24

CULIACÁN._ Esta tarde la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública del Estado
hará entrega de un importante lote de armamento a las corporaciones
policiacas de siete municipios y a la Policía Estatal Preventiva.

Se trata de fusiles de asalto marca Beretta, de origen italiano.

La entrega se hará a las 16:30 horas en las instalaciones del
Instituto Estatal de Ciencias Penales y Seguridad Pública, a donde
asistirá el Gobernador Mario López Valdez.

Aún no se sabe la inversión que se llevó la compra de este armamento.
De acuerdo con informacón extraoficial, el lote está compuesto por
más de 600 fusiles de asalto.

Entregan 677 armas cargadores y balas
El equipo tuvo un costo de más de $35.4 millones; anunciaron que
habrá otra re
José Abraham Sa nz
25-01-2012
La entrega del armamento fue ayer en el Instituto Estatal de Ciencias
Pena
Fotografía: IONSA.
http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?
id=750945&id_seccion=70&fecha=2012-01-25

El Gobernador Mario López Valdez entregó ayer a las corporaciones de
siete municipios armas largas, cargadores y municiones por valor de
poco más de 37 millones 400 mil pesos.

La Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional autorizó que se entregaran 677
armas largas, 1 mil 837 cargadores y un millón 5 mil 100 de
municiones, según se anunció ayer en un acto.

López Valdez encabezó el acto en el campo deportivo del Instituto
Estatal de Ciencias Penales, junto al Secretario General de Gobierno,
Gerardo Vargas Landeros; el secretario de Seguridad, Francisco
Córdova Celaya; el Procurador Marco Antonio Higuera y algunos
alcaldes de los municipios beneficiados. "Los policías también
necesitan un armamento, el escuchar que tenían que comprar sus armas,
que tenían que comprar su propio parque, con su dinero, era dejarnos
en una muy mala posición a las autoridades", recalcó.

Vendrán más armas después "Esta es una primera remesa que nos ha
autorizado la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional. Habrá más. Tengo
un enorme compromiso con la sociedad sinaloense, y sé que no estoy
solo. Recientemente hemos sido amenazados y atacados en lo personal".

El Gobernador hizo la entrega simbólica a algunos alcaldes de los
municipios de Ahome, El Fuerte, Navolato, Culiacán, Guasave,
Mazatlán y Salvador Alvarado. La inversión, que ascendió a 35
millones 743 mil 294 pesos fue completado entre el Fondo de
Aportaciones a la Seguridad Pública, el Subsidio para la Policía
Acreditable, recursos propios del Gobierno del Sinaloa y la mayor
parte del Subsidio para la Seguridad Pública de los Municipios. "No
hay demanda que tenga mayor reclamo que el de la seguridad. Es lo que
más pide la sociedad, es lo que más prometemos los políticos, pero
lamentablemente es donde más mal andamos", admitió López Valdez.

La segunda remesa, aún pendiente por terminar de gestionar, incluirá
583 armas cortas, 893 cargadores y 28 mil 887 municiones.

LAS ARMAS ENTREGADAS
ARX 160 (619 entregadas)
*Es un fusil de asalto que fue desarrollado
por la reconocida compañía de armas Beretta
para cumplir con los requerimientos
del programa Soldado del Futuro del ejército
de la República de Italia

* Tipo: Fusil de asalto
* Operadores: Ejército de Italia, Ejército
de México, Fuerzas especiales albanas
* Peso: 3.1 kgs (descargado)
* Calibre: .9 milímetros
* Alcance: 600 mts
* Cargador: 30 cartuchos

SCP 70/90 (40 entregadas)
* Tipo: Fusil de asalto
* Operadores: Ejércitos de Italia, Burkina
Faso, India, Jordania, Lesoto, Malasia, Marruecos,
Nigeria, Paraguay, Zimbawe
* Peso: 3.9 kgs (descargado)
* Calibre: .9 milímetros
* Alcance: 500 mts
* Cargador: 30 cartuchos

TIKKA T3 (6 entregadas)
* Tipo: Rifle táctico
* Peso: 3.6 kilos
* Calibre: .308 Winchester
* Alcance: 540 mts
* Cargador: 5 cartuchos

BENELLI M4 (12 entregadas)
* Tipo: Escopeta semi-automática
* Operadores: Fuerzas especiales de Italia,
Slovenia, Eslovaquia, Estados Unidos, Ejércitos
de Australia, Malasia y Reino Unido.
* Peso: 3.82 kilos
* Calibre: .12 milímetros
* Alcance: 50.2 mts
*Cargador: 1 cartucho

Exhiben en ejercicios nuevo fusil
Las fuerzas especiales de la Policía Estatal son adiestrados con el
ARX-160 en escenarios de reacción contra emboscadas
José Abraham Sanz
08-02-2012 | 01:55 PM
http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?
id=754812&id_seccion=10&fecha=2012-02-08

CULIACÁN._ El primer grupo de la Policía Estatal Acreditable
realizó hace un par de horas una demostración de los nuevos fusiles
de asalto ARX-160.

El acto, encabezado por el Subsecretario Francisco Javier Martínez se
celebró en el campo de tiro de la Policía Estatal Preventiva. En
ella participaron decenas de agentes de la Unidad de Análisis
Táctico, entre ellos un buen número de mujeres, en dos patrullas.

De las nuevas armas, cuyas mayores capacidades son la ligereza y el
poder de impacto, fueron entregadas 65 a la Policía Estatal para sus
grupos especiales.

Los efectivos realizaron ejericicios de ataque en autos en
movimiento, reacción tras emboscada de forma sorpresiva y con
maniobras envoltentes y de reacción sobre agresiones al descender de
vehículos.

"El fusil Beretta es demasiado ligero. Toda la policía debe pasar por
este tipo de adiestramiento, ahorita ya entramos con el Grupo de
Operaciones y la Unidad de Análisis, nos falta la Unidad de
Investigación", explicó el Mayor retirado Alfredo Mejía Pérez,
director de la PEP.

Ahorita, hay 210 elementos capacitados con este nuevo fusil y faltan
otras dos centenares que serán capacitados.
"Ustedes saben que en estos casos la delincuencia organizada está
mejor armada que uno; ahorita es posible que nos pongamos a la
vanguardia, no del todo, pero con este adiestramiento tengan la
seguridad de que estamos más parejos", explicó.

Durante el 2011, elementos de la Estatal Preventiva y de la
Ministerial cayeron abatidos por emboscadas perpetradas por grupos
criminales.