AZMEX I3 7-5-12

AZMEX I3 7 MAY 2012

Published: 05/07/2012 10:04 By: Agencies
Mexico 'captures' most remittances from the US
Although the 2011 was a year of unemployment and deportations in the
United States, Mexico consolidated as the main target recipient of
remittances from its northern neighbor.
http://www.elimparcial.com/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Nacional/
07052012/590467.aspx

MEXICO, DF (AP)
Remittances to Latin America from the U.S. in 2011 grew 8.0 percent
from 2010, for a total of 69.2 billion dollars, one third of them
were destined for Mexico, a study revealed today.

Although moderate, the increase was remarkable because it occurred at
a time of high unemployment, a decline in migration to this country
and an aggressive campaign that has resulted in record deportations.

According to the report prepared by the Inter-American Dialogue
group, the increase has resulted in turn from the steady but slow
improvement in the labor market has experienced recently.

Also contributing access to new financial tools for these transfers,
an increase in the number of migrant women as better enabled and
changes to the cost of living in the sending countries.

The bulk of these shipments were destined for Mexico, Colombia and
Central America, which in turn stand to have the closest economic
ties with the United States.

Mexico, however, remained the main destination of these flows,
totaling 22.7 billion dollars, an increase of 6.0 percent compared to
21.2 billion recorded in 2010.

Guatemala appeared placed a distant second with 4.3 billion dollars,
up 12 percent from 2010, followed by Colombia with 4.1 billion, but
with an increase of just 3.0 percent compared to last year.

The largest percentage increase however it was Nicaragua, whose
remittances totaled one billion dollars, up 22 percent of the 823
million added in 2010.



Published: 05/07/2012 7:49 By: AP
Navy frees 18 migrants captive by Los Zetas
The Navy released 18 migrants kidnapped by cartel members of Los
Zetas in a border town in northern Mexico.

http://www.elimparcial.com/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Nacional/
07052012/590435.aspx Piedras Negras, Coahuila (AP)

The Navy released 18 migrants kidnapped by cartel members Los Zetas
in a border town in northern Mexico.

Two suspected members of Los Zetas, a group that has already been
noted in the past to kidnap migrants were arrested, said the Navy
said in a statement
Migrants, whose nationalities were not specified, remained confined
in a building of Piedras Negras, a town in the border state of Coahuila.

The Navy said that the two men were in possession of two automatic
weapons and a pistol, magazines and cartridges, in addition to 151
doses of what appears to cocaine, $ 45 thousand USD, and 14 thousand
pesos.

The location and release of the migrants came after the alleged
cartel members stated that the authorities were holding to 18
foreigners.
Piedras Negras is a border town Eagle Pass, Texas.

In recent years, authorities have released many migrants who had
fallen into the hands of cartels, which extort families of migrants
to demand money for them to release their victims, many of which
subjected to torture such as amputations, to pressure to deliver the
required amounts.