U.S.: Kidnappings High Along Mexico Border

[AgadorSparticus]

<snip>
WASHINGTON - Twenty-seven Americans have been abducted in Mexico's northern border region over the past six months and two have been killed, the State Department said Thursday.

Spokesman Richard Boucher cited those numbers in defending an alert to American citizens about the risks of traveling in the area.

Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez had said the State Department public announcement, issued Wednesday, exaggerated the danger.

Boucher said he was aware of the Mexican objections but added that the administration believes it is important to inform Americans about security along the border.

"We're aware of 27 incidents involving abductions of Americans, and that we know two of those Americans were killed and 11 remain missing and 14 were eventually released," he said.

more....
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=1276&e=1&u=/ap/20050128/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_mexico

[WyLoochka]

1. More fear mongering

These abductions are related to the obviously unwinnable "war on drugs." Whenever and wherever there is a prohibition of product that can be supplied by black markets, organized crime - often resorting to violent methods to attempt to exert control over the black market profits, will enter into the equation.

We already know prohibition doesn't work. We've been waging the "war on drugs" for decades with no positive results whatsoever, in fact, as we see here - there have been very negative results.

[ally_sc]

2. sounds like the WOD to me, i got the link now

why am i surprised we have not heard more about this..mdia suppression probably because of tourism. although i have heard for years it is not safe to travel to mexico. remember the stories about the mass graves at the borders a few years back...i'll see if i can't find the link.

http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/americas/051400mexico-grave.html

[AgadorSparticus]

4. i missed this story. wow. that's scary. i don't usually go to mexico

as it stands, but i must admit, i'm a little more hesitant to now.

i'm a little surprised that they let it get his bad. it will kill the border cities. i know that the border cities along south texas will be devastated as the winter texans are the ones that keep them afloat.

[AgadorSparticus]

3. no, not related to war on drugs. this is a fairly new tactic to extort

money. well, preferred method anyways. kidnappings have been problematic in interior mexico for some time. i hear it is also a problem in south america now.

the fact that it is coming to the "frontera" is alarming as it will have devasting tolls on the border economy. if you read the article, it was the local mexican authorities that called for help as the crime wave is getting out of control.