TX - Border town Cuidad Juarez, Mex. one of "the most dangerous places on earth"

Ciudad Juarez residents flee Mexico's 'dying city'

<snip>

Long controlled by the Juarez Cartel, the city descended into a horrifying cycle of violence after Mexico's most-wanted kingpin, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, and his Sinaloa Cartel tried to shoot their way to power here beginning in 2008. President Felipe Calderon sent nearly 10,000 troops to restore order. Now, the Mexican army and federal authorities are going door-to-door, conducting an emergency census to determine just how many residents have fled.
...............
Massacres, beheadings, YouTube videos featuring cartel torture sessions and even car bombs are becoming commonplace in Juarez, where more than 3,000 people were killed in 2010, according to the federal government, making it among the most dangerous places on earth.

El Paso, by contrast, has had three violent deaths - and one was a murder-suicide.

Juarez Chamber of Commerce President Daniel Murguia said at least 6,000 city businesses have closed in 2010, according to Mexican Interior Ministry figures. There is no data available on those shuttered amid 2009's and 2008 violence, however, or on scores of businesses targeted by arsonists.

more here

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=13769423

The violence is absolutely jaw-droppingly awful. I'm still shocked beyond belief that so many Americans just kind of shrug and go on with their lives. I honestly don't think that many people realize that this city is as close to the US as Vancouver, BC or Montreal. You have to hand it to the media. They are really trying to shine a light.

When they're not getting shot at, that is.

This has been a violent place for at least 500 murdered women for the last 10-15 years.

Texas Mist said:

Ciudad Juarez residents flee Mexico's 'dying city'

<snip>

Long controlled by the Juarez Cartel, the city descended into a horrifying cycle of violence after Mexico's most-wanted kingpin, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, and his Sinaloa Cartel tried to shoot their way to power here beginning in 2008. President Felipe Calderon sent nearly 10,000 troops to restore order. Now, the Mexican army and federal authorities are going door-to-door, conducting an emergency census to determine just how many residents have fled.
...............
Massacres, beheadings, YouTube videos featuring cartel torture sessions and even car bombs are becoming commonplace in Juarez, where more than 3,000 people were killed in 2010, according to the federal government, making it among the most dangerous places on earth.

El Paso, by contrast, has had three violent deaths - and one was a murder-suicide.

Juarez Chamber of Commerce President Daniel Murguia said at least 6,000 city businesses have closed in 2010, according to Mexican Interior Ministry figures. There is no data available on those shuttered amid 2009's and 2008 violence, however, or on scores of businesses targeted by arsonists.

more here

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=13769423

Click to expand...

I've read alot about the cartels and I don't think El Chapo is responsible for the increase in violence. His cartel has been around for ages. Everything I've read indicates the Zetas are responsible. Los Zetas was started by ex military police. Don't forget that the Mexican media is run by the government.

An interesting development:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_drug_...lYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA21leGljYW5jYXJ0ZQ--

Mexican cartel announces 1-month truce

MORELIA, Mexico &#8211; A letter purportedly signed by La Familia drug cartel announcing a one-month truce circulated Sunday in the western state of Michoacan.

In the one-page message, distributed by e-mail and in some cities door by door, the gang claims it will halt all crime activity during January to demonstrate that the cartel "is not responsible for the criminal acts federal authorities are reporting to the media...."

more at link

Missizzy said:

The violence is absolutely jaw-droppingly awful. I'm still shocked beyond belief that so many Americans just kind of shrug and go on with their lives. I honestly don't think that many people realize that this city is as close to the US as Vancouver, BC or Montreal. You have to hand it to the media. They are really trying to shine a light.

When they're not getting shot at, that is.

Click to expand...

My brother worked there (El Paso, TX) years ago, and he said he could see Juarez from his building. It's just crazy the stark difference between one of the safest cities (El Paso) and the most dangerous (Juarez) yet they are so close geographically.

ETA- The two cities are only separated by a few feet. Here is a good picture that illustrates how close they are:



El Paso is in the foreground, Juarez is in the background.

ITA, Tuffy. And why does this not concern most Americans???

Autodefensas Detain Sicario Along With Army Lieutenant.
This story, on Borderland Beat, 1/27/16 is a translation of a story that originally appeared in Proceso: Detectan comunitarios a presunto &#8220;Viagra&#8221; acompañando a un teniente del Ejército on 1/26/16.

"The Community Police of Tepalcatepec, Michoacán spotted a subject, an alleged member of the criminal group &#8220;Los Viagras&#8221;, disguised as a Mexican Military Soldier and who was also accompanied by a lieutenant of the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA).

Both were arrested by comunitarios (community members) while they were aboard a cloned Mexican Military vehicle with serial number: 3317356... . "

The "community members" belonged to "Autodefensas" a group of fairly average Mexican citizens in Michoacán who have gotten together to stand up to the cartels. They are somewhere between vigilantes and Websleuthers, and seem to have had a real impact.

* Sicario = an ancient Roman term that essentially translates as "enforcer" or "hit man", and the name of a movie about contemporary crime in Mexico.