Saturday June 13, 2009, 4:52 pm
" What makes Nuevo Laredo so remarkable now, however, is the relative calm that envelops this border town, a small dose of good news in a country awash with bloodshed.

Tamaulipas State, where Nuevo Laredo is located, used to be ground zero in the country’s drug war, with convoys of criminals riding through the streets as if they owned them and one of the highest murder rates in the country. That distinction has since shifted farther west along the United States-Mexico border to Ciudad Juárez and Tijuana, where soldiers patrol the streets by the thousands. But Nuevo Laredo’s transformation from war zone to regular town is not necessarily what it seems. Organized crime has gone underground in Nuevo Laredo, still feared, still thriving, but no longer in charge.

That uneasy peace may well be the best outcome Mexico can extract from its consuming drug war, so Nuevo Laredo could be a glimpse of the country’s future. Government officials acknowledge that their realistic goal is not to eliminate the outlaws, but to weaken them to the point where something resembling everyday life can resume.

The government, which is in the midst of a vicious, countrywide battle with the cartels, played a role in the newfound tranquillity by pouring soldiers into Nuevo Laredo, under President Felipe Calderón and his predecessor, Vicente Fox. They took up positions around the city and took over the police force, which was regarded as a corrupt adjunct of the cartels."

Read more and see video at site..

Saturday June 13, 2009, 4:53 pm
The officials have to stop this..not be a part of it..

Saturday June 13, 2009, 5:32 pm
Noted, thanks Dee.

Sunday July 12, 2009, 4:36 pm
Have you read the whole story here Blue..This is not about "Hate" This is about drugs and corruption in the officials who are supposed to be doing the right thing..On both sides of the border..

This is about Drug Cartels..hell bent on not stopping at any cost..

I do not understand why you have posted that link here..It has absolutely nothing to do with the news story here..
Are you suggesting this is about hate..racism..

Monday July 13, 2009, 2:28 pm
Dee, have you done any research on the origin of drugs and drug trafficking; look all the way back to when the U.K. colonized China and fed opium to the masses and then we'll talk about hate and racism.

Tuesday July 14, 2009, 5:17 pm
Blue..with all due respect..I certainly do understand what hate and racism is..however I just think that the link you submitted here did not have any place or connection to this news story..

As I stated on another story..Drugs..and the drug lords..are all over the world..It is a very serious problem..Innocent people suffer from this..This is not a border issue here..Again have you read the whole news item here..

This is about a town in Mexico..
"Laredo’s transformation from war zone to regular town is not necessarily what it seems. Organized crime has gone underground in Nuevo Laredo, still feared, still thriving, but no longer in charge"

It is about the corruption..not only within the town..but with the government/police..

"The government, which is in the midst of a vicious, countrywide battle with the cartels, played a role in the newfound tranquillity by pouring soldiers into Nuevo Laredo, under President Felipe Calderón and his predecessor, Vicente Fox. They took up positions around the city and took over the police force, which was regarded as a corrupt adjunct of the cartels."

This is a horrible situation..It is wrong and needs to change..

"Mr. Villarreal has joined a group called Laredo’s Missing to try to find out what happened to his sons. Disappearances were commonplace in those days, and the police sometimes acted in cahoots with the criminals, Mr. Villarreal said. “The cartels would call the police and say they were looking for someone,” he said. “The police would find the person and turn him over to the cartels, who would take him away.”

The police are supposed to help the public..and keep them safe..Not help the Drug Cartels and assist them in killing good people..

So as I said.."Hate and Racism..does not belong here..

That is all I am trying to say..We can't condone this..nor should we..and the story should not be derailed into something it is not..

Thursday July 16, 2009, 11:15 am
Cute trick, Dee ... you send me a Perosnal Message and then you BLOCK ME so that I can't answer you; then you accuse me of ignoring your message.

SHAME ON YOU, Dee! SHAME, SHAME, SHAME ON YOU!