Cananea Reporter Threatened, Robbed

May 18th, 2007 | By Michel Marizco | Category: General News, Organized Crime, Politics
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THE BORDER REPORT
CANANEA, SONORA - A Cananea television news reporter has taken a leave from her job and left this city after her house was burglarized and her life was threatened.
Yazmín Islas, a reporter for Telemax, the state-run television station in Sonora, had computer flash drives and work-related DVDs stolen from her house during a burglary last night, she says.
The burglars had torn out part of her ceiling as well as if they were looking for hidden items there. Her clothes had been ripped out of her closet and drawers and a gold watch was taken. The burglars left her tape recorders and desktop computer alone.
"There wasn't a door forced open or a window; I don't know how they came in. They stole video, documents and some personal items," she said.
The flash drives contained information for stories she has already reported and some which she was still working on.
"I don't know if this was just a common burglary but I'm scared," she said.
Islas agreed to speak about the burglary and the threats because public attention may dissuade a more serious attack. Saturday morning, I'll contact the Inter-American Press Association, Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists on her behalf.
Islas, a reporter for two years has been reporting on police items in Cananea such as the cop killings two nights ago. Prior to that, she reported on the March 22 execution of federal police officer Gustavo Vega in Cananea and the March 6 execution of federal police officer Aldo Guzman Palafox. Both worked for the Federal Preventative Police.
Ramon Tacho Verdugo, the Agua Prieta police chief gunned down Feb. 26, served as Cananea police chief until the new administration took office last September.
I do not believe this was a common house burglary.
Three weeks ago, someone dispersed cards throughout the entire city of Cananea, naming reporters who, the cards read, "had better watch themselves."
The cards, which Islas did not have a copy of but have been transcribed and posted to the Web, read:
Antes se creían intocables y se sentían elegidos por que el pueblo estaba bajo sus pies y podían decir y hacer lo que les diera la gana, porque se sentían protegidos por el comandante más mafioso de Sonora Ramón Tacho Verdugo. Pero ahora que se quedaron colgados de la brocha y están también en la mira de los verdaderos dueños de Cananea y de toda la región. Eran los favoritos del indeseable Comandante Tacho pero ahora muerto el perro no hayan donde meter la cabeza. El otro padrino de estos muertos de hambre el Pancho García anda con la cola entre las patas. El Bronco Juvera se crema la mamá de tarzan y que hasta se hablaba de tu con los mañosos; igual que el sangre de perro el ex presidiario de Antonio Moreno "el Mexicano". El vicioso, asesino y ex judicial de Pancho Moreno que vive bajo los güevos de su hermano Mario Moreno corrupto y que siempre andaba presumiendo que estaba arreglado con los narcos ahora se ha quedado mudo. Martín Camargo que quiere asustar a todo mundo con su revistita Proyección (¿) porque no se pone duro con los mafiosos (?). Ahí tiene al gordo Gabriel Zambrano sangre de perro, lunático y joto que se creía muy chingón y a todos les gritaba y el Efrén Ibarra flamante Regidor que esta ahí porque el Martín lo puso para que le cuidara sus intereses. Y las viejas mas feas y creídas que se sentían hechas a mano, la Miriam de Expresiones que no saluda ni a su madre y que trabaja con otro saco de plomo Rafael Maytorena de familia mafiosa. La Yazmin Islas vieja gorda que vive de lo que les baja a los policías y a los polleros, junto con la Sara Morales y la Esmeralda González, siempre metidas con los burreros y con los Comandantes. Los inútiles de Emisario que con sus caras de pendejos y con sus camaritas se quieren meter a todos lados. El Orlando Valencia que se viste de Judicial y quiere estar en todo también era de los favoritos de Tacho, junto con el Licenciado Cazares se creen los mas chingones de la tierra. Todos están en la mira y se los puede llevar la chingada de un momento a otro, para que se les quite lo pendejos y lo mamones. Aber (sic) si ahora andan de valientes y se sienten tan chingones. Cuídense gueyes
In short, the paragraph pertaining to Islas says: ... Yazmin Islas, that fat old lady who lives off what she can lift off the cops and the migrant smugglers, together with Sara Morales and Esmerelda Gonzales, always involved with the drug smugglers and the police commanders."
The note also says: "Now they're all being watched by the true owners of Cananea and the entire region."
It closes with:
"Watch yourselves."
"My employers told me to leave Cananea and told me not to do any reporting. I have not heard anything else from them since," Islas said.
Such threats are becoming common in Mexico's worst cartel-infested cities.
They are not made because the reporter was doing any serious investigative reporting. Rather, the threats come from merely reporting the day's events.
Like cop killings for instance.
-- Michael Marizco

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