THE BORDER REPORT

Reading through the U.S. State Department's travel alert for Mexico, the succinct quote a consulado official gave me once, "You're fine, just hope to hell you don't get in the way," continues to hold true today.

But a few things have happened over the last few days in Sonora that go ignored by the press north of the line but shouldn't. They change the dynamic of the drug war and its threat against the non-involved.

Last Tuesday, a group of thugs working for Francisco Hernandez García, El Dos Mil, set up a roadblock along Mexican Highway 17 in Sonora; the highway between Mazocahui and Ures, near the Sierra Madre. Thirteen people were accosted at different points in the night in attempted carjackings, a few suffering gunshot wounds. The mayors of Cumpas and Bacoachi, Sonora, were among those injured as they traveled the road that night.

Herein lies the danger for everyone, gringo o paisano because there is no target. Or rather, the target is not the person, but the vehicle. This type of situation is not conducive to my rationalizing the efforts of the Mexican government. Dos Mil and his people have been holed up in northeastern Sonora since at least 2007. Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán, Pres. Felipe Calderón and three Army regiments stationed in the region have been unable to extricate him from the hills.

Whether that's through ineptitude or disinterest, they have a responsibility to do so. On Wednesday, the same crew had evaded capture – yet again – and moved toward Highway 15 at the bend near the southern Sonora city of Guaymas.

I don't know yet if Dos Mil is among those being pursued, frankly, I have my doubts.