THE BORDER REPORT

The rats are growing bolder in southern Sonora, specifically the major NAFTA city of Ciudad Obregón, where a radio reporter was released yesterday after being kidnapped the day before. Unknown abductors came for Laura Elena Ochoa Wednesday afternoon, forcing her into a maroon Jeep Cherokee, blindfolding her and holding her for more than a day, before releasing her in the hills outside the city, El Imparcial reports this morning.

Tensions have been escalating in Cd. Obregón lately as the narco-juniors, hijos de los Güeritos, have been getting arrested, hospitalized and in minor gunbattles between themselves. This past week, reporters were being told a journalist was going to go down; but nobody knew whom or when.

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THE BORDER REPORT

SECRETO A VOCES

My column in The News of Mexico City

Mexico's battle with the drug lords is looking much like the U.S.'s war in Iraq two years ago – lots of good ideas being put forward by the people who know best, all being roundly ignored.

A Mexican Army general who has been methodically trashing the power structure of northwestern Mexico for the last two years is now raising hell in Baja California. But recent history shows that he’s denounced public officials in Mexican states before – and always to no avail.

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THE BORDER REPORT

*Looks like we're back up to 15 dead this morning.

Twelve people were gunned down this morning in the border town of Tijuana, days after a Mexican army general publicly trashed more than 35 federal and state officials, saying they were working for the Arellanos, the local cocaine cartel.

Tijuana Online is reporting two different shootouts in the city this morning. One of the victims was wearing a federal police uniform, the paper says; though that means nothing since cops work for traffickers who dress like cops all the time. A few of the dead were headshots, which makes me wonder if this was a battle or an execution - or both.

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THE BORDER REPORT

A manhunt is underway near the Lukeville port of entry after a gunfight with AK-47s south of the border spilled over onto the U.S. side. The port of entry was closed for two hours and according to federal sources, the manhunt is continuing on the Arizona side of the border. The Sonoran State police officials are being as sketchy as usual about the incident, saying that only one man was involved and that Mexican military managed to capture him. I guess that's the kind of message control a man who's running for president needs to maintain. My federal sources say different. They say that the U.S. Border Patrol agents captured one man after the shootout on the U.S. side, one wearing black camouflage facepaint. The Sonorans captured three more men on their side of the border but claim only one. This all went down about 30 meters from the port of entry. The line at this particular port of entry is usually a long one, and I wouldn't be surprised if Phoenix and Tucson-bound drivers were ducking down while everybody opened fire. Stay tuned to Fox 11 for an update later tonight. They had someone on scene. I don't yet know why this story hasn't made it to other media, but I think it's important.

Secreto A Voces

My column in The News of Mexico City

A curious reversal in the histrionics of the narco-politico stage last week is eroding the validity of the Mexican government’s position against the cartels. While the military unloads on its citizens, the Gulf Cartel is hiring them away, offering $500 a week and better food than the Top Ramen fare that serves as an MRE. The creepy little bastards are even upping the bennies; a new banner went up yesterday in Tampico, along the Gulf Coast, offering life insurance, and a brand new car.

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