Ex-candidate's disappearance rattles Mexico

A recent kidnapping in Mexico has sparked a new rise in fear that everyone can now be a potential target for a kidnapping. Diego Fernandez de Cevallos, a former Mexican presidential candidate, was reported missing over the weekend and his car was found with some evidence of violence but there is still no significant proof that he was actually kidnapped. Although attorneys and politicians have been targeted before the authorities are not sure if the cartels were involved this time. Any sign that they were involved would mean an increase in the escalation in the current bloody conflict between the drug cartels and the government that has already claimed over 22,000 lives since Felipe Calderon began a crackdown in 2006. It is true that kidnappers often target the wealthy, but they usually never target such high ranking politicians which is confusing to the authorities who are currently searching for any leads that would discover what happened to the attorney.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gROHho-DT5F_5FmMC7Bj71UI73yAD9FO6AP81

Mexico's Calderón tells Congress he Needs U.S. Help in Fighting Drug Wars

Mexican President Felipe Calderón, speaking to a joint session of Congress Thursday, pleaded for more help in limiting the flow of weapons to Mexico, saying they were contributing to the devastating drug violence in his country. There have been over 20,000 deaths in Mexico because of drug violence, and the President it seeking help in order to make it better.
Calderon said that Mexico needs more U.S. assistance in stopping the flow of weapons and other deadly arms across the border. The Obama administration has built up a good reputation in Mexico by publicly acknowledging the role of the guns from the U.S. and drug consumption are fueling the drug wars. President Obama has ordered more increased searches of Mexico-bound trains in order to crack down on the illegal weapons.
"The answers to Mexico's drug and violence problems do not lie in stripping away the rights of law-abiding Americans on this side of the border," Andrew Arulanandam said, spokesman for the National Rifle Association. Calderon also said the immigration reform backed by Obama, would create a path to citizenship for many illegal immigrants, was "crucial to securing our common border."
This information is extremely disappointing and uplifting at the same time. It is so tragic that Mexico has had to deal with this for all these years, and how there have been so many tragic deaths due to these drug cartels. However, if the U.S. plans to help Mexico with border and trade control, hopefully this problem will start to diminish.

Mexico may cut millions of cellphones to fight crime

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6375DT20100409

In an effort to cut crime the Mexican government has decided to disconnect millions of cellphones that remain unregistered. Mexican citizens were told through government advertisements that they had to register their phones to match to their identities. Although millions of people have not registered and the government is not increasing the deadline Mexican mobile phone companies are trying to convince law makers to increase the deadline so that more people can have the opportunity to register their phones. Some people claim that criminals can simply register their phone with another persons identity but telecommunications worker, Hector Osuna, said in a radio interview that authorities will be checking the legitimacy of the identity registered with the phone.

Town near epicenter of Mexico earthquake still in short supply of water, electricity

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/6943498.html

Water and electricity are still in short supply in this Mexican town two days after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Baja California state on the U.S. border. The town, with a population of 100,000 and located 3 km south of Mexicali, epicenter of Sunday's earthquake, has endured two days without water. Electricity supply was also halved. Local residents fear the shortage will last longer. The earthquake struck Sunday, killing four people, injuring some 250 and affecting more than 5,000 families. This earthquake did not come at a good time for Mexico, because they are still fighting the war with the drug cartels, and having to deal with famine and thirst is going to be difficult.

Mexico drug hitmen terrorize towns on U.S. border

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62O5JZ20100325

In the latest flare-up of border drug violence, masked, heavily-armed men are torching homes, firing on shops and businesses and have killed at least three local politicians in a cluster of towns near the deadly drug war city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas. Residents in the cotton and alfalfa-growing town of El Porvenir say dozens of people have been killed this year. President Felipe Calderon has staked his political future on reining in the drug killings that worry investors, tourists and Washington. He has sent 8,000 soldiers and federal police to the Ciudad Juarez area alone to try to defeat the cartels.
The U.S. government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to train Mexican police and provide helicopters and drug-spotting equipment, but a poll this week in Milenio newspaper showed a majority of Mexicans believe the cartels, not the army, are winning the drug war.

FBI: No evidence Mexico hit men targeted Americans

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gMi5B2USfJStXxfqgWWr2xjRYpOgD9EG2ER00

According to the FBI the recent attack against U.S. Consulate employees in Ciudad Juarez may have been the wrong targets for the hit men. Three adults were killed and at least two children were wounded. According to an investigation the assailants were ordered to attack a white SUV leaving a party and may have accidentally gone to the wrong party. The FBI is still investigating the victims background but experts believe that it would not be in the interests of the drug cartels to begin targeting American employees because then both nations would begin greater intervention in the drug trade affairs. President Felipe Calderon is asking that "both counties keep collaborating to defeat these organizations." The citizens on the other hand are asking the Mexican president to do more for the city than just asking the U.S. for support. Ciudad Juarez is currently the most violent city in the world.

Shell, Nexen Make Oil Discovery in Gulf of Mexico

Royal Dutch Shell Pic and Nexen Inc. made an important oil discovery in the gulf of Mexico, which could produce much more oil. There have been some major technological advances which have opened up access to deeper water deposits in the Gulf of Mexico. The region may hold 3 billion barrels of crude oil and gas. Shell is currently in the commissioning stage. This is good news for Mexico, as it would cause more exports with other countries, especially with the U.S. This trade would strengthen the NAFTA ties, and hopefully help Mexico's economy.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-19/shell-nexen-make-oil-discovery-in-gulf-of-mexico-update2-.html

Mexican drug lords face 'existential threat,' US says

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ipNmypRk9Yae0SIvneCq1QJWHORA

The powerful Mexican drug cartels are finally facing a true governmental threat due to nation wide government actions. Since taking office Mexico's president, Felipe Calderon, has deployed tens of thousands of troops in areas where the drug cartels have been extremely active. There has been a price to this because approximately 15,000 people have died since 2006. Drug cartels fight over territory and routes that they can use to smuggle drugs into the U.S. Although there has been some progress, it is not the promised progress that people want so that they can be safe and not have to worry whether they will get to live another day. It is also the responsibility of other countries to try to reduce their drug consumption and growth so that eventually cartels like the ones in Mexico will not be so much of a threat.