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Mexican Kidnappers Menace Yanks

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 8, 2009 8:10 AM CDT

(Newser) – Mexican drug gangs are increasingly targeting Americans, kidnapping them in border towns and, even more disturbingly, US cities like Las Vegas and even Atlanta, Mary A. Fischer writes in Men’s Journal. Ironically, higher post-9/11 border security and Mexico's crackdown on drug cartels has hurt drug sales, forcing competing bands of drug dealers to turn to ransoms for money. “It’s open season on just about anyone," said a former FBI agent.

“Even if you don’t want to cooperate with the mob, you don’t have a choice,” said a Tijuana cop. “They’ll kill you.” That "deal you can't refuse" approach keeps Mexican police in the dark, and has soured one kidnapped American family on Mexico for good. “They robbed us of something more precious than physical stuff,” said one woman whose family was terrorized by gunmen on a trip to Baja. “We loved Mexico, and now we’ll never go back.”

A shoe sits in the area where fragmentation grenades exploded in Morelia in western Mexico.
A shoe sits in the area where fragmentation grenades exploded in Morelia in western Mexico.   (AP Photo)
A Mexican soldier stands next to a body covered in a blanket after a firefight erupted between gunmen and soldiers near the town of Villa Ahumada on Mexico's border with the US.
A Mexican soldier stands next to a body covered in a blanket after a firefight erupted between gunmen and soldiers near the town of Villa Ahumada on Mexico's border with the US.   (AP Photo)
A soldier guards a check point on the outskirts of Tijuana, Mexico.
A soldier guards a check point on the outskirts of Tijuana, Mexico.   (AP Photo)
A Santa Muerte, or Grim Reaper, pendant is displayed next to guns and ammunition magazines seized by the Mexican Army.
A Santa Muerte, or Grim Reaper, pendant is displayed next to guns and ammunition magazines seized by the Mexican Army.   (AP Photo)
Federal police officers hold folded Mexican flags that draped coffins as they prepare to deliver them to relatives at the Campo de Marte military field in  Mexico City late last year.
Federal police officers hold folded Mexican flags that draped coffins as they prepare to deliver them to relatives at the Campo de Marte military field in Mexico City late last year.   (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
Guest
Mar 9, 2009 7:59 AM CDT
It is a bad situation. I do have a couple of suggestions, though. Legalize/tax pot and you just took all that drug money away from the criminals and gave it to the people. No massive amounts of money= no more violence. Tax the crap out of it and use the money to fund education, roads, etc. How many murderers would be caught if police didn't have to worry about arresting that college student with a joint? How much time would police have if violence dropped because of said pot legalization.
Guest
Mar 9, 2009 5:44 AM CDT
You'll also know a lot more about these groups because they'll have to incorporate, file tax returns, reveal officer names, employee names, etc.
Chudluv
Mar 8, 2009 10:25 PM CDT
Why don't just line theses guys up who kidnap people and give those people killed justice?

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