LATIN AMERICAN TIMES

Authorities detained one of Mexico's most controversial and wealthiest politicians on suspicion of illegally keeping an arsenal of over 80 guns and automatic rifles in his house

Authorities detained one of Mexico's most controversial and wealthiest politicians on suspicion of illegally keeping an arsenal of over 80 guns and automatic rifles in his house, setting off a political furor. Soldiers acting on a tip burst into the Tijuana home of Jorge Hank, 55, a former mayor and a pillar of the Mexico's former ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party's establishment, and detained him and 10 employees in the early hours of Saturday morning. On Sunday, Mr. Hank was flown to Mexico City and was being questioned by police officials in charge of investigating organized crime. Mr. Hank's detention sparked demonstrations in his favor by supporters in Tijuana, as well as a flurry of angry statements from PRI party barons. In a letter written to Mexico's human rights commission, Mr. Hank claimed Sunday he had been set up by the army after eight hooded men burst into his bedroom as he slept. "Around 5 am, they told me to stand by some weapons that were on the floor and they took photographs," he wrote in the letter which was shown on Mexican television channel Milenio TV. "The weapons were on the floor and I had never seen them before nor do I recognize them." Mr. Hank's lawyer Oscar Téllez did not immediately return a telephone call left at his office. Earlier, Mr. Téllez told reporters he had not been able to consult with his client, and Mr. Hank's wife told reporters the guns, which according to Mexico's Defense Ministry included 48 automatic rifles, had been legally acquired. "We will not allow political witch hunts, repressive acts or intimidation," said PRI president Humberto Moreira. Mr. Hank is closely linked to the PRI's political machine in the State of Mexico where the party's candidate for governor, Eruviel Ávila is poised to win the governor's seat in key elections next month. The state of Mexico elections will serve as a run-up to next year's presidential election in which the PRI's presumed candidate Enrique Peña Nieto, the current governor of the state, also holds a wide lead in the polls over potential rivals. Mr. Ávila's campaign manager quickly distanced the candidate from Mr. Hank. "There is not one cent of Mr. Jorge Hank Rhon's money in the campaign of Eruviel Ávila," said campaign manager Luis Videgaray. In a statement, the ruling conservative National Action or PAN party defended Mr. Hank's detention and said the government was simply applying the law and preventing acts of "impunity." But despite the PAN's disclaimers, some analysts did see an overt political motive in Mr. Hank's detention. "This is a scalp that President Felipe Calderón wants to hang on his wall before he leaves office," said George Grayson, an expert on Mexican politics at the College of William and Mary. "I suspect it's the first of several scalps he will place on his wall before elections as a way of discrediting the PRI." Mr Grayson said Mr. Hank was an easy target. "He doesn't have a closet full of skeletons, he has a warehouse full of skeletons," he said. A self-proclaimed billionaire, whose company Grupo Caliente, or "Hot Group," operates a Tijuana dog track as well as a string of casinos and off-track betting parlors all over the country, Mr. Hank is one of Mexico's most colorful—and notorious—politicians. The father of 19 children, Mr. Hank is also known for operating a private zoo stocked with exotic animals. Mr. Hank has been the frequent target of accusations of political corruption, drug ties and even of murder. His bodyguard and another employee were convicted for the 1988 killing of a reporter who worked for Tijuana's investigative weekly Zeta magazine. In full page advertisements, Zeta still continues to accuse Mr. Hank of being the mastermind behind the murder, although Mr. Hank was never charged with the murder. A 2009 WikiLeaks cable signed by the U.S. consul in Tijuana says "Hank is widely believed to have been a corrupt mayor and to be still involved in narco-trafficking." The cable recounts how Baja California state police refused to follow an alleged drug trafficker who took refuge in Mr. Hank's Tijuana dog racing track, right across from the consulate. "There are still plenty of safe havens for organized crime in the border region," the diplomatic cable says. In the past, Mr. Hank has said accusations against him are lies. The former mayor is the son of the late legendary PRI politician Carlos Hank, known as "The Professor." The late Mr. Hank rose from being a humble school teacher to being governor of the state of Mexico as well as mayor of Mexico City. He is most remembered for coining a famous aphorism, which described the corruption of the PRI, the political party that ran Mexico for seven decades before losing power in 2000: "A politician who is poor is a poor politician."

Authorities detained one of Mexico's most controversial and wealthiest politicians on suspicion of illegally keeping an arsenal of over 80 guns and automatic rifles in his house

Authorities detained one of Mexico's most controversial and wealthiest politicians on suspicion of illegally keeping an arsenal of over ...

member of the powerful Zetas gang cartel arrested in connection with the deaths of more than 140 people.

The Mexican Navy has said it has captured a suspected leader of the Zetas drug gang allegedly behind the mass killings of more than 100 people in northeastern Mexico. Martin Omaar Estrada Luna, said to be the local leader of the gang, was captured on Saturday. He is accused of masterminding the murders of 145 people in Tamaulipas state near the US border. Their remains were discovered in a mass grave earlier this month. A navy statement said Estrada Luna, alias "El Kilo", is also the main suspect in the massacre of 72 central and south American migrants last August, also in the same township of San Fernando in Tamaulipas. He was one of six people arrested in a navy operation on Saturday, the statement added. A series of bus hijackings alerted authorities to the killings. Since April 1, officials have found about 20 mass graves in San Fernando alone. The Zetas, a notorious gang formed in the 1990s by ex-military commandos, is now engaged in a fight to death with its former bosses. Seven major drug gangs are operating in Mexico, and over 34,000 people have been killed since December 2006 in the raging wars for control over smuggling routes and government efforts to crack down on illegal activities.

member of the powerful Zetas gang cartel arrested in connection with the deaths of more than 140 people.

The Mexican Navy has said it has captured a suspected leader of the Zetas drug gang allegedly behind the mass killings of more than 100 peop...

Interpol launches an operation to target 203 fugitives in South America

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has launched an operation targeting 203 fugitives wanted for serious offenses, inc...

Venezuela has deported a Colombian wanted by the United States for drug trafficking.

Venezuela has deported a Colombian wanted by the United States for drug trafficking. Officials say 53-year-old Gloria Rojas Valencia was han...

Organized crime gangs equipped with automatic weapons and tractor trailers are branching out into raids on huge grain silos, in a sign of growing lawlessness in parts of Mexico's north.

Organized crime gangs equipped with automatic weapons and tractor trailers are branching out into raids on huge grain silos, in a sign of growing lawlessness in parts of Mexico's north. Attacks on warehouses and cargo trucks have multiplied into a near-weekly affair in the northwestern state of Sinaloa, where one of the worst cold snaps in decades wiped out corn and vegetable plots last month, pushing up prices of the remaining harvest and making it more attractive to thieves. The unusual crime wave in major agricultural exporting states is a new headache for the Mexican government struggling to maintain the country's image as a top emerging market. Mexico's national warehousing association AAGEDE said the spike in thefts began a year or two ago, but its members are only recently coming forward and many are still too scared to report details on the number or scale of the incidents. Jose Jimenez, director of Mexican storage company ALMER, told of one robbery last year in a tiny town in the central state of Zacatecas where an armed commando emptied a warehouse of 900 tonnes of beans, worth around $750,000, loading up 30 trucks over the course of an entire day.

Organized crime gangs equipped with automatic weapons and tractor trailers are branching out into raids on huge grain silos, in a sign of growing lawlessness in parts of Mexico's north.

Organized crime gangs equipped with automatic weapons and tractor trailers are branching out into raids on huge grain silos, in a sign of gr...

Juárez Business Leaders Hired Former Zetas

Leaked State Department Cable Claims Juárez Business Leaders Hired Former Zetas for “Protection” The drug war in Mexico has been depicted in the mainstream media, for the most part, as a conflict between brutal, rival “drug cartels” that are in a pitched battle over territory and for survival as the Mexican military seeks to restore order under the leadership of the brave and resolute President Felipe Calderón. A U.S. State Department cable released last week through WikiLeaks pokes yet another hole in that bogus narrative, however. Given that fact, it is no surprise that the cable has been essentially ignored by the mainstream media, save one small daily, the El Paso Times — located in a U.S. border city across from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, which registered more than 3,100 drug-war murders last year alone. Diana Washington Valdez, a veteran drug-war reporter for the El Paso Times, in a March 16 story about the WikiLeaks cable, reported that a syndicate of Juárez businessmen hired a group of former Zetas (a paramilitary narco-trafficking group) to “protect themselves against kidnappings and extortions.” The acknowledgement in an official U.S. document of the existence of this vigilante paramilitary group, which is funded by wealthy Juárez businessmen and has close ties to the Mexican military (the Zetas were founded by former Mexican special forces operatives), provides us with an important insight into the dynamics of the violence of the drug war in Mexico.

Juárez Business Leaders Hired Former Zetas

Leaked State Department Cable Claims Juárez Business Leaders Hired Former Zetas for “Protection” The drug war in Mexico has been depicted in...

one of the six suspects is accused of being a member of the brutal "Los Zetas" group.

Venezuela, long accused by the United States of being lax in the fight against drugs, deported six "highly dangerous" suspects on ...

El Salvador has witnessed the way drug money corrupts institutions, including the police and military, and the highest levels of government

El Salvador has witnessed the way drug money corrupts institutions, including the police and military, and the highest levels of government. Capt. Hector Guillen was a ranking officer in the Salvadoran army's elite special forces. He had access to enormous supplies of military-grade weaponry, much of it, like one cache of half a million U.S.-supplied grenades and shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, left over from the war. In November, just outside Washington, he allegedly offered to trade 3,000 assault rifles, 20 pounds of C-4 plastic explosives and scores of grenades for drugs and money to people he thought were representing leftist Colombian guerrillas. Instead, Guillen, 32, was trapped in a sting operation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. He was arrested and last month indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury on charges of attempting to provide material support to what Washington has designated as a terrorist organization, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. A trial was set for May. It was the most significant case yet in establishing the depths of drug corruption in the Salvadoran military and might have reached higher levels had a press leak not shut down the investigation. In another case, Salvadoran intelligence officials have identified 16 police and 10 military officers they suspect of working with an L.A.-born gangster known as El Burro, who has also affiliated himself with the Zetas. He controls much of the trafficking through western El Salvador and has laundered his money through hotels, resorts and car washes, the officials allege. Mexican drug traffickers first made inroads in El Salvador with the Mara Salvatrucha, the country's oldest and most receptive gang, eager to hire itself out. The other major group, the 18th Street gang, was more suspicious of the Mexicans and resisted outside pressure until early this year, according to Salvadoran intelligence sources. An attack on a passenger bus last month in which seven people were killed may have been an initiation test for the 18th Street gangsters to prove themselves to the Zetas, the sources said. Salvadoran gangs also have started delivering unsuspecting immigrants trying to cross into the United States into the waiting hands of Zetas, who then try to extort money from the victims' families upon pain of death. Police say they recently discovered what they believe to be a Zetas training ground hidden in coffee fields on the edge of the Guazapa volcano, which dominates San Salvador's skyline. Few discoveries, however, could match the plastic barrels discovered last fall buried on properties that authorities have tied to Jorge Mario Paredes-Cordova, who was convicted in the United States in April on drug charges and sentenced to 31 years in prison. The U.S. federal attorney handling the case described the Guatemalan as one of the world's most dangerous drug traffickers. Paredes-Cordova liked to visit El Salvador and, apparently, thought it a good place to hide some of his millions. His numerous houses were full of trap doors and walls that moved with the touch of a button to reveal secret compartments, according to people who inspected the properties. On an unoccupied farm, authorities acting on DEA intelligence discovered plastic water barrels with $100 bills and 500-euro notes — more than $10 million in cash.

El Salvador has witnessed the way drug money corrupts institutions, including the police and military, and the highest levels of government

El Salvador has witnessed the way drug money corrupts institutions, including the police and military, and the highest levels of government....

Saltillo, the capital of Coahuila state: Seven people had been killed and four police officers were injured in a series of firefights that caused alarm throughout the city

Amanda Garcia's peaceful life in Saltillo, Mexico, was shaken this past March when she witnessed a military convoy heading at full speed and against traffic on one of the city's important avenues. The lawyer had taken an alternate route to get home sooner and be with her 7-year-old son. It had been a difficult day in Saltillo, the capital of Coahuila state: Seven people had been killed and four police officers were injured in a series of firefights that caused alarm throughout the city, the state attorney general's office said. A few yards from reaching her home, she was stopped at a military checkpoint. "When I parked I saw at least six soldiers in front of my car, getting out of their vehicle and aiming at me, asking me to get out. One came close to my door and I heard a sound I had never heard before, apparently of a weapon when you take the safety off. Few times in my life had I felt so scared," she said. After an inspection, the soldiers told Amanda that they were looking for a vehicle similar to hers and that she was free to return home. "Usually, the presence of the army does not make me nervous at all, to the contrary. But that day, I really thought they were going to shoot at me," she said. "I've never seen the city so empty." Two days later, a soldier died and another was injured in a confrontation with suspected drug traffickers, after four cartel roadblocks were reported in various parts of the city, according to the attorney general's office. Saltillo, with some 700,000 residents, is a colonial city that until recently was known for its auto industry -- General Motors, Chrysler and Freightliner have plants there -- and construction. However, the situation has changed progressively until the city has reached notoriety for other reasons. According to a report from intelligence company Stratfor, the Gulf and Sinaloa cartels formed the New Federation, an alliance combating the Zetas cartel, and launched an offensive to control the trafficking routes in Mexico's northeast. "There were pacts here, and now those pacts are broken and a battle has begun between various criminal groups for this territory. This is evident," said Raul Vera, the Catholic bishop of Saltillo.

Saltillo, the capital of Coahuila state: Seven people had been killed and four police officers were injured in a series of firefights that caused alarm throughout the city

Amanda Garcia's peaceful life in Saltillo, Mexico, was shaken this past March when she witnessed a military convoy heading at full speed...

Mexican lawmakers complained about the drone flights into Mexico, saying they violated the sovereignty of the nation

well known that the United States routinely uses military drone aircraft in the Middle East with great success to monitor the movement of our enemies. Now it has come to light that the same technology is being used by the United States to help fight the drug gangs in Mexico. The revelation came when some Mexican lawmakers complained about the drone flights into Mexico, saying they violated the sovereignty of the nation. It turns out, however, that the Mexican government is actively encouraging the flights. There are apparently two types of drone flights going into Mexico. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has been flying Predator drones into Mexico since 2009 and the U.S. Air Force has been sending in Global Hawk drones for the past month, according to an Associated Press report. Mexico's Foreign Relations Secretary Patricia Espinosa said neither of the drones is armed and they are requested and “controlled” by Mexico and therefore cannot violate that nation's sovereignty. According to the AP report, a Mexico representative is always present at the U.S. flight center during operations. This opens a new window into the kind of cooperation that is taking place between the two nations in the effort to battle drug activity in Mexico. Undoubtedly there are other activities taking place of which we are not yet aware. We have long urged the United States to take an active role in helping Mexico battle the drug lords and are pleased to see Mexican officials taking advantage of our nation's technological abilities.<a href="http://www.yumasun.com/opinion/mexico-68601-drug-drones.html"> </a>Whether the drones are tracking terrorists or drug runners, the goal is the same: to get rid of the “bad guys.”

Mexican lawmakers complained about the drone flights into Mexico, saying they violated the sovereignty of the nation

well known that the United States routinely uses military drone aircraft in the Middle East with great success to monitor the movement of o...

A place called ‘Hell’

A place called ‘Hell’ | PRI's The World: "For today’s Geo Quiz, we’re looking for hell on earth. Actually, it’s the Spanish word fo...

Spain's Santander to sell majority stake in Latin American insurance units to Zurich Financial | Markets | Market News | Canadian Business Online

Spain's Santander to sell majority stake in Latin American insurance units to Zurich Financial | Markets | Market News | Canadian Business Online: "Spain's Santander bank says it will a sell majority stake in its Latin American insurance units to Zurich Financial Services Group. 
 
In a statement Tuesday, Santander said it would create a holding company made up of its insurance units in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay, which it said were valued at $3.275 billion. 
 
Zurich will acquire 51 percent of the company for $1.67 billion (euro1.22 billion). Santander will retain a 49 percent stake. 
 
Banco Santander S.A. is the largest bank in the eurozone by market capitalization and is the largest financial institution in Latin America, where its growth in recent years has helped it weather the financial crisis." 
 
DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

Spain's Santander to sell majority stake in Latin American insurance units to Zurich Financial | Markets | Market News | Canadian Business Online

Spain's Santander to sell majority stake in Latin American insurance units to Zurich Financial | Markets | Market News | Canadian Busine...

Brazilian Sandina Took Title for South America’s Best Toush! | Newstabulous - Headlines

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reef-Miss-2010-Calendar-Limited/dp/B0048H0B5A?ie=UTF8&tag=cosdelcri-21&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Reef Miss Reef 2010 - 2011 Calendar (Limited Supply)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0048H0B5A&tag=cosdelcri-21" /></a>Brazilian Sandina Took Title for South America’s Best Toush! | Newstabulous - Headlines: "Everybody who found themselves attending surfers championship that’s being held in the beautiful vacation getaway, Vina Del Mar in Chile, were thrilled to witness an even more exciting event: The International competition for Miss Reef 2011!<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cosdelcri-21&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0048H0B5A" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> 
Competitors wore revealing gear showing their perfect body lines in super tight and tiny shirts and thong bikinis. The audience got an eyeful of playful models, sun kissed skin and tight, moon shaped lower backs! 
Competitors get judged on their body in this competition so they really had to spice things up, giving judges something to sweat about."

Brazilian Sandina Took Title for South America’s Best Toush! | Newstabulous - Headlines

Brazilian Sandina Took Title for South America’s Best Toush! | Newstabulous - Headlines: "Everybody who found themselves attending surf...

12 taxi drivers, passengers killed in Acapulco ahead of tennis tournament; 53 massacred in Juarez

12 taxi drivers, passengers killed in Acapulco ahead of tennis tournament; 53 massacred in Juarez: "Gunman targeting taxis in the Mexican resort city of Acapulco killed nine cabbies and three passengers over the weekend, igniting fears just hours before a popular professional tennis tournament was set to begin. 
 
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/1969-Ford-Mustang-Acapulco-Highway/dp/B0030CUXRA?ie=UTF8&tag=cosdelcri-21&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Acapulco Blue 1/18 Highway 61" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0030CUXRA&tag=cosdelcri-21" /></a>Police in the Guerrero, the western state on Mexico's Pacific coast where Acapulco <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cosdelcri-21&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0030CUXRA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />is located, said four thugs were arrested in connection with the attacks, which were among the deadliest to target a specific group in the region in recent memory. 
 
The suspects were caught carrying guns, grenades and a machete, which may have been used to cut off the heads of some of the victims. 
 
At least one of the drivers, founded dead inside his vehicle on Saturday, had been beheaded."

12 taxi drivers, passengers killed in Acapulco ahead of tennis tournament; 53 massacred in Juarez

12 taxi drivers, passengers killed in Acapulco ahead of tennis tournament; 53 massacred in Juarez: "Gunman targeting taxis in the Mexic...

Scots climber saw friend die in mountain tragedy

Scots climber saw friend die in mountain tragedy: "A CLIMBER has told how he watched his friend die after their party was caught up in...

American sailors kidnapped by Somali pirates

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Somali-Pirate-Quinn-Haber/dp/143923986X?ie=UTF8&tag=cosdelcri-21&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Somali Pirate" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=143923986X&tag=cosdelcri-21" /></a>American sailors kidnapped by Somali pirates:<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cosdelcri-21&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=143923986X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> "Somali pirates have hijacked a yacht in the Arabian sea and kidnapped four American citizens. The U.S government said on Saturday that it was considering its response. 
 
The yacht, called Quest, doubles as the home of Jean and Scott Adam, a couple from California who have been sailing around the world since December 2004. U.S. officials are likely to try and prevent the yacht from reaching Somalia, where their rescue options will be limited. 
 
A spokesman from the Somali Information Ministry condemned the hijacking and said they would do what they could to gather information on the whereabouts of the yacht and those on board. The yacht was hijacked two days after a Somali pirate was sentenced to 33 years in prison by a New York court for the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama." 
 
:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

American sailors kidnapped by Somali pirates

American sailors kidnapped by Somali pirates: "Somali pirates have hijacked a yacht in the Arabian sea and kidnapped four American cit...

Mexico, chief casualty of America's 'war on drugs'

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQslqf1gSdvrYz2zh209FWObfZc20EAmelkyHPKf-zuZDeT8eg73ZxgR9y-cPyxDksDwLW2xV2SzzFKv9rBy6IL3OkLrS0f0ehL5vGAI80ZF3sxlXqV7VmhRSRYGtIPRclsOMZ-J16WEwq/s1600/-mexican-federal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQslqf1gSdvrYz2zh209FWObfZc20EAmelkyHPKf-zuZDeT8eg73ZxgR9y-cPyxDksDwLW2xV2SzzFKv9rBy6IL3OkLrS0f0ehL5vGAI80ZF3sxlXqV7VmhRSRYGtIPRclsOMZ-J16WEwq/s320/-mexican-federal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Mexico, chief casualty of America's 'war on drugs' | John Ackerman | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: "Tuesday's brutal attack on two US law enforcement agents in Mexico has led to the normal sabre-rattling. Representative Michael McCaul of Texas has called it a 'game-changer' and a 'wake-up call' to the 'war on our nation's doorstep'. Last week, James Westphal, undersecretary of the Army, had already spoken of an 'armed insurgency' in Mexico, and the possibility of sending 'armed and fighting' troops across the border to prevent a 'takeover of government'. Secretary Janet Napolitano continually speaks of the 'war' south of the border. James Clapper, national intelligence director, recently announced that Mexico has been promoted to being a top national security threat."

Mexico, chief casualty of America's 'war on drugs'

Mexico, chief casualty of America's 'war on drugs' | John Ackerman | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: "Tuesday's bruta...

Mexico nabs suspected cartel gunslinger

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mexico-National-Flag-Mexican-Banner/dp/B0006HDHOS?ie=UTF8&tag=cosdelcri-21&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Mexico National Flag 3 x 5 NEW Mexican 3x5 Banner" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0006HDHOS&tag=cosdelcri-21" /></a>Mexico nabs suspected cartel gunslinger - Fox News Latino: " A man suspected of taking part in the drug-related slayings of 20 people in and around the Mexican capital was arrested, the Mexico<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cosdelcri-21&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0006HDHOS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> state Attorney General's Office said. 
 
Juan Carlos Vasconcelos Montalvo was apprehended Thursday along with two suspected accomplices, state Attorney General Alfredo Castillo told a press conference. 
 
All three men are thought to have participated in three mass shootings related to a battle to control drug corners in the Mexico City metropolitan area. 
 
The most recent incident took place Sunday in the capital suburb of Nezahualcoyotl, where eight people were killed. Investigators have determined that all three massacres arose from a turf war between rival drug-dealing outfits, Castillo said. 
 
The notoriously violent Los Zetas and La Familia Michoacana cartels are among the criminal organizations operating in Mexico state."

Mexico nabs suspected cartel gunslinger

Mexico nabs suspected cartel gunslinger - Fox News Latino: " A man suspected of taking part in the drug-related slayings of 20 people i...

Mexican drug gangsters menace natural gas drillers

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Mafia-Tony-Rafael/dp/1594031959?ie=UTF8&tag=cosdelcri-21&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Mexican Mafia" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1594031959&tag=cosdelcri-21" /></a>Mexican drug gangsters <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cosdelcri-21&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1594031959" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />menace natural gas drillers | Reuters: "On two occasions late last year, men brandishing automatic weapons drove into worksites in the Burgos basin in the states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon where new gas wells were to be constructed. 
 
The gunmen warned the workers they would be killed unless their employer paid protection money to the Zetas, a feared drug gang, a senior executive of the company overseeing the construction of the wells told Reuters. 
 
The threats are a new twist in Mexico's bloody drug war, which is hitting businesses near the U.S.-Mexico border."

Mexican drug gangsters menace natural gas drillers

Mexican drug gangsters menace natural gas drillers | Reuters: "On two occasions late last year, men brandishing automatic weapons drove...

Thousands protest in Bolivia over food prices

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bolivia-Flag-Brand-Bolivian-Banner/dp/B000G2SYRI?ie=UTF8&tag=cosdelcri-21&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Bolivia 3x5 Flag Brand New Bolivian 3 x 5 Banner" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000G2SYRI&tag=cosdelcri-21" /></a>AFP: Thousands protest in Bolivia<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cosdelcri-21&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000G2SYRI" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> over food prices: "Thousands of people marched on the Bolivian capital La Paz Friday to protest rising food prices in South America's poorest nation, where President Evo Morales faces growing unrest. 
Led by unions under a chilly rain, the rally was punctuated by the blast of dynamite sticks set off by some taking part. 
There were no immediate reports of anyone being hurt, and the demonstration dispersed peacefully after several hours. 
The protest, however, showed renewed anger over the inability of many Bolivians to keep up with the price rises, especially for sugar. 
Last month, violent protests broke out in the nation even after the government backed off an attempt to halt hefty fuel subsidies, which ease the cost of food transport and cooking. 
Prices remain high and continue to rise, following a global trend that is worrying the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and other observers." 
 
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Thousands protest in Bolivia over food prices

AFP: Thousands protest in Bolivia over food prices: "Thousands of people marched on the Bolivian capital La Paz Friday to protest risi...