Is Juarez a city in the grips of a death-squad campaign being carried out by paramilitary operatives of a corrupt Mexican military seeking to corner the narco-trafficking business, with the acquiescence, maybe even complicity, of the Mexican government - and with our own government now set to support this bloodshed through its funding of Plan Mexico?"
----- Original Message ----- From: "ddbriones" <d...@narconews.com> To: <narcon...@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 7:25 PM Subject: [narconews] Juarez Murders Shine Light on an Emerging 'Military Cartel' December 11, 2008 Please Distribute Widely Dear Colleague, Narco News keeps digging beneath the surface of the drug war in Juarez and finding new twists in the plot that fall outside the mainstream media's predictable narrative of rival drug "cartels" fighting over turf. The carnage in the Mexican border town of some 1.2 million people is extreme, with more than 1,400 murder victims this year - a figure that is increasing daily. The causes of the bloodshed are complex, an intricate web spun by the allure of a multi-billion dollar illegal drug trade that does not respect borders. Correspondent Bill Conroy illuminates a few more strands of that web in his most recent report examining the militarization of the drug business. His report is based on documents leaked to Narco News by law enforcement sources - including a detailed accounting of the murders in Juarez as well as a DEA analysis of the sources of the violence. Conroy writes: "Since Calderon sent the military into Juarez in late March 2008, the murder toll in the city has jumped dramatically. The data obtained by Narco News shows the death toll on a steady climb from 18 in January - and after a slight lull in April - to 119 in June (see chart). The murder figure for November, according to Mexican news reports, hit 192. ". We are asked to ignore the fact that these internecine battles between rival cartels are playing out under the watch of thousands of Mexican troops . with the drug trade continuing largely unabated as the murder count rises and the "cartel" leadership remains -- other than the occasional sacrificial lamb to appease the U.S. -- still in place operating the business. "DEA agent and Iran/Contra whistleblower Celerino Castillo, who spent years working in Latin America, claims a good share of the violence in Juarez can be attributed directly to the Mexican military and elements of the Mexican government, including President Felipe Calderon, according to Conroy's report. Castillo contends the military itself has been corrupted by the narco-trafficking business." More from Conroy's report: ". Several other federal law enforcers who spoke with Narco News, on the condition their names not be used, don't find [Castillo's] analysis to be far-fetched." 'The Mexican military and government are corrupt,' one law enforcer says. 'The military escorts smugglers to the border. It's a daily occurrence. The video cameras at the El Paso Intelligence Center have it all on video, filed away. If we report the suspicious activity to our superiors, nothing ever happens. It's just covered up.' 'The Mexican military cartel has taken over Juarez. Our government knows it; they're not stupid, but they've made some backroom deal with the Mexican government.'" Conroy puts a dark question into play based on his analysis of the leaked documents, the inside information provided by multiple law enforcement sources and Mexican media reports of corruption within the Mexican government: Conroy writes: "So if this is not as the media script depicts it, a turf war between the Juarez and Sinaloa "cartels' alone, then who is responsible for all the killing? Could Castillo be right? Is Juarez a city in the grips of a death-squad campaign being carried out by paramilitary operatives of a corrupt Mexican military seeking to corner the narco-trafficking business, with the acquiescence, maybe even complicity, of the Mexican government - and with our own government now set to support this bloodshed through its funding of Plan Mexico?" Read all of Conroy's report, along with other new from Latin America, online at Narco News: http://www.narconews.com >From somewhere in a country called América, David B. Briones Webmaster The Narco News Bulletin http://www.narconews.com webmas...@narconews.com Narco News is supported by: The Fund for Authentic Journalism P.O. Box 241 Natick, MA 01760 http://www.authenticjournalism.org The Fund receives online donations at this web page: http://www.authenticjournalism.org Apply for your co-publisher's account, here: http://www.narconews.com/copublisher/application.php Subscribe for free alerts of new reports: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narconews Suscribete gratis para alertas de nuevos reportajes en espanol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narconewsandes Inscreva-se para alertas gratuitos de reportagens do ultimo minuto em portugues brasileiro: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narconewsbrasil ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links
