In a related story (covered by most of the major Mexican newspapers) titled "Mérida Plan triggers dispute in US," it was noted that US "anti-drug czar" John Walters and the DEA asked Congress "not to sabotage relations with Mexico" at a critical moment in the anti-drug war by including "insulting conditions" in order to authorize funding of the initiative.  "We run the risk of shooting ourselves in the foot," Walters was quoted as saying.  "We can't act as if we were the Mexican Congress, imposing grotesque and insulting conditions for a country and a government that has put their resources and lives to combat one of the most brutal offensives of the drug cartels," he was quoted.  (The most offensive provisions to Mexico of the initiative being considered appear to be those that attempt to impose conditions for US support on evaluations to prevent abuses of human rights in the battle against crime.)

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Narco executions continued in Chihuahua with three more today in two separate events.  Two men were shot and killed in a vehicle and another in a hotel by several gunmen who broke into his room.

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In Durango, three agents of the State Department of Investigations (DEI) were assassinated by an armed group in a house rented by the agents.

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In an interesting observation from Culiacán, Sinaloa, a study by the state Attorney General indicates that most of the narco-executions happen between 0600 and 2400, indicating the criminals are "off duty" between midnight and 0600.  The results of the study leads to the speculation that the narcos' "working hours" are designed to increase the sensation of insecurity of the people in the principal cities of Sinaloa.

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El Porvenir (Monterrey, Nuevo León) 6/4/08

The Commission of Public Safety of the Mexican Senate will support the government in not accepting economic support (Mérida Initiative) from the US in the drug war.  They considered, that before engaging in such a plan, they ought to first reconsider the strategy to combat narcotraffic, starting with the integration of federalized police to replace the Army's present role.

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El Debate (Sinaloa) 6/4/08

May was the one of the bloodiest months in the history of the state of Sinaloa with 120 homicides.  The count for the year is 353 executions, 67 more than 2007.  Further, new weapons such as fragmentation grenades and bazookas were used for the first time.

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Three people were assassinated in a remote area near San Ignacio, Sinaloa when their car was stopped by three armed men and the passengers ordered out of the vehicle.  The three male passengers were roughed up and then shot to death, one of them in front of his wife and two small children.  The woman begged for mercy for herself and children, ages 2 and 4.  One of the gunmen continued menacing her with a gun to the head for about 20 minutes while she hugged her children to her, then relented and allowed her to walk away into the brushy countryside.  From there she walked for two hours to a village.  No motive was given for the crime.

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El Diario en Linea (Chihuahua) 6/4/08

The Mexican Army captured another cell of hired killers during a chase in Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua.  The group of 5 were arrested in possession of large caliber weapons, marihuana, methamphetamine and heroin as well as the two vehicles that had been used in assassinations in public view.

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Norte (Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua) 6/4/08

An armed group in Cd. Juárez executed one man, wounded two others and killed an innocent bystander, a pregnant woman who was washing a car.

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-end of report-

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