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Drug Cartel Threatens to Kill Every Child in Mexican Border Town
 Dave Gibson - Examiner.com
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April 05, 2010
 |  | It is one of the key staging areas for the cartel and has no fences. All they do is wait for shift change at the border posts and across. |  | | |
Residents of El Porvenir have been fleeing into the tiny town of Fort Hancock, TX, seeking political asylum. The rush comes after cartel gunmen have threatened to kill all of the children in El Porvenir, unless their parents pay a protection fee.
Mike Doyle, chief deputy sheriff of Hudspeth County told Fox News: “We just got word that the cartel has threatened to kill children in schools across the border unless parents paid $5000 pesos.”
Doyle went on to say the cartel recently posted signs throughout El Porvenir ordering the townspeople “to get out or pay with blood.” He said the deadline given was “anywhere from a week to 40 days.”
Fort Hancock, which has a population of 1700, and is only four miles from the Mexican border is understandably one edge.
A former law enforcement officer who wished to remain anonymous, told Fox News that the town of El Porvenir is in the path of an old, and basically undefended smuggling route.
The retired officer, who lives in Fort Hancock said: “It is one of the key staging areas for the cartel and has no fences," he said. "All they do is wait for shift change at the border posts and across. There is no obstruction to crossing the border here.”
The mayor of El Porvenir, along with his son, were recently murdered.
On January 23, 2006, Hudspeth County deputy sheriffs came upon a gang of drug smugglers operating alongside a Mexican military unit. When confronted by the deputies, the Mexican soldiers retreated to their Humvee and "took up a defensive position," said Sheriff Arvin West.
The smugglers headed back across the river into Mexico. As one of their trucks became stuck in the water, the group unloaded the drugs and placed them into another vehicle. While this took place, the Mexican soldiers kept their rifles trained on the deputies. The truck still partially submerged, was then set ablaze.
The Mexican government denied that any members of the military were involved in the affair. The U.S. State Department promised to conduct an investigation into the matter, the results of which have never been reported.
Shortly after that incident, a Border Patrol agent speaking on the condition of anonymity told the Inland Valley Bulletin: “We've had armed showdowns with the Mexican Army. These aren't just ex-military guys. These are Mexican army officials assisting drug smugglers.” |
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