Another Quiet Week

Received photos from the school administrator in Acuna: photos are of last weeks flooded roads. I think it is telling that she did not forward photos of people afraid to go outdoors because of potential violence, as reported on some blog sites. It seems that the authors of those blogs are a wee bit out of touch.

The other big news in Acuna is the expansion of the Bendix plant. Think about it! A company is expanding their operations, sending in more American managers, and investing in Acuna while the know-it-alls are talking about the constant fear and danger. The sky is not falling.

Yes, the cartels certainly present a potential for sudden violence. However, after the losses they took in nearby Piedras Negras from the Mexican army, maybe they will think a little more carefully.

Another Tranquil Week in Acuna

No horrible news in Acuna and that means nobody will share the fact that things remained peaceful this week. For those that do not know, I search the Internet for stories about Acuna, Mexico, drug cartels, etc. and telephone at least two people in Acuna every week to keep up to speed. It is always interesting to read posts on news agency and blog sites. Sometimes, the screen-names tell me a lot about the people.

One,who uses the screen name of 'anonymous' wrote that Mexicans are cowards and should stand up to the cartels. This guy is so afraid he will not even post a real name or some name that might give a clue to his identity. Yes, he should know all about cowardice.

Then there is 'confused', a highly opinionated writer that is certain the world should follow his/her ideas about immigration. Wouldn't it be great if politicians has to use names like 'confused'? Some people would STILL vote for confused!

Anyway, things are quiet in Acuna. There were ferocious gun battles in Piedras during the past week. Although I was in town, I missed the gunfights. These will not be overly reported. The Mexican Army won and they keep winning. (Based on the news reports, I bet you thought they were losing).

There is at least one mission group still operating and planning missions in Acuna. I hope to talk with them next week and then do some thinking about Paper Houses.

I just received another phone call, from Acuna. My friend Dennis said that all remains tranquil.

Overly Focused

All of the news should be reported, without bias. The reality is that almost every news story has some type of a slant. When it come to news about Mexico, the slant is negative

The reporting about the violent deaths in Mexico is part of the story about Mexico's realistic and winning approach to stem the flow of narcotics into the United States and to fight the corruption embedded in the country after 70-years of one party rule.

Instead, the media makes the story about violence. For those that think this is the story, consider this fact.

In the United States, there are 91-people killed in vehicle accidents every month. Suppose all of the news media ran a story about each death on the day it occurs? Think about the psychological impact of bloody photos of 3 fatal accidents every single day. The impression would be that speed and red light cameras should be at every intersection. Police resources should be pulled away from burglaries, thefts, and even sexual assaults! No crime can compare with auto accidents when it comes to the number of people injured, the number of people killed or the amount of monetary loss.

The media has great influence on how we perceive the news that is reported or even what news is reported. Reports about actions to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States is an important story that deserves constructive stories that rally support, not derision.

Reporting in a Constructive Tone

We read the news and blogs about the violent battles between the government of Mexico and the drug cartels that are responsible for keeping the pipeline of drugs flowing through the United States faster the oil pumps out of BP's collapsed rig with the hope that 'the good guys' will win. I'll take any win that means the power of the cartels to bring drugs into my country is weakened.

However, every story and blog focuses upon the shock value of violence instead of the consistent good news that the cartels are suffering constant losses and could end up being crushed. Every corrupt politician that is arrested is a victory. The suspension and five step testing of major city police departments is a victory. Weapons seized that were destined for the cartels is a victory. Somehow, after reading the stories, I feel depressed. The consistent theme in every story is not that Mexico is winning, but that Mexico is a violent, corrupt and evil place.

Perspective

The news about the Mexican Government's war on drugs should reflect the successes as successes. All news about this war has a negative bias in the way the stories are presented. If the press had reported D-Day in with the same bias against our military, we would have concluded that the loss was too much, with no end in sight!

Today there were major victories in Piedras Negras, a city of 200,000 that is on the Rio Grand, across from Eagle Pass, Texas. The Mexican Army was assessing neighborhoods that are prone to flooding because of the recent rains and street flooding when members of a drug cartel ambushed the soldiers. The soldiers fought back. One soldier was killed and another wounded. The soldiers fought the gunmen to a standstill and the gunmen surrendered. The soldiers seized 12 guns, including 10 assault rifles, and unknown quantity of ammunition and bulletproof vests.

This week, there should (but will not) be a news report that outlines the many recent arrests, deportations and successful investigations related to the drug cartels. Police departments are being investigated and cleaned up. High ranking politicians are being investigated, regardless of party affiliations. While all of these stories are buried, the public is left thinking that Mexico is a narco-country.

There was also a shootout involving cartel members outside of a popular restaurant in Piedras.

News - Can There Be Too Much?

May 26, 2010

Another peaceful day in Acuna, Mexico. Rumors about cartel violence continue, but known facts are not very exciting. Perhaps that is why, in this soap opera world of gossip that we've created, the rumors persist.

Blogs about "Violence in Mexico" such as the Borderland Beat, are reduced to editorializing about recent violence in Jamaica. I never knew we shared a border with Jamaica!

The truth is that stories can be over-reported. Too many people are running around like Chicken Little shouting, "The sky is falling!"

We hope that news agencies report legitimate news stories, without agendas. Sadly, there often is an agenda. Most blogs, on the other-hand, exist with an open agenda. Many blogs are simply manifestations of a need to 'be an instant authority' and know all there is to know about a topic.

Rumors are helpful for these bloggers. After-all, it is impossible to disprove most rumors. These bloggers are easy to spot. They mention 'secret' sources that only they are privy too, because (wait for it . . .) the blogger is SPECIAL.

Let's stick to the facts. Honest sources with information that frightens the public should either stand up and be counted or shut up and stop causing alarm. When raising an alarm, there must be a purpose beyond attracting attention to one's self.

Several people have visited the colonias of Mexico at my urging and after reading my website. I've recently confirmed an unacceptable level of violence in Acuna and Piedras. For that reason, I have an affirmative obligation to publish the fact that the violent struggle for control of Mexican cities by drug cartels has reached a point where Paper Houses Across the Border suspended mission trips into the colonias. I continue to visit the colonias to deliver help to the poor and to assure them of our commitment to helping them. I cannot, at this time, take responsibility for encouraging others to join me in the colonias.

Beyond reporting facts I know to be true, I will not do more. I am not an expert, although my decade of experience in building, assessing, and implementing processes that gathered, assessed and developed strategies to use information about crime in Houston, does give me some insight into evaluating information and putting it to use.

If the lack of violent activity continues, the bloggers may consider posting on other blogs. Elvis lives. Extraterrestrials live among us.

Or the Mexican bloggers can find the people with super-secret information about Mexico and the sources that risked their lives by letting them in on the big secrets. They can also wait a little while. In a country as large as Mexico, something is bound to happen.

Schools Close in Acuna

May 21, 2010

After the bomb threat at a private school in Del Rio, there are rumors of threats to blow up a school in Acuna.The schools have sent children home until Monday.

Army patrols seem to be everywhere during the night. People are frightened and everyone has a rumor to share. It is frustrating that the media does not provide solid information, but their reluctance to report specifics is understandable. Reporters in other Mexican cities were killed for reporting the facts.

Rumors of kidnappings and car-jackings are the most common rumor I hear. If nothing occurs this weekend it is another victory for the Mexican government. The show of military force may intimidate the cartels. Just like last weekend, many predict this will be a violent weekend. Last weeks predictions were wrong. Now, the city waits for nightfall.

Live from Acuna, Mexico

May 18, 2010
Rumors abound, here in Acuna. First, a few facts.

Yesterday there was a bomb scare at the Catholic School in Del Rio, Texas. A suspicious object was found and a bomb ordinance unit from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio responded. The object was not a bomb. This hoax is being investigated by the Del Rio Police Department.

FYI --Some Mexican children, at a high cost to their parents, send their students to Del Rio. All have the appropriate paperwork to enter the United States for school and the parents pay the cost. (I repeated this fact, to curtail some of the usual hate mail I receive).

Another few facts - then the rumors.

Ambar, our four year old angel that lost her leg in an accident, received her artificial meg yesterday and excitedly showed me how well she can walk. She was full of laughter. We made a commitment to cover an additional surgery on the leg. This is scheduled for June 8th in Monterrey. Both of her parents were laid off. Today, her father found a few days work painting a house.

Juanita is receiving another chemo treatment today and will receive another in two weeks. Then the doctors will examine her tumor and hope that it will be small enough to be operable.

Sadly, we have one other child that continues to receive chemo without any effect. Her cancer has spread up her leg and hip and into her stomach. She is in Monterrey and we hope to learn more when she returns.

I distributed two SUV's full of groceries door to door and also reviewed additional medical cases. As always, there are more needs and we need more help. (Many good people express concern about my own safety. I appreciate the concern, but we need more donors so I do not have to turn children away. That is my only fear-that I will have to say no to one of these kids. I am very careful and always aware of my surroundings. Let God be God and lets all just do what we can).

Rumors about kidnappings, and fights among the cartels are everywhere. What is lacking is a witness or a person willing to talk about what they've seen.

After I paid the tool to cross the International Bridge to enter Mexico, the U.S. Homeland Security Officers searched my vehicle for weapons and contraband and questioned me about my purpose for visiting Mexico. The officers were professional and there were plenty of them. The officers confirmed that they've not seen 'tourists' in a week. They said that the Americans crossing are working in Acuna or have business meetings in Acuna.

The complete absence of tourists was expected. I observed that some shops are closed and padlocked, however many were open. There were no customers in the morning, in the afternoon when I had lunch, and none in the evening.

Nowhere did I see any grand graffiti, posters, notices or fliers. During the past two days I've spoken with businessmen, clergy, ordinary residents, doctors, nurses, school teachers, cashiers at two grocery stores, road repair crews, and drug addicts. Nobody has seen or heard of fliers or other printed warning as reported in some blogs. In fact, this was not even rumored in Acuna. (The one exception was the printed warning on the murdered police officer's body found last week). I am not disagreeing with what other bloggers may have seen or heard. I am just telling you what I saw and heard during the past few days.

Every school, including kinders, primary, private schools and the college were open. We visited two teachers at different schools and were told that there was no increased absenteeism. I observed that the factories were open and Elias said that the factories remain very busy.

It is rumored that some cartel members have killed each other, but there are no bodies. Given the cartels' history of displaying bodies, tossing severed heads into nightclubs and seeking to terrorize by displaying their violence in other parts of Mexico, this seems odd. It is possible that for an unknown reason the three cartels fighting for control of Acuna changed this long standing tactic and are concealing bodies, but it is odd.

A witness told me about a popular nightclub that had a few patrons on Saturday when a half dozen armed men entered the club and told the customers to leave because they were using the club. That club is now closed.

I walked the area around the Mexican Army Base and observed no additional guards posted and I was not stopped or questioned. I also walked the streets and colonias near Maria Braulia Primary School, distributing sacks of food. Other walks included the area near Antonio's Casa Hogar and the private schools downtown.

The biggest inconvenience I encountered was that many streets were flooded during a violent thunderstorm yesterday. I purchased clothing from one of the many used clothing spots on the street and distributed them to families trying to repair their cardboard houses (damaged in the storm).

A common belief is that the ordinary criminals are emboldened by the cartel activities and rumors. People worry about their few possessions being stolen. Another frequently heard rumor is that some people are being forced from their vehicles while at red lights or parking lots and the thugs are stealing vehicles. Nobody knows if these are cartel members or just common thieves. Part of this rumor is that the victims do not report the vehicle theft because the insurance requires a police report and it is commonly believed that the police immediately inform the cartels. (Nobody wants the cartel to come to their house to ask why they informed the police about the car theft).

Again, the rumors are not easily confirmed. Most of the people I spoke with said that they believe the reporters know what rumors are true, but are in fear of their lives so they cannot file their reports.

One fact is apparent. This fragile democracy is trying to survive and obey the country's constitution and laws. The very underpaid, under-educated, under-trained and outgunned police force is believed to be corrupt. The police that are honest, do not have a chance against the highly trained cartel members, their superior weapons and technology.

Perhaps when the media makes a concerted effort to report the extent that these organized criminals already are killing, kidnapping, and extorting money in the United States - not to mention drug smuggling, the United States will reach an agreement with Mexico and our military will exterminate this clear and present danger to the United States.

At the local level, American law enforcement depends upon information from the Mexican-American communities to effectively deal with the Mexican gangs in our major cities. But that is a topic for another post.

It is night and Acuna seems quiet. However, this city is deceptively large with close to 200,000 people. Let's say it is quiet downtown.

Rumors Substitute News

May 17, 2010
A bomb threat at the Sacred Heart Catholic School in Del Rio was received today. The area was cordoned off and a suspicious package was found.

Rumors included one that said the San Antonio Police Department sent the bomb squad because a bomb was found. I telephoned the San Antonio Police Department and was told that they did not respond to Del Rio. The state police, federal law enforcement and the military also denied making any response and several agencies said that it was their understanding that no bomb was found.

However, the rumors ran wild. One rumor was that a cartel member sends his child to the school and that 'this bomb was a message' to that cartel member. The Del Rio News-Herald reported this incident quickly and helped quell the rumors. However, the paper remains silent, as all U.S. media remains silent about hard facts in Acuna, the sister-city of Del Rio.

Is Something About to Happen?

May 14, 2010
Five black SUVs. drove in line down the business areas in Acuna. Merchants, already on edge because of the constant rumors, said they will not open in the morning. Workers who live in Del Rio say they will not go to work on Saturday.

The news blackout, the FALSE stories and photo-shopped photos on the Internet, and the lack of confidence in the police force all contribute to the growing fear.

House parents at the shelters said that they remain at the shelters and pray that the situation will end and that the children remain safe.

I will return on Tuesday.

Understanding the Situation

The drug cartels use helicopters, rocket-propelled grenades, automatic weapons, .50 caliber machine guns, semi-automatic weapons, grenades, full body armor, and often uniform themselves and their vehicles as federal and state troops. They have sophisticated wire tapping equipment and human surveillance teams that track police, government officials, rival gangs, and journalists. They watch the points of entry into cities at border check-points, bus terminals, and airports. Police, journalists and politicians are often given a simple choice of death (or death to family members) or accepting a bribe and doing what you are told.

Members of the Mexican media, government officials and law enforcement have been routinely tortured and murdered. Because of the virtual news blackout and false stories, the people cannot trust the news. Because of corrupted and terrorized officials, the people cannot trust government officials or the police. Many people seem willing to accept drug trafficking if the violence will stop.

The drug cartels profit from drugs, kidnappings, extortion, human smuggling, prostitution, and money laundering. These Mexican drug cartels have operations in many, if not most, large American cities. They also 'subcontract' to gangs in the United States, like M13. The cartels main sources of income are dependent on their web of subordinates, partners and cells throughout the United States. If it chose to do so, the United States could send a crushing blow to the Mexican cartels by destroying their operations in the United States.

Violence in Acuna

Acuña is now caught in the middle of a drug war that involves multiple cartels and the Mexican Military. We are able to pay the bills at every shelter and program we support through the banks without traveling into Acuña. However, there are still little kids and parents waiting to see me about getting treatment for their children. Some of these children have cancer. Others need surgery. Many need bus tickets to the big hospitals in Monterrey and those must be purchased.

My presence in the colonias continues to give the people hope. I am their friend. They need to see me on the street and at the hospital. I will not travel after dark and will not remain in Acuña overnight. I know where the military installation is at and can easily avoid driving near that facility. There is no reason for any cartel to have an interest in the colonias where I will travel. I know many of the places where drugs are sold and where people connected with drugs reside. Naturally, I will avoid these places.

More than ever, there will be needs among the poor. Church groups and charities from the U.S. will cease their activities. The people they were helping will now need our help. We need to get the word out to everyone we know to provide support.
At the end of the day, the children still need to eat. They still need medicine. The children in the shelters need someone to help pay the bills or the power gets turned off and the food and water can't be purchased. The shelters we normally support are fine. I am writing about the other shelters that depended on visiting groups from America for help. They are going to need our help.

Welcome to Paper Houses Across the Border

We are frequently in the colonias of Mexico on the border of the United States. Seeing the impact of the cartels, immigration decisions, news reports of drug violence, the exploitation of the poor and working with the people trying to remain in Mexico as they struggle to survive places us in a unique situation to comment about many issues. The issues are complex and fair solutions are difficult.

We are a nonprofit organization of loyal Americans from various backgrounds. The founding of this charity was paid for by the Houston Police Officers Union. Sergeant Bob Decker (now retired) founded Paper Houses in 2002. He is a politically conservative and dedicated 35-years of his life to law enforcement.

This blog affords Paper Houses the opportunity to learn many views about charity, the border, immigration and to use this information as our organization continues to evolve.

On this blog, there is no room for discourteous or racism. Nor is any view automatically deemed to be racist because of genuine concerns about the  changing culture of the United States.