Mexico Trucker Online

Unknown gunmen shot at the US Consulate in Monterrey and threw a grenade at the building, which did not explode. No one was injured according to a Consulate spokesman.

Two unidentified men approached the US Consulate General. One of them fired several times hitting the gates and a window. The second man threw a hand grenade which did not explode because the man forgot to pull the pin, according to the statement issued concerning Sunday mornings incident.

Six bullet casings from the pistol were found at the scene.

Local Police and US Federal investigators scoured the scene looking for more evidence, but at this time, no motive had been determined.

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Hey people! We all know how the right wing loony toons have been using the terror/fear card to convince Americans of all the “terrorists” crossing the southern border and using that as an excuse to promote their nativist agenda. Some have made a reputation trying to get you to believe it is a Family Security Matter, when in reality, it appears nothing more than nativist BS.

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The Secretary of Communications and Transportation (SCT) announced the immediate prohibition of trucks pulling trailers in access of 46 feet, effectively putting all of the Nuevo Laredo to Monterrey freight movements onto the toll road.

In the past, Mexican truckers have opted to take the “free road” to save on tolls that begin at $58.00 for a truck pulling a 53′ trailer. Exceptions are when the shipper agrees to the additional charges to be included in the rate of haul.

Luis Roberto Moreno Sesma, Nuevo Laredo manager for CANACAR (the Mexican counterpart to OOIDA and about as effective) immediately asked for a moratorium on the rule in order to give a period of adjustment to truckers and customers as well as to add the appropriate surcharges to compensate for increased costs.

Violations of the new rule will result in fines levied against those caught averaging $30,000 pesos or about $300 dollars in addition to the $4000 pesos ($400.00) average for the tow truck to remove the offenders.

Enforcement will be by the PFP or Federal Highway Police which oversee compliance of Mexico’s motor carrier regs and hours of service regulations.

The rate for movement of freight between the border and Monterrey and it’s suburbs is currently $350.00 for the 145 mile trip. Expect to add $75.00 to that shortly to cover the additional costs.

Federal police opened fire on municipal cops in the northern city of Torreón early Monday, killing at least one and arresting about 30, said the city’s mayor.

Mexican news reports characterized the pre-dawn altercation as a firefight between federal and local police officers. Federal authorities had no immediate comment.

The incident began when federal police detained two Torreón officers and 28 city patrol vehicles responded to a call for backup, said Mayor José Ángel Pérez by phone Monday afternoon.

“It appears (the arrested officers) were discovered mixed up in a problem with a truck that was in an irregular situation,” Pérez said. “We don’t know if it was for drugs or why. … We don’t have the official information.”

Pérez said it was unclear why so many patrol vehicles answered the call for help. After the incident, he fired the city’s chief of police for not being able to control the officers.

“There was a confrontation but we don’t know if there was a (shooting) response from our police,” the mayor said.

The federal public security ministry, which oversees the federal police apparently involved in the shooting, provided no information on the incident. A spokeswoman for the federal attorney general’s office said the detained city officers were being held for questioning but no charges were announced.

SOURCES: Sean Mattson San Antonio Express News
El Siglo de Torreon

The Mexican Embassy in Washington DC just released a statement concerning the vote on HR-6630 to put an end to the Mexican Cross Border Pilot Program. The statement reflects my earlier opinion about the fallout from the action by the House of Representatives.

The Mexican Embassy said.

“The Government of Mexico is “deeply concerned” about the House vote and welcomes the administration’s intention to veto the measure.

“Mexico has fulfilled its NAFTA obligations and expects the U.S. do the same. Should the bill be enacted into law, the government of Mexico will consider taking all the appropriate actions, including remedies or countermeasures under the North American Free Trade Agreement,”

As well they should and they have every right to do so.

The White House, in a statement earlier in the day warning that senior advisers would recommend a veto, said U.S. and Mexican officials had “effectively addressed” any safety concerns. The White House also said terminating the program would damage trade with Mexico as well as hurt U.S. trucking firms participating in the program.

More than 400 members of the Juárez police department will be dismissed after failing confidence exams done by the Mexico federal Public Safety secretary’s office, Juárez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz said.

About 2,000 soldiers arrived in Juárez over the weekend and are expected to begin anti-crime patrols as part of Operation Juárez, the new name of Joint Operation Chihuahua, the local federal offensive against organized crime.

“It’s important that citizens know the Mexican army will be doing patrols throughout the city to stop the collateral crimes generated as a result of Joint Operation Chihuahua,” Reyes Ferriz said.

The city police department has offered the military 65 vehicles for the patrols.

The city has recruited about 900 new officers in recent months as authorities have been unable to stop a crime wave this year, including more than 900 homicides, more than 50 bank robberies, a jump in auto thefts and other crimes.

Officials said the confidence exams by federal authorities found that some Juárez officers had criminal histories in other states. Some had been fired from other agencies.

Other officers were found to have been bribed or had ties to organized crime.

Reyes Ferriz said that federal public safety officials made a registry of fingerprints, DNA samples, voice and iris scans of the officers tested to allow federal authorities to track their future activities.

How can this be? In a country, according to Dale “The Trucking Bozo” Sommers and his son Steve and of course Eric “Bubba Bo” Boulanger, that has no DATA BASES to track Mexican Truck Drivers and others? They are compiling a DATABASE of DNA Samples, Voice prints and iris scans, biometrics in other words? Kudos to the Mayor and Federal Officials for their ongoing efforts