Jesus Elizondo Daniel "El Loco" Ramirez, alleged mastermind behind the Mother's Day massacre of 49 people in Cadereyta, Nuevo Leon is presented to the press.
May 17, 2012 Troops assigned to the Mexican 7th Military Zone detained eight unidentified individuals they said were Gulf Cartel operatives and who may have been involved in the murder of at least 49 people in Cadereyta, Nuevo Leon state
The arrests took place following a raid in the China municipality, where solders also seized four rifles, one handgun three hand grenades, 34 magazines, 881 rounds of ammunition, one kilogram of cocaine, tactical and communications gear and two vehicles.
This story is far from over, but the arrests are continuing as this is being written. Los Zetas, thought to be responsible for the massacre have maintained their innocence in the matter, displaying banners throughout the Republic denying responsibility.
In each of the Zeta banners, the message is the same, Los Zetas disassociate themselves from the slaughter that occurred in Nuevo Leon, accusing the federal government of not conducting an complete investigation, and asked the government to do so in both the recent massacre of 49 and previous executions.
Translation of Mantras - “Javier del Real, Jorge Domene, Adrian de la Garza. The Zetas group distance ourselves (from responsibility) from the 49 dismembered bodies in Nuevo Leon and we ask that before blaming us, check real good, INVESTIGATE. Do your job like you are supposed to.“Just because somebody goes and dumps a truck full of bodies and leave a message (supposedly) from zetas, you are not suppose to continue with your job (?). And to make things easier, you even do a press conference and that way you remove your responsibility of investigating.
“Gentlemen don’t be fools, those who did this want to make us responsible. For example when we put messages we say “Las Golfas” (slang whores (feminine) and they use ‘Golfos’ gentlemen don’t be fools analyze the things and don’t do your job in a lazy way, just to release from the big load, and also think if we would’ve done it ourselves, it will cost us nothing to throw them in Reynosa? They dumped them in Nuevo Leon because that is our territory.
“Gentlemen don’t be fools and don’t follow the current (don’t go with the flow), investigate, we are not responsible for the 49 deaths. We accept responsibility for the ones in Jalisco and the 9 hanged in Nuevo Laredo, we accept responsibility for those and the banner in Nuevo Laredo, pay attention and see that it says GOLFAS and check all banners that we have placed and it says GOLFAS.
“We invite those who did their job without investigating and the assholes that just wanted to remove the responsibility. Because your solution to the problem is to say it was the Zetas. Or how many of those you have detained say they are Zetas? (Or) That say that they killed them? You don’t have any, and you will never have because it wasn’t us. We ask THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO INVESTIGATE THE EVENTS.”
May 19, 2012 – Two days later, Army units patrolling the Monterrey suburb of Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, captured Daniel Elizondo “El Loco”, a member of the Gulf cartel and alleged mastermind behind the execution of 49 people found in the town of Cadereyta on Mother’s Day.
The arrest of Daniel “El Loco” Elizondo perhaps gives credence to the Zetas denial of responsibility for this crime.
A video, too graphic to be displayed here, had the caption;
“This goes to all gulfos, Chapos, Marines, Huachos and government. Nobody can do anything to us.
You don’t have a chance.
Sincerely: El Loco , Z40 and Commander Lazcano”
Obviously, a member of the Gulf TCO would not be operating in tandem with the leader and senior leadership of the Zetas. This whole thing continues to get more strange.
SEDENA, which is the Mexican military, reported this to be the work of the Gulf Cartel. However, on May 21, SIEDO came out with another explanation.
Cadereyta• May 21, 2012 – 7:10 am During the presentation of Jesus Elizondo Daniel Ramirez, Brigadier General Edgar Villegas Meléndez Ruiz explained that “El Loco” was ordered to dump the bodies in the central plaza of Cadereyta.
The killing of 49 people in Cadereyta, Nuevo Leon, was ordered by the leader of Los Zetas and the second in command of the criminal organization, Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano “The Lazca” and Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, “Z40″ with the intention of blaming the criminal organizations operating in the area of the country to create a climate of instability in the region.
In presenting Jesus Elizondo Daniel Ramirez “El Loco”, who is one of those allegedly responsible for the disposal of the 49 people whose bodies were dismembered and dumped in the town of San Juan, the General said that it was reported that Ramirez was ordered to leave the bodies in the plaza in the town of Cadereyta. A “plaza” is the central area of a town in Mexico.
Jesus Elizondo Daniel "El Loco" Ramirez
According to Ramirez, he considered the likely consequences of doing something of this nature would have against him and contrary to their bosses orders, “El Loco” and his companions left the bodies where they were later located by the authorities and not in the plaza.
Meanwhile the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) has requested the detainment of “El Loco” for 40 days, on charges of organized crime, and against the welfare and health of the public, violation of the General Law on Firearms and Explosives, as well as profiting from an illegal activity.
And who is wondering what the value Ramirez allegedly put on the lives of his 49 victims? He was promised 7.62 mm caliber rifle, 10 thousand dollars in cash and an unknown amount of marijuana.
More on this as it becomes available.
Sources for this story:
El Diario
"Dangerous, unsafe, rolling junkyards" such as these 2011 Kenworth T-660's, at least that is the claim of opponents such as the Teamsters and OOIDA or poised to become a common sight on US highways. Mexican trucks and their drivers have historically returned safety and compliance ratings superior to US carriers
We were told by OOIDA, the Teamsters and the bogus safety groups that make up their allies that 10′s of 1000′s of “dangerous, unsafe, unregulated” Mexican trucks driven by drug using, untrained, unlicensed scofflaws were waiting at out southern border to invade the United States, taking jobs from American truckers and wreaking havoc on our roadways.
17 years later, the border is open to Mexican carriers wishing to participate in the second Cross Border Pilot Program but we’ve yet to see the hordes of dangerous, unsafe trucks and their drivers in our country or on our roads.
Only 33 Mexican trucks have crossed since the U.S. opened its southern border to long-haul trucks in October, said William Quade, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s associate administrator for enforcement and program delivery.
“Participation is not where we want it or need it to be to make it a viable program,” Quade said today at a meeting of the agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee in Alexandria, Virginia. “The agency is extremely concerned about not having sufficient data.”
And that’s just the way OOIDA and their allies want it, planned for it when their misinformation about Mexican trucks and the Mexican transportation industry was revealed to be bogus and their propaganda found to be outrigt deceitful by Mexico Trucker Online. Then, OOIDA turned to the only tool left in it’s arsenal. Making irrelevant and often misleading statements about the individual applicants to FMCSA during the 10 day comment period.
To date, 3 Mexican carriers have been cleared to participate in the program according to Quade, and backed up by our own research. These 3 carriers have made a total of 33 crossings since the program began in October.
On the other side of the coin, three American carriers who were accepted by Mexico into the program in 2007 continue to operate in and out of Mexico, having made more than 2000 trips south of the border. Mexico never terminated their portion of the program in 2009 when Congress defunded the previous successful Border Demonstration Program.
Anonymous comment submitted to FMCSA……………….these motor carriers will sooon be the mules for bringing illegal immigrants all over america to commit crimes and then get them home again. its a wonderful drug smuggling and illegal immigrant smuggling opportnity for mexico. mexican govt wants all mexicans t be supported by us taxpayers, so this scheme also lets mexico get away with that burden for american taxpayers. the lawlessness for these drivers will be an immense cost to american taxpayers. all the mexicans will have fake mexican documents, which are freely given out by the polluted corrupt mexican govt. this pilot project needs to be shut down. this is another holdover from the crap administration of george bush/dick cheney, the most inept two to ever hold presidential office. all paperwork needs to be english. the american people dont want to read and write mexican. this seems like a corrupt political payoff and bribe situation. this program was put into a bill on the iraq war as political corruption. this pilot program needs to have its budget at zero. a terrorist could pay one of these truck drivers $5 bucks and america will have a smuggled terrorist blowing us up. this whole idea of letting another country run wild to take american jobs is seriously brain dead work by washington corrupt politicians.
Initially, there was nothing in NAFTA requiring PASA’s, lengthy background checks, CVSA stickers and Level I inspections, nor even a “pilot program” to gauge the ability of Mexican trucks to operate in our regulatory environment. These were all roadblocks thrown into place by corrupt politicians at the behest of the Teamsters and OOIDA following along on Hoffa’s coattails. The idea was that the Mexicans would get so discouraged they’d throw up their hands in defeat and forget about pursuing the issue.
The opposition was wrong though and in 2009, Mexico put in place $2.4 billion dollars in legal tariff’s against select US products to get the attention of lawmakers and the public. That got the attention of lawmakers very quickly and as a result, those congress critters who had opposed the opening of the border, quickly changed their tune and left their “patrons” scurrying around looking for other ways to stop the onslaught of 3 Mexican trucks.
The low participation for the new program is due to high insurance costs and the uncertainty as to whether the border will remain open, due to the games being played by OOIDA and others. The larger Mexican carriers are staying at home until they see which direction this leads.
The U.S. must evaluate the pilot program to determine whether it would be safe to open the border to all truck traffic. So few Mexican trucks are participating that it may not be possible to have a statistically valid sample for that analysis, Quade went on to say.
What Quaide didn’t acknowledge or perhaps didn’t think about is that FMCSA has a wealth of information available to make that determination without the Cross Border Pilot Program producing significant numbers. “Legacy” carriers from Mexico who have had authority to operate in this country for the past 35 years and other Mexican carriers who have special point specific authority have been providing numbers for years. They have the data from border drayage carriers to assist them and the data from the participants in the 2007 Cross Border Demonstration Program. All of this data has historically pointed to a trucking industry which is as safe, and in most cases more compliant than their US counterparts.
So what will happen if at the end of three years, FMCSA does not have enough “data” to make a “statistically valid” determination of fitness of Mexican carriers and tries to shut the border down again? The first thing that comes to mind will be a resumption of the tariffs and they will be much more than $2.4 billion dollars that Mexico imposed the first time.
The solution is to put an end to this dog and pony show and open the borders to the Mexican carriers who desire to operate here, after they pass a PASA and comply with all rules and regulations US and Canadian carriers are required to comply with. Simple solution to a simple problem.
The doom and gloom, the havoc on our highways has yet to materialize and none of the propaganda we’ve been fed by Teamster, OOIDA and the bogus safety groups has come to pass nor will it.
Mother's day dawns and with it, the discovery of 49 bodies dumped at the entrance to San Juan NL
Sunday morning, Mother’s Day in the US, 49 bodies, most decapitated, some missing limbs and others in an advanced state of decomposition, were found on a highway east of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, according to various news sources.
The grisly find was made at Kilometer 47 on Mexico Federal Highway 40,which leads to Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Police were dispatched to the area based on a telephone call. Mexican Policia Federal agents were the first on the scene and found several black garbage bags containing the remains of 49 individuals. The actual location is 10 kilometers east of Cadereyta, near the village of San Juan. Cadereyta itself is about seven kilometers east of Monterrey.
It is being reported that six women and 43 men were among the dead. Some reports have said a narcomanta was left at the scene but had been removed, reportedly said “100 percent Zetas”
At this point in time, authorities still don’t know who the victims are and rumors are flying. Some are saying that the victims were migrants heading to the United States because some of the victims had the facial features of individuals from South America. The report also said the narcomanta had the symbol of Los Zetas only, probably the letter Z, suggesting Los Zetas likely committed the crime.
Jorge Domene, spokesman for the Nuevo Leon state Secretaria de Seguridad Pública (SSP)
Jorge Domene, spokesman for the Nuevo Leon state Secretaria de Seguridad Pública (SSP), also that some of the victims had gang tattoos, suggesting the deaths were a settling of accounts between gangs. He also said that most of the victims had been killed two days prior to their discovery. Due to the arrangement of the bodies, it appears the bodies were transported and dumped by a large dump truck in the early dawn hours when traffic was light.
Mexico Highway 40 is the “free road” used by motorist and truckers that want to avoid the toll road between Monterrey and Reynosa.
Let’s keep in mind as we explore this story, that very little official information is forthcoming from the agencies investigating this crime due to the blackout on releases from government agencies during the 90 days prior to the voting July 1, for Mexico’s next President. However, due to the nature of this crime, the large number of victims, some in government are ignoring the mandate of Article 41, and speaking out, such as Jorge DOmene. Last night, the government of Mexico announced a $30,000,000.00 mxn reward for information leading to the capture of those responsible. In US dollars, that comes to $2,201,446.12. (Hell for that amount of money, I’d turn my own mother in and give them a map showing where she’s buried.)
Anyone having information on this crime and possible claim the reward can do so by calling 01 800 831 3196 or by email denunciapgr@pgr.gob.mx
People are assuming that members of Los Zetas are responsible for this because of grafitti featuring the letter “Z” found on the gateway into the city and the narco banners which were removed. Others are saying the victims are in fact members of Los Zetas, murdered by the Sinoloa TCO. And some are also saying it could be retaliation against the government for their recent arrest of Marco Jesus Hernandez Rodriguez aka Jesus Ruiz Marcos Rodriguez, nicknamed “El Chilango”, jefe of sicarios (boss of Zetas’s assassins), who is credited with masterminding the kidnapping, torture and killing at least four Mexican Marines on April 18, 2012. For those of you who are not aware, Mexican Marines are the baddest of the bad in this country, and like our Special Forces troops, they take care of their own.
Personally, I think the scenario that this was a planned statement by Los Zetas for Mother’s Day is more believable as reported by Borderland Beat.
It just makes sense. Whatever it is, it’s a scouring of the gene pool from the bottom up.
There’s several reasons I’m writing this on a blog that generally has to do with trucking. First of all, James P. Hoffa’s Teamsters are using this as yet another reason that Mexican trucks should not be allowed into the US. Although no American’s were involved nor truckers, either Mexican or US, the truth doesn’t matter to Hoffa in the least.
In an article titled “49 more reasons not to open the border to Mexican trucks” an unidentified Teamster, thought to be Hoffa himself writes;
Trade deals are supposed to be two-way streets. The U.S. is supposed to give Mexican truckers access to our highways, Mexico is supposed to give U.S. truckers access to its highways.
But if the Mexican government can’t guarantee the safety of U.S. citizens, then Mexico isn’t giving the U.S. equal access to its highways. Mexico isn’t living up to its part of the deal.
The good news is that only a handful of Mexican carriers are allowed to travel beyond the border zone as part of the second cross-border trucking pilot program. And even fewer trucks are actually using our highways.
How sad is it that people like James P. Hoffa feel the need to use the deaths of 49 individual human beings to continue to push their isolationist agenda.
Units from Mexico Federal Police seal of crime scene where 49 bodies were discovered outside of Cadereyta, Nuevo Leon
The second and perhaps most important reason, for me anyhow, is that this story is being picked up internationally, and some in the mainstream media, thousands of miles from Mexico continue to portray Mexico as a crime ridden wild west 24/7 shootout which of course it’s not. Only a small fractions of Mexico’s municipalites (counties) have been effected by the ongoing was between the TCO’s (Trans-National Criminal Organizations) And civilians for the most part, are not the targets. Most of the victims in this period of violence have been found to have some connection, however minor to the bad guys.
A heightened presence of military units is seen in Cadereyta after the Mother's Day massacre that claimed 49 lives
People in the locales where the violence has been occurring continue with their lives as usual. What else is there to do. In Cadereyta, where the latest occurred, people haven’t lost faith in the military or the belief that their city and country will return to the safety it has known in the past.
One day after the slaughter which shocked this town and the nation, the main square of Cadereyta lived another day.
The park opposite the town hall was full of people, couples with their children enjoying a snack from street vendors or just talking.
Street vendors, clothing store owners, elderly people and even the street sweepers talk of the fear they feel about the violence.
Still others said nothing, just calmly observing the movement of people and vehicles around the main square of Cadereyta.
Because of this latest incident and others, the army has stepped up its presence in and around Cadereyta, with military patrols more frequently patroling the outskirts of the city.
And on Monday, the military took up positions opposite the town hall and around the square, watching and giving the citizens a feeling of security with their presence
Some of the troops got down from from their units and entered some of the businesses to interact with the owners and make purchases. Just another day as life continues in Mexico as it has for a 1000 years.
Howie Glaser, owner of United Nations Ammo Co. – "Give me back my bullets"
Howie Glaser, owner of United Nations Ammo Company of Phoenix Arizona, and one of the players in the saga of US trucker Jabin Bogan, charged in Mexico with smuggling prohibited ammunition into the country, seems to be losing all pretense of concern for the welfare of Bogan.
Glaser’s underlying message at the end of the day is “Give me back my bullets!”
On his website, gone is the banner exhorting people to help free the “wrongfully imprisoned” US trucker and in it’s place, a pitch for “golf ball launchers”? That’s right folks, golf ball launchers, a device that attaches to the end of your grandma’s AK-47 or AR-15 and propels golf balls “hundreds of yards” (We imagine it could be made to propel something much more deadly, perhaps of the 40mm variety.)
There’s also two videos of interest on his website. Both are interviews by a moderator from NRA.com part of the National Rifle Association, so you know the slant there.
The first video, Glaser is being interviewed and continuously bemoans the fact of his loss and how devastating it is to him. He mentions this on a 3 to 1 ratio of his concern for the driver.
Interview with Howie Glaser, owner United Nations Ammo Co.
It’s nothing you haven’t heard before if you’ve been following this story as we have. The story changes just enough to fit the audience they are targeting.
The second video is also produced by NRA.com and features Carlos Spector, the El Paso attorney “coordinating” things on this side of the border and making certain people are riled up with impotent anger over Bogan’s predicament.
Interview with El Paso Attorney Carlos Spector
Both Glaser and Spector continue to maintain Bogan is being held as a political prisoner, which he is not, at least in the context his supporters want you to believe.
But what is revealing in this case is not what is being said, but what is being sugar coated by Glaser and the others. They type of ammunition that Bogan was carrying.
Glaser continues to maintain that the load was a legal load (which it was, in the US) of munitions used by sportsmen and hunters and consisted of 250,000 rounds of .308 cartridges and 18,000 rounds of .223 ammo packed in 16 cases of 1200 rounds, which if it hadn’t been lost, would be sold out in a days time. He scoffs at the idea that these munitions would fit the weapons used by the drug gangs in Mexico, and, depending on what day it is and who he is talking to, the ammo is also for sniper rifles and M-14 Ceremonial rifles, of the type used at military funerals.
What Glaser doesn’t want people to know, especially those that might otherwise believe that this load of ammunition is for hunters is that the .308 winchester cartridge also carries a NATO designation, 7.62mm. And while it may not work in the AK-47, it functions perfectly well in other assault style weapons found in Mexico and used by the drug gangs, such as, perhaps, the H&K G3? The drug gangs in Mexico are not married to any particular type and style of weapon, although the AK is preferred because of it’s ease of use and power. The bad boys in Mexico will take anything they can get their hands on sent to them from the US.
The argument is moot though. The 9 pallets of ammunition is gone, confiscated and according to a friend of mine who is a well regarded criminal defense attorney in Mexico City, will not be returned. Ditto on the rig that Bogan was driving. It was used in the commission of a crime.
As for Bogan? The same attorney advised me that it will take anywhere from 6 to 9 months for a judgment to be made in the case. It could take longer but he’d be very surprised if it took less time. And Bogan will probably receive the minimum sentence of 5 years. Depending on the goodwill of the Mexican government, Bogan could be handed over to US authorities to serve his sentence in a US facility, where of course, he would immediately be eligible for parole.
Spector, Glaser and everybody else claiming to support Bogan keep mentioning that it being a Presidential election year in Mexico, that Bogan is being used as a “political pawn”, an assertion that is ridiculous to say the least. Coverage of this case has all but died out in the Mexican media. Information will not be publicly available from the government agencies involved in this until after July 1st, the date of the elections. Article 41 of Mexico’s election laws prohibits dissemination or propaganda from government agencies in the 90 days leading up to voting. This includes information about Bogan’s case, which would otherwise be available. This is why the majority of the information out there is “spin” by the supporters of Bogan and common sense and logical analysis from the rest of us attempting to counter the spin and the resulting hysteria.
And we can expect more of all of it until the officials in Mexico are permitted by law to reveal the results of their investigation. Hopefully, during the next 45 days, while there is a continuing blackout of information from Mexico, Bogan won’t be hurt too much as his supporter inflame the public using the race card and try this case in the Court of Public Opinion, not that it will do them any good.
Oh, and for the record, Howie Glaser didn’t specifically say “Give me back my bullets” but he might have well had said it, putting a link to the Lynard Skynard video by the same name.
Coming to the highways and byways of America, this modern fleet of Mexican trucks owned by Servicios Refrigerados Internacionales, one of the latest carriers to pass their Pre-Authorization Safety Audit over the objections of OOIDA
Three more Mexican carriers have passed their Pre-Authorization Safety Audits (PASA) bringing them one step closer to being granted authority to participate in the much maligned Cross Border Pilot Program for Mexican carriers.
Higienicos Y Desechables Del Bajio, Servicios Refrigerados Internacionales and Transportes Del Valle De Guadalupe passed their audits easily and the findings were published in the Federal Register last Friday, giving the public the required 10 days to comment on the fitness of these carriers to participate in the program.
“Fitness” refers to the ability of the carrier to perform safely and comply with the rules, regulations and laws of the United States, something Mexican carriers have historically and statistically excelled at.
And as expected, The Owner Operators Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), long an opponent of allowing Mexican trucks into the United States, came out with a statement from Executive VP Todd Spencer putting the powers that be on notice that the association is “reviewing” the applications to make certain all the “i’s” were crossed and the “t’s” dotted.
According to Spencer, who thanks to Mexico Trucker Online and others, has, in the past, exposed and debunked all the claims of Spencer and his organization that Mexican carriers and drivers are ill qualified, unsafe and pose a hazard to American motorists, is reduced to whining about these carriers having “affiliations” with other carriers.
Believe me folks, I’m not making this crap up! Spencer claims that current research on the three new applicants shows they have affiliations with other motor carriers. Oh, the horror of it all!
“I guess we should be used to the fact that the agency really isn’t checking out applicants,” Spencer whined.
“Applicants are required by law under severe penalties to disclose to disclose affiliations. They simply don’t. Apparently FMCSA thinks that’s good enough,” Spencer said. “Certainly we don’t believe that is good enough. Those affiliations do need to be disclosed. The fact that they are not should be on its face enough to disqualify them.
"Dangerous, unsafe, rolling junkyards" such as these 2011 Kenworth T-660's, at least that is the claim of opponents such as the Teamsters and OOIDA or poised to become a common sight on US highways. Mexican trucks and their drivers have historically returned safety and compliance ratings superior to US carriers
Apparently the months it is taking FMCSA to check out these carriers before performing the PASA’s doesn’t count in Spencer’s mind.
But once again, and as usual, Spencer and company is not telling the public and their members.
William Quaide, an FMCSA assistant director replying to OOIDA’s comments against Baja Express Transportes, making many of the same claims that they are making here, had this to say;
It is not uncommon for motor carriers from the United States, Mexico, and Canada to leave the affiliations question unanswered on operating authority applications. As a result, this alone is not grounds to reject an OP-1 or OP-1 (MX) application. For OP-l(MX) applications, the Agency requires that the affiliations question be answered and requests that applicants amend their applications with a
response to the question. The application will not be further processed until the missing information is supplied. If, an affiliation is identified, and the affiliated carrier has a record of significant non-compliance that may include, but is not limited to, out of service orders, an unsatisfactory compliance review, failed safety audit, Safety Measurement System (SMS) scores above the threshold levels, non-payment of penalties, and/or the appearance of reincarnation to avoid enforcement, these factors may lead to Agency dismissal of the application.
So, in other words, FMCSA is well aware of OOIDA’s attempts to side track or derail individual applicants who desire to participate in the program through asinine revelations that the applications were not properly signed or perhaps the carrier has an affiliation of some sort with another carrier, which in and of itself is not illegal. FMCSA and to his credit, Bill Quade, is having none of it.
We look forward to OOIDA’s comments on these three carriers and FMCSA’s reply dismissing them.
To date, 26 crossing have been made by two of the participants since the program started 7 months ago.
Download and read the FMCSA response to OOIDA here
Supporters of US trucker Jabin Bogan, imprisoned in Mexico and charged with illegally introducing prohibited ammunition into the country continue to ignore the facts surrounding the case while spinning a story they hope will hit home in the court of public opinion.
Most of us who are real professional truckers, cannot comprehend how Bogan, a relative rookie with less than 4 years experience, could end up with his rig in Mexico. After all, the route into Mexico is well marked and the route Bogan was taking would have necessitated a deliberate left hand turn off the border highway to put him onto the bridge.
Only Bogan can tell us what his intent was. But I think we can all agree that Bogan is a person with a slop jar full of stupid who probably shouldn’t possess a CDL based on his lack of judgment that landed him in one of the most notorious prisons in Mexico. Did Bogan deliberately enter Mexico with the intent of smuggling the ammunition? I don’t believe he did but what I think and what everyone else thinks is immaterial at this point.
The point that Bogan’s supporter and those who are indecisive choose to ignore is that Jabin Bogan is guilty of the charge leveled against him. Introducing ammunition reserved for the exclusive use of the military into Mexico.
Let’s put aside the how’s, why’s, wherewithal’s and everything else. Let’s ignore the spin from his family, the ever changing scenario coming from his boss Dennis Mekenye and the rest, who just can’t seem to get it quite right and concentrate on the only thing that matters.
DID U.S. TRUCKER JABIN BOGAN ENTER THE UNITED STATES OF MEXICO WITH ARTICLES PROHIBITED UNDER THE LAWS OF THAT SOVEREIGN COUNTY?
There is only one answer to that question and that answer is a resounding and emphatic YES!
Those are the facts that his supporters choose to ignore, because, well, “it’s Mexico, and what right does a corrupt little third world country have arresting an innocent American truck driver”? I’m serious! You can’t make this crap up.
Enter into the fray Aubrey Allen Smith, a self described “truckers advocate and Dan Fuller, another trucker with an online presence. Smith, well known for his distaste and ignorance about Mexico and who never misses an opportunity to bash anything to do with Mexico, came out with an internet radio program about the Bogan case.
Dan Fuller, established a free web page to facilitate spreading the misinformation and catering to like minded people who think Mexico has no place in this hemisphere, much less a voice. Mr. Fuller’s justification for pursuing this is because he “remembers accidentally crossing into Canada numerous times in his career.” While that claim is as dubious as Bogan’s claim of “accidentally” entering Mexico, we’re sure he’ll stick to his story, regardless that it makes him look as incompetent as Bogan.
But back to Aubrey Allen Smith and his little internet radio program. Carefully choreographed with dissenting opinion not allowed and callers who do not agree with his point of view, quickly dispatched.
His guests included Bogan’s mother Aletha Smith, Carlos Spector, Bogan’s US attorney coordinating things on the US side, Dennis Mekenye, owner of DEMCO Transportation, Bogan’s employer and Howie Glaser, the owner of United Nations Ammo Co., the intended receiver of the ammunition.
Here’s a quick synopsis of the players.
Aubrey Allen Smith: Continued to point out he had copies of the Bill of Lading, Cashiers check for the ammunition and other evidence that it was a legal load, that Bogan is innocent and must be released. Smith deliberately misses the point or chooses to ignore it because it does not fit his agenda.
Dennis Mekenye: Make the incredulous and unbelievable statement in a voice with a heavy African accent, that he was born and raised along the border and knows how mistakes happen, then turns around and say he’s only been there a few times. He further claims that he tracks all of his vehicles with GPS that “pings” the truck every “5 minutes”, which is unrealistic, because it would be cost prohibitive. He further states that his abysmally poor safety record with the FMCSA should not be held against him and hopes said agency will issue a letter further absolving his company of any guilt.
Aletha Smith: I have sympathy for the woman, as a parent who has a child in trouble. But that feeling of sympathy has a limit and the limit is reached listening to her in this interview. At times, it seemed she was guiding the conversation in a pre planned direction, asking leading questions of the others so they could keep their stories straight. And then at what she considered the appropriate moment, the spirit hit her and oh my God, all the hysterical testifying, signifying and glorifying while the tears flowed. Enough about her.
Howie Glaser, owner of United Nation Ammo: This guy, in my opinion is a real sleeze. He’s lost $100,000.00 in product that according to him cannot be replaced but everything is lollipops and rainbows. All he is concerned about is that poor innocent boy being unfairly held in Mexico. Anybody believes that, I’ve got a tropical island in the middle of Wyoming I’ll sell you. His company, United Nations Ammo, was established in 2007, right about the time President Obama was elected and the rush was on to stock up on ammunition for the coming civil war, race war, whatever war the far right wingnuts could think up. His inventory has little to do with supplying the hunter or sportsmen unless said hunters and sportsmen are out in the desert perhaps, hunting Mexicans or preparing to wage war against our government. Legitimate hunters and sportsmen have no need to buy online from a store that sells parachute flares, .50 caliber and lower ammo including tracer rounds and other things of a quasi military nature. And Glaser can’t decide what was in the shipment he paid $100k for. At various times it’s been ammo for sniper rifles, AR-15 and M-14 ceremonial rifles, which all of us veterans know uses blanks. In this interview he claimed the shipment was 250,000 rounds of .308 caliber and 18,000 rounds of .223 ammo. Next time he’ll probably claim it was .22 caliber blanks. Glaser also misses the point. If it is ammunition, it is illegal to possess or import into Mexico.
Carlos Spector, El Paso Attorney: This man deserves and has a little respect from me for telling the truth, at least partially. He acknowledged that the justice system has made great strides toward modernization in recent years, which contrasts with Allen Smith’s assertion that it’s totally corrupt. Spector lays the corruption at the feet of the officials that inspected, discovered and arrested Bogan, and personally I think the blame is misplaced. In recent years, Aduanales Mexico, Mexico Customs has rid themselves of the old corrupt agents at the border and replaced them with college educated, thoroughly vetted and trained agents who, from my perspective and experience are dedicated to their jobs, and all have taken required courses in English.
Spector went on to explain that they’re “Judge shopping” hoping to get a particular judge in Juarez that would be sympathetic to Bogan’s case. Now, in my mind, that’s corrupt but I doubt if we hear Allen Smith or the rest complain since the corruption would benefit his cause. Hypocrisy anyone?
Spector also confirmed what I’ve said before. The load of ammunition is gone, confiscated, hasta la buh bye… To bad so sad, sucks to be you Howie, and this is a good thing. There is no telling how many lives will be saved in the deserts of Arizona, in Mexico and in the rest of the US with this crap off the streets.
Where Spector loses my respect was when he revealed his plans going forward. He stated that as soon as information is received, he’ll urge everyone to flood the Mexican prosecutors, the court the case is assigned to and the judge with phone calls, email and snail mail, demanding Bogan’s quick release.
Considering some of the comments we’ve seen around the internet regarding Mexican trucks, Bogan and other issues regarding Mexico, this kind of support could help Bogan get the full 30 year sentence.
At the end of the day though, Allen Smith and the rest can beat their chests, shout their demands and probably, profit from Jabin Bogan’s situation and they will still refuse to acknowledge one very simple but vital fact, and that is that Jabin Bogan Akeem is guilty of the crime he is charged with.
I was listening to Eric “Bubba Bo” Boulanger the other night on XM Radio talking about Cinco de Mayo and how it was Mexico’s Independence Day (or something like that) and realized that most people don’t realize what Cinco de Mayo is about. To most, it’s about a night of drinking and listening to Americanized Tex-Mex music and partying until the bars close.
Our friend who publishes the website MEXFILES.NET and an acclaimed author and editor in his own right, found an obscure article from the New York Times dated June 13, 1863
Richard writes;
Normally I wouldn’t steal an entire articles from a newspaper, but I’ll make an exception this once. Notice how long it took to get the news in those days — and that the New York Times, always a conservative paper when it comes to spelling and word usage, still used British spelling in the 1860s.
Besides just the surprise of the crappy, ad-hoc Mexican army beating what was then considered the best military force in the world, there was another reason Cinco de Mayo was a BFD in the United States long before it was “discovered” by beer distributors and politicians pandering for the Hispanic vote: the United States was in the middle of a large-scale organized insurgency seeking to create a break-away southern republic. Some claim Zaragoza and his army saved the Union.
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This sign, which has been here since at least 1999, is one of dozens in the El Paso area and along the border from Texas to California warning of the penalty for introducing guns and ammo into Mexico. No excuses, no justification. US trucker Jabin Bogan would have seen this sign. It appears he chose to ignore it and continued on into Mexico
Support for the US trucker arrested for smuggling military grade ammunition into Mexico on April 19 is growing and for all the wrong reasons.
Jabin Bogan, a driver for Demco Express in Arlington Texas, supposedly made a “wrong turn” and found himself in Mexico where the 9 pallets of military grade ammo was discovered among other cargo.
The ammo load was a legitimate haul, on the US side of the border, but in the sovereign United States of Mexico, introducing it into the country whether by mistake or intentionally is a serious violation of Mexican law.
FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS
Had Bogan made a “wrong turn” on the northern border, ended up in Canada, which like on the Mexican border, is extremely difficult to do, he would have been detained, probably arrested on similar charges and held while the Canadian justice system processed his case. And there would have been little if any outcry.
But it happened on the southern border, where elements of our industry and the public think that Mexico has no right whatsoever to enforce it’s laws against the US or Americans that may violate them.
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