Justiciabarómetro surveys judges and lawyers about Mexico’s criminal justice challenges
05/31/11 — The Trans-Border Institute’s Justice in Mexico Project announced the results of its most recent study of professionals in Mexico’s criminal justice system. Justiciabarómetro’s judicial survey summarizes the findings from a poll of 276 judges, prosecutors, and public defenders in nine different Mexican states. The study and is now available online at the Justice in Mexico Project site, and … Read more
4 Suspects Arrested in Connection to Sicilia Murder
05/31/11 – In the past week, four different suspects have been arrested in connection to the murders of poet Javier Sicilia’s son, Juan Francisco Sicilia, and six other young men who were found tortured and dead in a vehicle late March of this year. On May 24, Gumaro López Ruiz and Juan Carlos Librado Márquez … Read more
Mexican Police Kill 11 Suspected Members of La Familia Michoacana Cartel
05/30/11— Mexican police say they killed 11 suspected members of the La Familia Michoacana cartel during a shootout in the western portion of the state of Jalisco. The 11 members were killed during a police raid that was planned after police received news that some of the cartels members were meeting at a ranch in Jilotlán de … Read more
President Obama is Urged to Stop Flow of Arms Across the Border
05/30/11 – Civil organizations in Mexico and the United States are working together to urge President Obama to stop the southbound flow of arms from the U.S. across the border into Mexico. This campaign has become known as “Alto al Contrabando de Armas” (A Stop to the Smuggling of Arms) and it seeks to significantly … Read more
29 Dead in Nayarit Shootout Between Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas
05/30/11 — A shootout between the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas occurred in the Pacific state of Nayarit on Thursday, May 26, that left 29 dead, among them one Guatemalan. Authorities were originally investigating a kidnapping when they were alerted of the shootout. Upon arriving, the bodies, which authorities believe to be mostly Zetas, were strewn … Read more
DF Passes New Law Targeting Overcrowding in Prisons
05/27/2011— The Federal District Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislative del Distrito Federal, ALDF) approved the Law on Execution of Criminal Sanctions and Social Reintegration (Ley de Ejecución de Sanciones Penales y Reinserción Social) for the Federal District (DF) of Mexico. This law makes it possible for qualified inmates to fulfill some of their sentence on house arrest, … Read more
A 7th Mass Grave Found In Durango Reveals A Possible Split Within the Sinaloa Cartel
05/27/11 – A total of 7 mass graves have been found in Durango in over a month since the first grave was discovered on April 11 in a town called Las Fuentes. On May 26, two more bodies, both male and unidentified, were found buried in the seventh grave in El Consuelo, which brings the … Read more
OECD Provides New Statistics on Development in Mexico
05/26/11 – The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary and has released research in its study “Economic Panorama in Mexico” (Panorama Económico para México) indicating that economic conditions in Mexico are improving. According to El Economista, these statistics predict that Mexico’s GDP will increase this year by 4.4% instead … Read more
Guatemalan Authorities Arrest 5 Mexican Suspects from May 15 Massacre
05/26/11— On Tuesday, Guatemala’s Interior Minister stated that Guatemalan authorities arrested five Mexicans linked to both Hugo Álvaro Gómez Vásquez, one of the key suspects in the May 15 massacre that killed 27 people in Guatemala, and to Los Zetas, one of the most violent organized crime groups in Mexico believed to have carried out the killings. … Read more
3 Arizona Employees Under Sheriff Arpaio Arrested on Human and Drug Smuggling Charges
05/25/11 – Three Arizona officers who work for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio were arrested this week after their involvement in human and drug trafficking rings were exposed. Deputy Alfredo Navarrette and detention officers Marcella Hernández and Sylvia Nájera were apprehended Tuesday, along with 9 others, in an operation that began last year after Arpaio’s … Read more
