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Rolly

Oct 2, 2010, 2:23 PM

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ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men who were traveling together in Mexico's Pacific coast resort city of Acapulco, authorities said Saturday.

The group was visiting from Morelia and looking for a place to stay when they were abducted Thursday, said Fernando Monreal, director of state investigative police.

The kidnapping was reported by a man who had been with the group. The man told police he left the others to go to a store and when he returned his companions were gone. Witnesses said his companions — who ranged in age from 17 to 47 — were kidnapped by an armed gang that drove them away in the three cars in which the group had been traveling.

Read the rest of the story here.

Drugers on vacation?

Rolly Pirate

Brian

Oct 3, 2010, 9:46 AM

Post #2 of 20 (8751 views)

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Re: [Rolly] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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They all worked for the same company. Reportedly, they save up to take yearly vacations together. There is no evidence that they were armed. Why would you suspect that these individuals were involved with drugs? If anything, I think that one should suspect a tie-in to extortion. La Familia is stepping up its extortion efforts and the enforcement thereof. Currently, there is a rash of kidnappings and murders of businesspeople who are not cooperating in giving the Cartel a cut of their profits. It's only a hunch but investigators should take a look into their employer's business to see if there have been any threats.

MexyDeb

Oct 28, 2010, 3:54 PM

Post #3 of 20 (8471 views)

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Re: [Brian] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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I am surprised that there has been no ransom asked (thats known) or bodies. I used to go to Acapulco frequently. Now I don't as my in laws worry about it. I do go to Chilpancingo, but I am always cautious and always stay close to my husband when there. I feel for their families. I love Guerrero and hate whats happening to it but it will get worse before it gets better, I think.

tashby

Nov 1, 2010, 12:17 PM

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Re: [MexyDeb] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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Has there been any follow-up with this story? I did a quick google search and didn't find anything other than the initial stories.

The fact that there were 22 of them, and they were tourists from Morelia traveling together, is just mind-blowing.

chinagringo

Nov 1, 2010, 1:08 PM

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Re: [tashby] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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There have been a few follow-up stories on the kidnapping and the current situation in Acapulco. I believe it was last Thursday or Friday when the Mayor suggested to all residents that they should stay indoors after dark. Here are a couple of the follow-ups:

http://www.borderlandbeat.com/...-plaza-heats-up.html
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/...apulco-now-drug.html

From all that I have read, none of the kidnap victims have been located as yet.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Brian

Nov 1, 2010, 1:26 PM

Post #6 of 20 (8313 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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Does anyone remember the movie "The Official Story"? It centers around the disappeared ones during the "Dirty War" in Argentina. The phenomenon of Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo is heart rendering. Now, in Morelia, there have been demonstrations imploring the Mexican government to make a better effort to investigate the kidnapping of the family members who are still missing. This last march featured nearly 1000 participants. Maybe they will spark a national movement in Mexico as was done in Argentina.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/78497.html

(This post was edited by Rolly on Nov 1, 2010, 1:49 PM)

Brian

Nov 2, 2010, 11:56 AM

Post #7 of 20 (8228 views)

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Re: [Brian] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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A San Miguel blogger quotes Strafor as her source, claiming that the 22 men were members of La Familia who were dispatched to Acapulco to assassinate the mayor and disrupt the operations of Hector's remnants of the Beltran-Leyva cartel. She states that their kidnapping was ordered by the incarcerated La Barbie. I don't subscribe to Strafor but find it's conclusion a bit suspect. It is difficult to imagine a scenario in which A) Over 20 sicarios in four vehicles would be captured without any shots fired, B) One of their companions who had the good fortune to be in a convenience store when the incident occurred, actually made a report to the police and C) So many families would be so persistent in asserting that their sons (who lacked criminal antecedents) were in anyway involved with the cartel. If these discrepancies are addressed in the Strafor memo, I would appreciate someone who subscribes' input.

Rolly

Nov 2, 2010, 12:17 PM

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Re: [Brian] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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A subscription to Stratfor.com reports is very expensive. They have a reputation for accuracy and getting inside information.
Nevertheless, in the only report by them about my area of which I had knowledge, they got the facts wrong.

Rolly Pirate

norteño

Nov 2, 2010, 1:58 PM

Post #9 of 20 (8195 views)

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Re: [Rolly] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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Right now various Mexican papers are reporting that, acting on a tip, police are searching a property in the Acapulco area for the remains of the kidnap victims.

norteño

Nov 3, 2010, 12:13 PM

Post #10 of 20 (8125 views)

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Re: [norteño] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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For what it is worth, two captive subjects in a brief video sent to a blog are saying that the 20 Michoacán residents were kidnapped on orders of the Familia Michoacana and were to be carried to Cuernavaca but army patrols made this impossible so the orders were changed to carry them to a place called Tres Palos. Here they presumably were killed if what they are saying is true, since the video refers to the "kidnapping and execution":

http://www.milenio.com/node/569571

In another development, authorities have been directed to Las Huertas, in the Acapulco area, to look for a clandestine burial site. The directions were found on a poster left with two execution victims found yesterday, and the supposed grave site was outlined with lime so they would find it. It is not known yet whether this relates to the missing 20 tourists.

http://www.milenio.com/node/569522

(This post was edited by norteño on Nov 3, 2010, 12:14 PM)

norteño

Nov 3, 2010, 3:32 PM

Post #11 of 20 (8105 views)

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Re: [norteño] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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Officials report that ten bodies have been removed so far from the mass grave near Acapulco and the operation continues. Too early to say if these are the kidnapped Michoacán residents.

http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=541870

The chief of the PIM (State Investigative Police), Fernando Monreal Leyva, stated that about ten bodies have been found in a clandestine grave in the community of Tuncingo, in this municipality.

He said that body recovery operations are continuing at that place, but pointed out that it is not possible to say with certainty that they are of the Michoacán residents who disappeared from this port city last Sep. 30 as relevant forensic tests must be done.

The state official said that presumably there are more bodies in the secret grave that was found in the aforesaid rural district of this port community.

bournemouth

Nov 3, 2010, 4:39 PM

Post #12 of 20 (8090 views)

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Re: [norteño] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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Thanks for keeping us up on this sad situation.

Reefhound

Nov 3, 2010, 4:51 PM

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Re: [norteño] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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My bet is pretty heavy that it is them. The site was located and searched as a result of the youtube video of two men saying that's where they were buried. The AP reports that those two men were found dead on top of the burial site.

norteño

Nov 3, 2010, 6:51 PM

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Re: [Reefhound] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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Latest report is that the number of bodies extracted is 18, and supposedly military sources have said unofficially that it is apparently the kidnap victims. What I have read in the Mexican media indicates that the two execution victims the other day were found elsewhere but the sign found with them directed the police to the burial site, which had been outlined with lime for their benefit in finding it. I haven't seen it stated anywhere in the Spanish-language media that the two on the video are the two execution victims, but it seems a safe bet.

http://www.milenio.com/node/569904

Edited to add: Actually they say on the video that the murders were due to the actions of La Familia, rather than on their orders.

(This post was edited by norteño on Nov 3, 2010, 8:53 PM)

esperanza

Nov 5, 2010, 11:19 AM

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Re: [norteño] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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Per La Voz de Michoacán of Friday, November 5, 2010:

A representative group of family members of the missing Michoacán men are in Guerrero today to attempt to identify the bodies. The group of family members, headed by a district attorney, was transported to the state of Guerrero to assist in identifying the 18 men who were found in the narcofosa.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Rolly

Nov 7, 2010, 8:07 AM

Post #16 of 20 (7886 views)

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Re: [esperanza] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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The bodies have been confirmed as those kidnapped. Read more here.

Rolly Pirate

chinagringo

Nov 7, 2010, 9:06 AM

Post #17 of 20 (7875 views)

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Re: [Rolly] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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One of the Mexico based news sources that I ran across indicated that some of them were buried alive and died from asphhyxiation.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Hound Dog

Nov 7, 2010, 2:08 PM

Post #18 of 20 (7837 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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One of the Mexico based news sources that I ran across indicated that some of them were buried alive and died from asphhyxiation.

Does that add some sort of sick dimenesion to these murders that is supposed to interest us? Why isn´t there some merit in keeping the discourse civilized here?

chinagringo

Nov 7, 2010, 2:10 PM

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Re: [Hound Dog] ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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Just the facts Sargent Friday!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Rolly

Nov 24, 2010, 1:04 PM

Post #20 of 20 (7533 views)

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Re: ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen kidnapped 22 men

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Looks like the matter of the kidnapping has been solved with the arrest of and confession by Carlos Montemayor González.
Borderland Beat is reporting that "Federal Police have confirmed that Carlos Montemayor González, alias El Charro, and operator for Édgar Valdez Villarreal, La Barbie, is in their custody at this time. They also believe he ordered the initial abduction of the 20 missing tourists from the neighboring state of Michoacan who were found buried in a shallow grave, earlier this month in Acapulco, Guerrero."

Rolly Pirate