Mexican health officials report first diagnosed case of Dengue-like virus in Jalisco state

Guadalajara -
Mexico's Secretary of Health confirmed yesterday that the potentially fatal Chikungunya virus has made its first known appearance in this country, after a Jaliscan woman was recently diagnosed with the tropical illness.

The symptoms of Chikungunya (cheek-oon-goon-ya) closely resemble those of Dengue Fever, according to medical experts.

In March a prominent Mexico City physician and public health expert warned that the country was due for a serious outbreak of Dengue related illnesses within the next year or two. Mexican public health expert warns of Dengue outbreak.

Mexican high court rules that only federal government may legislate against drug cartels, organized crime

Guadalajara -
Mexico's Supreme Judicial Court ruled today that none of the country's 31 states or the Federal District may enact criminal legislation targeting organized crime organizations, a power which it said is reserved exclusively to the federal congress under extensive constitutional reforms passed in 2008.

Meeting in full session, all 11 judicial ministers voted to strike down laws passed by Nuevo León in 2013, which would have authorized the lengthy preliminary detention of suspected organized crime members without trial. Nuevo León has been racked by drug war violence in recent years.

Rafael Caro Quintero loses bid in Mexican federal court for protection from U.S. extradition

Guadalajara -
He's been a fugitive from the law since Nov. 6, but that didn't stop attorneys for the founder and former boss of the long defunct Guadalajara Cartel from asking a federal court in Mexico City to prevent the extradition of Rafael Caro Quintero to the United States should he ever be captured. Today a judge denied their request for a protective order, known as an amparo, paving the way for Caro Quintero's eventual transfer to U.S. jurisdiction if and when he is located.

Mexican Church calls Peña Nieto tax reforms "deceptive economics," harmful to the middle class

Guadalajara -
The powerful Archdiocese of Mexico City is cutting no slack to the 18 month old administration of Institutional Revolutionary Party president Enrique Peña Nieto, lashing out at his reform dominated agenda every few weeks in its Sunday editorials, published in the influential Catholic journal Desde La Fe (From the Faith).

Today the topic was the nation's staggering economy, which has been grossly underperforming for the last year. Despite promises that 2014 would be a banner year - the same promises the government made in early 2013 - the economic engine is badly misfiring, and nobody seems to be able to fix it. Mexico slashes 2014 growth projection.

Mexico's comments on case of jailed U.S. Marine Andrew Paul Tahmooressi will not encourage his supporters

Oct. 1 - U.S. Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi's defense does a 180, as House committee puts the full court press on Mexico

*Sept. 9 - No Tijuana exit today for Sgt. Tahmooressi*

*Updated content Sept. 20*
Guadalajara -
On Mar. 31 U.S. Marine Sgt. Andrew Paul Tahmooressi, 25, was arrested at the San Ysidro-Tijuana border crossing, just inside Mexican territory. He acknowledged to officials that his pickup was carrying several firearms - the possession of which is strictly forbidden in this country - but insisted that he had intended to take the final exit to return to American soil, mistakenly entering a lane which prohibited him from doing so and instead sent him straight into Baja California.

Tahmooressi was charged with federal firearms violations, and has already had several preliminary court appearances before a Mexican magistrate. His case has been elevated to a veritable cause célèbre by some in the U.S. press, most notably Fox News, which writes about Tahmooressi almost daily with a passion suggesting that he should be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor just for having to deal with the Mexican criminal justice system.

Yucatán had lowest homicide rate in 2013, Mexico reports

Mérida, Yucatán -
Roberto Campa, Undersecretary for Crime Prevention and Citizen Participation, a department of the Secretary of Government (SEGOB), reported in a national news interview this week that the state of Yucatán had the lowest homicide rate in the nation for the reporting year ending Dec. 31, 2013.

Yucatán recorded but 2.05 murders per 100,000 persons, followed by these states: Aguascalientes (3.29), Hidalgo (4.65), Tlaxcala (5.98), Querétaro (6.07), Puebla (7.41), Campeche (8.15) and the Federal District (8.46).

Jalisco tourism boss was Templarios money launderer, assassinated on orders of Los Matazetas

Guadalajara -
Former Jalisco Secretary of Tourism José de Jesús Gallegos Álvarez, who was executed in broad daylight on a Guadalajara street Mar. 13, 2013, was a money launder for the now defunct Michoacán cartel Los Caballeros Templarios, one of his attackers has testified before judicial authorities.

Gallegos was shot multiple times after being pursued by a hit team during a high speed chase, causing him to lose control of his vehicle. Jalisco Secretary of Tourism assassinated in Guadalajara. He died at the scene.

Only seven Mexican states are well prepared to carry out criminal investigations, analysts report

Guadalajara -
Mexico has 31 states and a Federal District, but only seven of them are equipped with the personnel and equipment to meet international criminal investigation standards, a team of forensic consultants has reported.

The consultants, some Mexican and some from other nations, are collaborating with U.S. officials to modernize the nation's notoriously lagging criminal investigation system, one of the goals of the Mérida Inititiative signed in 2007 by former presidents Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and George W. Bush.