Riviera Maya hotel owner refuses to pay the "rent," so extortionists execute him

*Updates below*

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo -
In this world-famous resort just minutes south of Cancún, a hotel owner bucked the odds and paid with his life.

Prominent businessman Juan Manuel Díaz Moguel, 48, was kidnapped from his establishment about 3:30 p.m. Friday (June 15), and was found dead on a quiet side street at 7:00 p.m. Police say his execution was almost surely the result of refusing to pay the obligatory derecho de piso, or "floor charge," assessed against virtually every business owner in town by organized crime. It might be described as a rent surcharge. And it's not optional.

Yo NO Soy's "summer of discontent"

News Analysis -
Will an already fractured protest movement fizzle and fade after July 1 elections?

June 10 - "Merida, wake up"

Mérida, Yucatán --
A little more than a month after its unheralded birth, some are asking whether the national, largely student-driven protest movement known as YoSoy 132 will survive its greatest challenge to date -- Mexico's presidential election, which is now just 14 days away. Some suggest that the loose-knit organization's raison d'etre will automatically cease once the nation has decided who's going to be at the helm for the next six years.

Mexican marines arrest top financial aid to Z-40, Zeta # 2

U.S., Mexico jointly turn up the heat against Zeta financial operations; $4 million seized in latest raids

Seventy-two hours after U.S. authorities busted a huge Los Zetas money laundering operation on American soil, Mexico's Infantería de Marina, or Marines, have nabbed a key aid to Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, the number two Zeta who is wanted on a variety of pending charges in the United States.

The Zeta operative was arrested in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas with "a large quantity of money," press sources say. He is identified as Eric Jovan Lozano Díaz. Tamaulipas is a hot zone of cartel activity and drug violence. The U.S. Consulate in Matamoros issued a Mexico-wide security alert for Americans on Tuesday (June 12): U.S. State Dept. issues Mexico-wide alert.

Felipe Calderón tells Wall Street Journal, "violence in Mexico is declining"

U.S. stands by latest alert, but Mexican president says things are actually looking up

Mérida, Yucatán --
Forty-eight hours after the U.S. State Dept. issued a nation-wide alert for Americans living or traveling in Mexico, and on the same day the body of another journalist was discovered in the violent city of Veracruz, this country's president was quoted in a Wall Street Journal interview which said that during the first five months of 2012, narco violence here fell 12% compared to the same period in 2011. The claims were summarized today in El Universal, a Mexico City newspaper (Cae 12% violencia por narco en 2012, dice Calderón a WSJ).

Milenio reporter executed in Veracruz

"We can't and we shouldn't live in fear, in darkness; we can't allow fear to become a way of life" -- Words of victim Víctor Manuel Báez Chino, a few days before his death.

A reporter for the Milenio network, one of the largest and most influential news agencies in Mexico, was found dead early this morning in the capital of Veracruz state on the country's Gulf coast. Authorities say he was murdered.

The reporter, who was identified as Víctor Manuel Báez Chino, was kidnapped about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday (June 13) by three men in a vehicle. Police say he was almost surely the victim of professional executioners, not street crime. From 2000 to date, more than 80 Mexican journalists have been murdered or disappeared under mysterious circumstances, most of them since the nation's 66 month old drug war was launched in December 2006. Several international organizations say Mexico is the most dangerous country in the world for reporters, outranking even war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan.

Treviño Morales Indictment Unsealed

An inside look at Los Zetas money laundering operation in the U.S.

Federal authorities have unsealed charging documents against brothers José, Miguel and Omar Treviño Morales, as well as 11 other Mexican nationals who were indicted on May 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Seven defendants are in custody, and seven others are still being sought. Miguel Morales, known as Z-40 and the second in command of the Los Zetas drug cartel, is pictured in an old photo. He is believed to be in Mexico, but his whereabouts are unknown. Mexican prosecutors also hold warrants for him.

The U.S. Attorney issued a press release yesterday which summarizes the case. But the Indictment provides many more details and a fascinating description of exactly how Los Zetas laundered millions of illicit drug profits -- all while on U.S. soil.

Feds bust Los Zeta money washers in U.S.

Mexican drug cartel cleans its cash while racing the ponies in four states

*Criminal Indictment unsealed; see link below*

U.S. federal agents yesterday raided a ranch in Oklahoma and properties in three others states which they say were being used by Mexican nationals to launder profits for the Los Zetas (the "Zs") drug cartel, one of Mexico's most powerful and most feared criminal organizations.

The story was broken by the New York Times in its Tuesday’s (June 12) edition, and was widely reported today in Spanish by the Mexican press.

A shell corporation controlled by the Mexicans, Tremor Enterprises, is headquartered in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Tremor’s purported business is the breeding and raising of quarter horses destined for the racetrack. But the Justice Dept. says that it was a mere front for a massive money laundering operation run by Mexico's feared Los Zetas.

U.S. State Dept. issues Mexico-wide alert, warning of "anti-American violence"

Bust of Los Zetas money laundering operation in U.S. is behind latest alert

The United States Dept. of State today issued an alert for all U.S. citizens throughout Mexico, warning of the possibility of "retaliation and/or anti-American violence" after several Mexican nationals alleged to be associated with drug cartels were arrested within U.S. territory. It is the second security alert issued by the State Dept. in the past eight days. A previous warning on June 4 was specific to Americans in Tamaulipas state, and adjacent areas along Mexico's northern frontier.

U.S. diplomats troubled by Televisa-Peña Nieto links in 2009, charges The Guardian

"Journalists and their bosses have been more or less free to engage in the time-honored Mexican electoral tradition of selling favorable print and broadcast coverage to candidates and parties." - U.S. diplomatic cable, 2009

Quick on the heels of its recent disclosures about alleged ties between the mega Spanish language network Televisa and PRI presidential candiddate Enrique Peña Nieto, The Guardian reported yesterday that American diplomats in Mexico City were worried about the same thing three years ago. In a story published Monday (June 11), the Britsh newspaper said "U.S. diplomats raised concerns that the frontrunner in Mexico's presidential election, Enrique Peña Nieto, was paying for favourable TV coverage as far back as 2009." The Guardian based its analysis on a review of confidential diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks in 2010 and 2011 (see note below).

In a September 2009 cable to the U.S. State Dept., American diplomats wrote, "It is widely accepted that the television monopoly Televisa backs the governor and provides him with an extraordinary amount of airtime and other kinds of coverage." The governor to whom they were referring was Enrique Peña Nieto, then chief executive of the State of Mexico (Edomex).

New York Times got Mexican presidential candidates' drug war strategies wrong

NY Times' analysis at odds with what major contenders have said about their drug war plans


The New York Times usually does a pretty good job of getting all of its ducks in a row, but a story published yesterday (June 10) about the alleged drug war positions of Mexico's three major presidential candidates did less than justice to PAN candidate Josefina Vázquez Mota. In fact, it did her a real injustice, by significantly mischaracterizing her consistently announced position on the issue. The article wasn't particularly accurate in its analysis of the positions of the other two leading candidates, either.

The Times story is here: Candidates in Mexico Signal a New Tack in the Drug War, and it's worth a read - even with the erroneous impressions it will leave many readers.

Mexican Supreme Court will again review Florence Cassez case, under continuing pressure from France

A second trip to high court for French national serving 60 years - and maybe the last

Jan. 23, 2013 - Mexican Supreme Court orders immediate unconditional liberty for Florence Cassez

*Updated Jan. 23, 2013*
Mexico's Supreme Judicial Court, the nation's highest appellate tribunal and the court of last resort, will take up the Florence Cassez case again in August. The announcement was made today by one of the court's judges, minister Olga Sanchez Cordero.

Cassez is a 37 year old French woman who is serving a 60 year sentence for kidnapping and organized crime activity. Mexican prosecutors say she and her boyfriend were the ringleaders of a group known as the Zodiacs (Los Zodiaco), which kidnapped for ransom. Both were arrested in December 2005. Cassez' boyfriend claims that she had nothing to do with the organization, and was unaware of his activities. There is strong circumstantial evidence to suggest the contrary.

Mérida YoSoy 132 promises to turn up the heat, and calls for more demonstrations

"First General Assembly" of Yucatán chapter convenes and organizes

Yo Soy 132 demonstrators in Mérida, Sunday, June 10. "People who don't defend what's theirs end up being tenants in their own country."

Mérida, Yucatán --
Local members of the national student protest movement known as YoSoy 132 today promised to ratchet up the thermostat in this already sweltering capital city of Yucatán.

They gathered at Mérida's Pasaje de la Revolución late this morning, turbo charged by the rising poll numbers of PRD candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador and outraged by the revelation of campaign funds allegedly paid by PRI front runner Enrique Peña Nieto to Televisa, the world's largest Spanish language network. According to stores published by the British newspaper The Guardian, Peña Nieto hired Televisa while he was governor of the State of Mexico (2005-2011) to "raise his national image," and to position himself for a run at Mexico's presidency in 2012. The election is July 1.

Peña Nieto is "linked to organized crime," claims Josefina in toughest words to date

"Mexico does not deserve this man as president"

With Mexico's presidential race about to enter the home stretch, and the last two polls showing her far back in third place (López Obrador surges to 29% in latest poll: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.mx/2012/06/lopez-obrador-surges-to-29-in-latest.html), PAN candidate Josefina Vázquez Mota unloaded with everything she had today on front runner Enrique Peña Nieto.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Guadalajara, Vázquez Mota told a crowd of supporters that her PRI opponent represents "complicity with organized crime. And Mexican families don't deserve that," she added.

The PAN hopeful, once comfortably in second place and thought to present the only real challenge to Peña Nieto, has been eclipsed in recent weeks by leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Some political experts believe that the race is now solely a PRI-PRD contest.

López Obrador surges to 29% in latest poll

PRI candidate losing steam, with election just 21 days away and 20% yet undecided

June 9

June 8

The latest numbers aren't pretty for PRIstas. Call it The Guardian effect. Or perhaps the YoSoy 132 effect. In any case, 29% is the highest AMLO has ever posted, and brings him to within 16% of front runner EPN. The undecideds still remain very significant -- 20% -- and there's no good reason to believe that most of them are going to punch the red, white and green emblem on the ballot. It seems unlikely that voters with sympathies gravitating towards PRI would be fence straddling at this late date. Josefina Vázquez Mota appears out of the picture entirely, barring a last-minute miracle. Her campaign never caught fire. And of course, she took an ice pick or two in the back along the way Vicente Fox, a PRIsta in very thin disguise.

Televisa responds to The Guardian

Spanish language media monolith puts one over the bow of British newspaper


The text of Televisa's formal response to The Guardian, released today, is below. Grammatical errors or stylistic oddities are those of the writer. One might read the letter as an implied threat of legal action. But interestingly, it doesn't formally demand a retraction, which in many countries is an absolute prerequisite to a libel suit.

Letter of protest from Grupo Televisa to The Guardian, June 8, 2012:

"It's worrying that such a prestigious newspaper as The Guardian publishes an article like the one you published on your website on Thursday and in your print edition on Friday (Computer files link TV dirty tricks to favourite for Mexico presidency, 7 June), written by Jo Tuckman, without verification.