This matter of the ICE agents is a real tragedy. No two ways about it. I have a couple of questions....and several of our gang have already commented about it, and even requested my observations. Among them is my compere who stated, much more clearly and in many fewer words, almost precisely my thoughts.
(1) Who in the Hell decided to let these guys drive around in an Embassy vehicle from Mexico City to Monterrey? It makes no sense. There are at least 26 flights each way each day....probably more. There are at least 200 deluxe busses who make the trip....completely via 4, 6, and 8 lane expressway now....that are commonly used by middle class, upper-middle class and the extremely wealthy, highly placed princesses, grannies, and children of the rich and powerful of the world.....not just Mexico. That does not count at least 1,000 very nice 1st class busses that make the same run in an express or semi-direct manner.
The Embassy vehicle does not have Embassy of the United States of America painted on the side, nor does it carry twin US flags on the front fender....It is black, with dark windows, and moderately well armoured. It might or might not have had embassy plates.....I have yet to determine that. The probability is that the plates were the normal "D.F." plates of the Distrito Federal. Many embassies choose to use common plates for the "walking around" vehicles in the Mexico City area.
(2) The notion that there was a "Zeta roadblock" on this particular highway is a stunning, purposeful lie on the part of the leftist American press, and, lamentably, even FOX....who, I hope, is only mistaken. This highway, right at the point of the incident, has about one-third the traffic load that exists between San Antonio, Austin, Waco, and Dallas/Fort Worth. At night one can witness at some of the passes with 40 or 50 miles of straight line of view, literally hundreds of headlights coming up from the South and hundreds of taillights heading down from the North.
The precise place where the incident took place has an average traffic count of 200,000 vehicles of all kinds per 24 hour period. In a rural area (!).
(3) This was not a roadblock. It was probably a team of Cartel people, perhaps from the defeated remnants of the La Familia Cartel. They were on a foraging expedition, looking for SUVs and Escalades and late model deluxe pickups to replace their "remuda" (word for a group of horses used in commercial, farming/ranching, or military applications). There is no way an illegal roadblock could be established at that place. Perhaps.....for two or three minutes, but no longer. The long-distance truck drivers, who can tell a cartel thug attempting to dress like police or military personnel literally from a kilometre's distance, would have rammed the "roadblock" with their trucks, as they have done at times in other areas.
This particular incident was conducted by a "team" of 3 to 6 individuals, not by a two-platoon Army-looking deployment. For instance, there were none of the "Inspeccion SEDENA - 2oo metros" , "Alto Obligatorio 100 metros" at this particular scene. So there was no attempt even to make it look like a "real live " military checkpoint. (SEDENA means Secretaria de Defensa Nacional).
Oddly, all kinds of things have been going on with reference to the violence issue....almost all of it has been positive. It was a real crusher for us to hear about this incident. If they had asked my compere and me about going to Monterrey in a black SUV....both agents would be in Monterrey to-day. I would have been glad to drive them in my old jalopy, on the same route, day or night. Please consider, my compere and I have almost 70 years of combined experience driving in Mexico.
More later as I glean some more information from my sources. Thanks as always for your attention.
Addenda:
As assumed, there was no roadblock. The "sicarios" (evil doers, a term used by official and civilians in Mexico) were looking for the vehicle, and did a "box in " maneuver. The particular vehicle being used by the two agents is one that is commonly associated with the cartel people.
The notion that they were going from Mexico City to Monterrey....AS REPORTED BY EVERY AMERICAN NEWS SOURCE....was, of course, ridiculous. This begs the question even further concerning why the agents did not use the deluxe or first class busses that roll out every 8 - 11 minutes between Mexico City and San Luis Potosi'. For those who wonder...San Luis Potosi' is almost precisely midway between Mexico City and Monterrey. This horrid incident took place....if I identify it correctly by my experience over the years on that particular stretch of the highway....about 20 miles south of San Luis Potosi'....in the southbound lanes.
It is reasonable for Americans to scratch their heads about the bus thing, but if you were to live and/or work in Mexico it becomes second nature to use their very excellent autobus service. There are about 20 deluxe and first class carriers throughout the country....all private sector....that provide a relatively inexpensive (not cheap) and comfortable ride to almost any destination. These companies are used by almost all classes of people, including the wealthy, the professionals, and the rest of us who can scratch together the centavos for the service. Each day there are 700,000 boardings on this class of service.
My estimate is that there will be two weeks or less before the perpetrators are found, beaten to a pulp, and brought before the cameras. At this moment a disorder is occurring in Zitacuaro (not far from the famous monarch butterfly wintering area) and I feel that it has something of a connection with what happened with our agent outside of San Luis Potosi'. Government forces essentially destroyed the La Familia organization about a month ago in Michoacan State, adjacent and to the south of San Luis Potosi' state. To me, this activity...poorly executed....was done by stragglers who escaped the wrath of the Army during that episode around Zitacuaro, Valle del Bravo, and such places....about an hour's drive to the south of Santa Maria del Rio & San Luis de la Paz (where this incident took place on the main highway south of San Luis Potosi' city).
Addenda:
As assumed, there was no roadblock. The "sicarios" (evil doers, a term used by official and civilians in Mexico) were looking for the vehicle, and did a "box in " maneuver. The particular vehicle being used by the two agents is one that is commonly associated with the cartel people.
The notion that they were going from Mexico City to Monterrey....AS REPORTED BY EVERY AMERICAN NEWS SOURCE....was, of course, ridiculous. This begs the question even further concerning why the agents did not use the deluxe or first class busses that roll out every 8 - 11 minutes between Mexico City and San Luis Potosi'. For those who wonder...San Luis Potosi' is almost precisely midway between Mexico City and Monterrey. This horrid incident took place....if I identify it correctly by my experience over the years on that particular stretch of the highway....about 20 miles south of San Luis Potosi'....in the southbound lanes.
It is reasonable for Americans to scratch their heads about the bus thing, but if you were to live and/or work in Mexico it becomes second nature to use their very excellent autobus service. There are about 20 deluxe and first class carriers throughout the country....all private sector....that provide a relatively inexpensive (not cheap) and comfortable ride to almost any destination. These companies are used by almost all classes of people, including the wealthy, the professionals, and the rest of us who can scratch together the centavos for the service. Each day there are 700,000 boardings on this class of service.
My estimate is that there will be two weeks or less before the perpetrators are found, beaten to a pulp, and brought before the cameras. At this moment a disorder is occurring in Zitacuaro (not far from the famous monarch butterfly wintering area) and I feel that it has something of a connection with what happened with our agent outside of San Luis Potosi'. Government forces essentially destroyed the La Familia organization about a month ago in Michoacan State, adjacent and to the south of San Luis Potosi' state. To me, this activity...poorly executed....was done by stragglers who escaped the wrath of the Army during that episode around Zitacuaro, Valle del Bravo, and such places....about an hour's drive to the south of Santa Maria del Rio & San Luis de la Paz (where this incident took place on the main highway south of San Luis Potosi' city).
The Old Gringo
