Violence In Juarez Keeps Residents, Law Enforcement Vigilant

JUAREZ, Mexico – Five bodies, two of which were decapitated,were found Friday morning in a vacant lot in Juarez, Chihuahua State Police said Friday morning. Two heads were also found at the same site. It is just the latest incident in the rapidly growing drug-cartel violence in the border region.

Homicides related to organized crime jumped 47 percent in 2008, Mexico’s attorney general said Friday in a rare confirmation of how bad violence has become. Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora told Radio Formula that 1,378 people have been killed so far this year, compared with 940 in the same period last year. More than 200 people have already been killed in Juarez this year.

The statistic reflected what many in Mexico already knew: Drug-related killings have soared in recent months.

But the details were the first official snapshot on the rise in killings. The Mexican government has been reluctant to release homicide statistics, leaving the public to rely on informal tallies by the news media.

Medina Mora broke that silence, saying 4,152 people have been killed since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006 and declared war on drug cartels that controlled entire regions of Mexico. About 450 of those were police, soldiers, prosecutors or investigators.

Medina Mora said many of the recent killings have been concentrated along the U.S. border, while homicides in the central part of the nation have subsided.

The government says the violence reflects drug gangs’ desperation amid the nationwide crackdown, carried out by more than 20,000 soldiers and federal police.

Analysts say recent arrests have created a power vacuum and gangs are battling for valuable drug routes and territory.

Many police officers are on a so-called hit list released by drug cartel leaders.The 2nd in command of the police department was on the list and was shot to death earlier this month. Two days after his murder, the chief of police resigned.The constant fear of retaliation has prompted at least two officers to cross the border seeking asylum in the U.S.

ABC-7 is also aware of an anonymous e-mail warning of increased violence in Juarez this weekend. It is our policy not to report threats because we do not want to encourage copycats. We are monitoring developments across the border and are in contact with authorities in Juarez and El Paso and will provide full coverage of any situation where authorities believe there is an actual threat to public safety.

Juarez Police Chief Roberto Orduna said the threats must be taken seriously and issued a news release Thursday assuring residents that police would be more vigilant.

We’ve also spoken with Customs and Border Protection officials who said they are aware of the increase in violence in Juarez, but said they have no plans to close any bridges. If they do plan on closing a bridge for any reason that information would be available on their website. To view their website, click here.

Law enforcement agencies in El Paso are also keeping an eye on the increasing violence.

“The on-going violence in Juarez is a tragedy, we don’t expect it to spill over to this side of the border. However, should it occur, we are prepared to respond appropriately. We will continue to serve the people of this community. We urge anyone traveling to Juarez this holiday weekend to be extra careful,” El Paso County Sheriff Jimmy Apodaca said in a statement released Friday.

ABC-7 has a crew in Juarez gathering information and we will bring you the latest developments at KVIA.com and ABC-7 at 5,6 and 10.