Message from the US Warden about Mexico

As you can see this message asks to circulate to as many US Citizens as possible so here goes:

PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO AS MANY AMERICAN CITIZENS AS POSSIBLE

SUBJECT: SECURITY UPDATE
Date: January 20, 2011

Warden Message

This Warden Message is being issued due to an escalation in criminal activity in Guadalajara and nearby Lake Chapala. In a chain of violent incidents that began on the evening of Saturday, January 15th and continued through the early morning of Sunday, January 16th, a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) carried out a series of attacks largely directed at local law enforcement in both Guadalajara and Chapala.

In addition to targeting law enforcement officials, their buildings, and vehicles, members of the DTO set up a road blockade on the highway between Guadalajara and Chapala near the Guadalajara airport on Saturday evening around 11 p.m. This was the first incident of this nature in the Guadalajara area. Armed men opened fire on several vehicles, forcing the drivers to abandon the vehicles on the road. They then lined up the cars to block the road and set fire to them.

Since the weekend’s surge in violence, local authorities have arrested and detained several DTO members. Local law enforcement authorities assess that the violence will not likely subside in the near future and are taking necessary measures to prepare and defend against further acts of violence by organized crime.

U.S. citizens should make every attempt to travel on main roads during daylight hours, particularly the toll ("cuota") roads which generally are more secure.

Additional safety recommendations:

· Delay any travel if media reports road closures due to police or emergency responder activity;

· If the road in front of you has been blocked due to a security incident or natural disaster, attempt to return to your point of origin using available alternate routes;

· If you are presented with an imminent threat on the road, do not hesitate to run over any median (or similar obstacle) to make an emergency U-turn to get out of harm’s way;

· If physical barriers along the road prevent emergency evasive action in any direction, locate a restaurant, shopping mall, hotel, or another business establishment where you can temporarily remove your vehicle from the road and take cover until the road is clear;

· If you are driving or walking and you hear or see gun fire and/or explosions, take immediate evasive action, get down on the ground or behind a solid barrier (engine block, tree planter, etc.) and evacuate the area as soon as it is safe to move;

· Always call “066” (equivalent of 911 in the USA) immediately if you are exposed to a life threatening situation requiring emergency police or fire responders.

U.S. citizens resident or traveling in Mexico are urged to enroll with the U.S. Embassy or nearest U.S. Consulate via the Department of State's on-line registration service through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) located at http://travel.state.gov. Travel registration allows the Department of State to contact its citizens in the event of an emergency and to provide up-to-date safety and security information. Registrants wishing to receive such information must provide an e-mail address with their registration. All registrants are urged to provide complete contact information and a departure date when completing their registration on-line.

For the latest security information, U.S. citizens living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, and health-information resources can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers in other areas by calling a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

The U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara is located at 175 Progreso Street; Col. Americana, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara’s telephone number is 011 52 33 3268 2100; the fax number is 011 52 33 3825 1951. For after-hours emergencies, please call 011 52 33 3268 2145.

xxx

Lehrer wrote:I sent a message to the U.S. Warden and asked him to sign up on this board and post the messages here, in order to increase the contact base. Hope it works.

I know who the Warden is - he lives lakeside. If he doesn't sign up I'll send him an email.

xxx

Are you sure you really know the Warden from the US Consulate?

There is an email circulating my Community saying that the message above is FALSE. There are also no char marks in the roadway from burning vehicles even the day after the incident.

If you want me to post the email that is circulating, I can do that.

John, I don't know about the message from the Warden however this incident of the burned vehicles was in several newspapers along with photos. Go read the Guad Reporter or El Informador.

I saw the email you are talking about. The message I posted was posted by the Warden who posts on Chapala.com. The same information is on the US Consulate in Guadalajara website at this link: http://guadalajara.usconsulate.gov/annoucements/consular-warden-message3/warden-message-january-20-2011.html

I believe the Warden receives messages from the consulate and posts them and/or circulates the messages. I don't claim to know the absolute truth - I only know the message I posted above is coming from the US Consulate in Guadalajara.

And John, yes I really know the warden, he lives lakeside. His name is never posted so I will not do that.

simpsca wrote:I saw the email you are talking about. The message I posted was posted by the Warden who posts on Chapala.com. The same information is on the US Consulate in Guadalajara website at this link: http://guadalajara.usconsulate.gov/annoucements/consular-warden-message3/warden-message-january-20-2011.html

I believe the Warden receives messages from the consulate and posts them and/or circulates the messages. I don't claim to know the absolute truth - I only know the message I posted above is coming from the US Consulate in Guadalajara.

This is a copy & paste of the email that is circulating and was sent to people our Community.
"Hi folks,

Although I received a lot of e-mails about this, there are many more that are still making the rounds with regards to the Warden's Message of the U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara, Mexico. dated January 20, 2011 - see the following link:

http://guadalajara.usconsulate.gov/annoucements/consular-warden-message3/warden-message-january-20-2011.html,

I too am concerned, instead of panicking I called the Canadian Consulate in Guadalajara yesterday morning to verify the alleged story and was told that they had received NO reports about this. After I hung up, I went into the Canadian Mexico Travel Alerts webpage and there was nothing posted either. So I took it a step further, and called the Policia Federal in Guad, spoke with them in Spanish, and the only thing that they could tell me was, that they had received some threats, but reassured me that there was NO incident such as the highlighted portion of the contents of the Warden Message which I copied & pasted for you below:

In addition to targeting law enforcement officials, their buildings, and vehicles, members of the DTO set up a road blockade on the highway between Guadalajara and Chapala near the Guadalajara airport on Saturday evening around 11 p.m. This was the first incident of this nature in the Guadalajara area. Armed men opened fire on several vehicles, forcing the drivers to abandon the vehicles on the road. They then lined up the cars to block the road and set fire to them.

On Monday Jan. 18th in the morning, Ellen and I drove to and from Guadalajara via the Carretera, (less than 36 hours after the alleged incident on sat. Jan. 15th) and neither one of us saw any evidence of cars having been burnt and any remnants thereof, in either direction before or after the Airport. BTW - the Federales commented to me if cars had been burnt, the char marks on the pavement are very difficult to be physically removed and are visible for a long time thereafter!

In any event, I do NOT know nor care from whom, the Warden at the US Consulate in Guad. got this incident report from. But it sure puzzles me, as to why the US Consulate would NOT first verify an alleged incident, before having their Warden send out a FALSE and very alarming message to their Ex-Patriots down here who innocently forward it on to others in the Foreign Community.

Let me say this, in the 8+ years that I have lived down here at Lakeside I find that most of our problems are NOT caused by the Mexicans, but by some of our own kind who have sadly, nothing better to do with their time but to stir up S*** within the community. How very sad!

So folks beware! NOT everything that you receive from whom you believe is a "bonafide" source is necessarily true. This is a very good example of that fact. Take it all with a grain of salt and before you become alarmed, you check it out whether its valid or not.

Most of you I anticipate know and do this anyway, but I'd like to recommend the following to those of you who do NOT. It is a simple Safety precaution: When you are driving your car alone or with someone else, keep the windows closed, the doors locked and carry a cheap Cellphone at all times, in the event that you have to call the Policia Federal in an Emergency. They have jurisdiction on all Highways & Roads in Mexico. In an Emergency their Phone No. in Guadalajara is: 333-673-7170 and the majority of them speak English.

In closing I'd like to say that in the event, that some of you do NOT believe any of the above, please feel free to call both the Canadian Consulate and/or the Policia Federal to verify my statements. Also, you may forward this e-mail to others who you feel may benefit from it.

Cheers,

Mario"

John I am pretty sure he is under narco control and fears for his life,and family's life. He is telling you what they tell him to tell to you IE, the ex pat's on the various forums. IMROFLMAO

For those of you who have no sense of humor, I am joking...

johninajijic wrote:

simpsca wrote:I saw the email you are talking about. The message I posted was posted by the Warden who posts on Chapala.com. The same information is on the US Consulate in Guadalajara website at this link: http://guadalajara.usconsulate.gov/annoucements/consular-warden-message3/warden-message-january-20-2011.html

I believe the Warden receives messages from the consulate and posts them and/or circulates the messages. I don't claim to know the absolute truth - I only know the message I posted above is coming from the US Consulate in Guadalajara.

This is a copy & paste of the email that is circulating and was sent to people our Community.
"Hi folks,

Although I received a lot of e-mails about this, there are many more that are still making the rounds with regards to the Warden's Message of the U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara, Mexico. dated January 20, 2011 - see the following link:

http://guadalajara.usconsulate.gov/annoucements/consular-warden-message3/warden-message-january-20-2011.html,

I too am concerned, instead of panicking I called the Canadian Consulate in Guadalajara yesterday morning to verify the alleged story and was told that they had received NO reports about this. After I hung up, I went into the Canadian Mexico Travel Alerts webpage and there was nothing posted either. So I took it a step further, and called the Policia Federal in Guad, spoke with them in Spanish, and the only thing that they could tell me was, that they had received some threats, but reassured me that there was NO incident such as the highlighted portion of the contents of the Warden Message which I copied & pasted for you below:

In addition to targeting law enforcement officials, their buildings, and vehicles, members of the DTO set up a road blockade on the highway between Guadalajara and Chapala near the Guadalajara airport on Saturday evening around 11 p.m. This was the first incident of this nature in the Guadalajara area. Armed men opened fire on several vehicles, forcing the drivers to abandon the vehicles on the road. They then lined up the cars to block the road and set fire to them.

On Monday Jan. 18th in the morning, Ellen and I drove to and from Guadalajara via the Carretera, (less than 36 hours after the alleged incident on sat. Jan. 15th) and neither one of us saw any evidence of cars having been burnt and any remnants thereof, in either direction before or after the Airport. BTW - the Federales commented to me if cars had been burnt, the char marks on the pavement are very difficult to be physically removed and are visible for a long time thereafter!

In any event, I do NOT know nor care from whom, the Warden at the US Consulate in Guad. got this incident report from. But it sure puzzles me, as to why the US Consulate would NOT first verify an alleged incident, before having their Warden send out a FALSE and very alarming message to their Ex-Patriots down here who innocently forward it on to others in the Foreign Community.

Let me say this, in the 8+ years that I have lived down here at Lakeside I find that most of our problems are NOT caused by the Mexicans, but by some of our own kind who have sadly, nothing better to do with their time but to stir up S*** within the community. How very sad!

So folks beware! NOT everything that you receive from whom you believe is a "bonafide" source is necessarily true. This is a very good example of that fact. Take it all with a grain of salt and before you become alarmed, you check it out whether its valid or not.

Most of you I anticipate know and do this anyway, but I'd like to recommend the following to those of you who do NOT. It is a simple Safety precaution: When you are driving your car alone or with someone else, keep the windows closed, the doors locked and carry a cheap Cellphone at all times, in the event that you have to call the Policia Federal in an Emergency. They have jurisdiction on all Highways & Roads in Mexico. In an Emergency their Phone No. in Guadalajara is: 333-673-7170 and the majority of them speak English.

In closing I'd like to say that in the event, that some of you do NOT believe any of the above, please feel free to call both the Canadian Consulate and/or the Policia Federal to verify my statements. Also, you may forward this e-mail to others who you feel may benefit from it.

Cheers,

Mario"

You are questioning what is on the US Embassy's website? The roadblocking incident has been in many newspapers - both local and national. Examples are the Milenio, Informador and Pagina. And they made big news - as those are the guys that threw the grenades at the Police Chief's home - and murdered the two young girls in Guadalajara. They have been arrested - and I guess you are missing a lot by not reading the Jalisco News.

Here is an article from the Informador - http://www.informador.com.mx/jalisco/2011/264943/6/consignan-a-integrantes-de-celula-criminal-detenida-por-la-policia-del-estado.htm

xxx

"Ellen and I drove to and from Guadalajara via the Carretera"

I never knew you could get to Guadalajara via the Carretera.

Both highways are "Carreteras."

Yes, but the one through Lakeside is labeled as such.

The Libramiento connects to the Guad-Chapala Carretera, which connects to the Guad-El Barco Carretera. You will notice many highways don't have signs but they all have names.

xxx

Carry Bean wrote:"Ellen and I drove to and from Guadalajara via the Carretera"

I never knew you could get to Guadalajara via the Carretera.

Carrybeans:

Carretera means "road" in English. Nothing more, nothing less. As last I remember, there is a road between Chapala and Guadalajara. How long have you lived here?

She is new here and I think had never been west on the carraterra to Jocotopec and then to Guadalajara.

xxx

Article from Informador on Jan. 20th about Narco Roadblock for those of you who think it did not happen:

The magnitude and trend of rising violence linked to public insecurity confronts not only the actions of public authorities and security agencies

The narcobloqueo on the road to Chapala who became the first organized by the underworld in Jalisco, the cowardly murder of two girls in Colonia del Fresno, attacks on police facilities with bullets and grenades, assault against police officers, the atrocious executions carried out between the two criminal gang, all committed in the recent week, it's a bad sign that the tide of violence and insecurity in Jalisco to get worse. One need not be ominous or fortune teller to predict.

The magnitude and trend of rising violence linked to public insecurity confronts not only the actions of public authorities and security agencies.

Violent reality is also called into question, questions, demanding answers about what they have done or failed to do other institutions: families, the University of Guadalajara and private universities, the Catholic Church to be the predominant basic education system, business organizations and the media, among others.

Each of such institutions have direct or indirect responsibility in education, development, training and better conditions of life and work of young, main participants of criminal gangs. All are part of our political and social system.

But if you stick to the criminality unleashed and the social and ethical decay that we suffer, the sum of the proceedings and results of these and other institutions are not entirely satisfactory. As a whole have not been sufficient bulwark, preventive violence.

Besides what's up to the authorities, what are parents doing their children to keep them away from criminal activity, addictions or bad company?

What remains to be done to the system of basic education to improve children and young people?

What educational reforms, changes in strategies, strengthening programs, changes in attitudes are required?

What else should the University of Guadalajara to contribute to a better education for young people, thousands of which are rejected or drop out? How about private universities to train students responsible, honest, caring?

What about the broad structure of the Catholic Church? Are there other ways to educate young people the values? And to the media what they needed to be done to provide quality information?

In itself, what else are demanding youth and the violent reality to all educational, social, religious, employers, media?

Violence and public insecurity is a problem of all. Nobody is safe from being victimized.
CREDITS: Reporter Editorial / GJD Jan-20 2:59 pm

Some of you might find this interesting, it's an article from a Canadian point of view:

National Post
kcarlson@nationalpost.com
Kathryn Blaze Carlson January 19, 2011 – 2:56 pm

Q&A: Canadian tourists view Mexico as fantasy, not danger

Instead of telling Canadians what to do, the government should be explicit about where the real risks are. It’s better to have targeted pointers than to just say, ‘Don’t go to Mexico.’ On balance, the threat is in certain areas, and much of Mexico is perfectly safe. It’s about knowing where not to go.

Read more: http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/01/19/qa-canadian-tourists-not-put-off-by-mexicos-dangers/#ixzz1C40YxXX1