Frontera NorteSur, June 1999

Sunday, June 27, 1999: Fifth Immigrant Dies In Arizona Desert

An undocumented Mexican died of dehydration and exhaustion in the desert south of Arizona last Thursday and is the fifth in a series of immigrant deaths in the last two weeks.

José Guadalupe Llanitos Villalobos, 34, was with 12 other immigrants that were crossing the border through Sells, Arizona, a small city at the southeast of Tucson. The Mexican consul in Tucson, Carlos Torres García, said that Llanitos Villalobos was unable to continue due to the extreme conditions of the desert.

A friend stayed with him, but then left him to go seek help at the Tohono Óodham reservation, and when they returned, Llanitos had died.

Rob Daniels, spokesperson for the Border Patrol in Tucson, said the immigrants are using the desert valley of Baboquivari to cross the border. They proceed to Sells where they can quickly get to State Highway 86 hoping they can get a ride north. Temperatures in the desert have daily exceeded 113 degrees Fahrenheit.

According to Daniels, the only available water is cattle troughs in the area. Nobody, he says, could transport the amount of water they would need to make this trip.

Source: El Diario

Saturday, June 26, 1999: Anti-Drug Trafficking Group Created In El Paso

The El Paso Police Department in conjunction with the County Sheriff's Office, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Immigration and Naturalization Service have collaborated to create the Stash House Unit with the objective of locating houses that are used for hiding drugs within the city. There has also been a telephone number made available for neighbors who have witnessed suspicious activity.

Carlos León, chief of police in El Paso, said "We know that many houses here in El Paso are used to hide cocaine or marijuana, and we have developed a system for informants." For years the police have believed that it would be more effective to locate stash houses if they had a specific group working toward that end.

The group hopes to work closely with the community, and any information provided will remain anonymous. Things to watch for, most often at rental houses, are 1) the house is frequented by a variety of vehicles with a variety of license plates, 2) vehicles often drive directly into the garage and shut the door, 3) no one seems to actually live at the house, and the people seen rarely act neighborly, 4) the people frequenting the house rarely have a routine.

The number to call is 1-915-779-3972. Government funding in the amount of 472 thousand dollars has been appropriated for this group.

Source: El Diario

Friday, June 25, 1999: Another Body Found In Trunk Of Car

The corpse of a man was found yesterday morning "encajuelado" or in the trunk of his 1998 Grand Marquís in a downtown parking lot in Cd. Juárez. Although no motive has been attributed to the crime, it is similar to past drug trafficking executions.

Felipe Humberto Torres Rodríguez, 37, is believed to have been tortured before being strangled to death. He was barefoot and his hands were tied behind his back with duct tape. His brother-in-law identified his body after the victim's sister recognized his car when she saw it on television yesterday morning. The families have not provided any information about Torres, and no motive has yet been named.

Two municipal police agents had noticed the abandoned car while on duty, and upon approaching it realized that is was unlocked and then looked in the trunk. Upon finding the body they called the state police.

The officers also found a piece of black plastic garbage bag , two home design brochures, and a United Airlines mileage register in the trunk with the victim. The body is at the Independent University of Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) morgue for an autopsy.

Source: El Diario

Thursday, June 24, 1999: People Are Fed Up; Governor Considers Capital Punishment

"I believe that under the current circumstances, it is not remote that this may be approved," said the governor of Chihuahua, Patricio Martínez, speaking about recent demands by the public security forum for the institution of the death penalty for kidnappers. "The people are fed up."

He insisted that he would not let his personal opinions influence the matter one way or the other, and he appreciates that the people have expressed themselves on this matter. It is an issue that has been controversial for many years, and when it comes before State Congress, the popular opinion should be supported.

Representatives of each of the three political parties, PRD, PRI, and PAN have all expressed that they don't believe the death penalty will deter crime, as has the church and other private initiatives.

The president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Pablo Zapata Zubiaga, has said that this is something that needs great analysis.

Source: El Diario

Wednesday, June 23, 1999: Minors Will Be Allowed To Work Again In Juárez

The government of the state of Chihuahua will again grant permission to minors wishing to work in Cd. Juárez. The state government suspended employment applications for minors over two months ago after the controversy and concerns surrounding the city's crime wave, said Félix René Escobedo director of the Chihuahua Labor Department.

Escobedo said that state authorities have agreed that because of the significant advances made in inspecting work areas and regulations, the labor department has decided to review applications. "We are going to start giving permissions but we are going to be very cautious of who we grant employment permission. Additionally, we are going to continue very strict inspections of local industries."

The labor department suspended employment permissions for minors as of April 8 after pressures from local residents concerned about sexual harassment, injuries and other violent acts occurring in and around the work place.

Escobedo emphasized that while the labor department will grant new permissions, employers and employees must be responsible in ensuring good working conditions. The department will also conduct random investigations to guarantee that the labor laws are being obeyed and minors are not overworked and conditions remain humane.

Source: El Diario

Tuesday, June 22, 1999: Elizondo Censures Political Propaganda

Cd. Juárez Mayor Gustavo Elizondo Aguilar openly notified all municipal employees of the consequences they might suffer if caught wearing any politically affiliated items. Elizondo said that any person employed by the Cd. Juárez municipality seen wearing politically affiliated clothing or paraphernalia will be immediately terminated.

This new order by the mayor was brought on by an incident which occurred last Saturday at a government function. A woman who is allegedly employed by the city was seen wearing a t-shirt with a PAN logo while attending visitors of the function. "This time it is a warning, next time it will be immediate termination of any one who follows this example during working hours," emphasized the mayor.

However, legislators from both the PRI and the PRD have expressed their concern and disagreement with Elizondo's new regulations. Both City Councilwomen Pamela Franco Ruiz and PRD Coordinator Pablo Gómez Caballero publicly announced that they will appeal to the necessary authorities in an effort to overturn Elizondo's latest rule.

Franco said that she will use the next Cd. Juárez City Council meeting to "remind the mayor that he doesn't need to take such drastic actions." The councilwoman continued by saying that her party is worried that this is perhaps an effort to use municipal funds to promote self interest. "They are using municipal funds to promote their political party (PAN)," said Franco.

Meanwhile PAN City Councilman Alejandro Perez Cuéllar said that he believes that the measure is fine as long as it applies to municipal employees and does not interfere with personal liberties. "If the person works for the municipality then it was not alright for her to be wearing PAN clothing, but if not she should be free to wear whatever she wants."

Source: El Diario

Monday, June 21, 1999: Prison Tunnel Armed By Inmate's Wife

In the continued investigation of the escape tunnel that was discovered this month at the Rehabilitation Center (CERESO), police authorities announced that the three firearms hidden in the tunnel were introduced by the spouse of one of the prisoners involved.

The wife, whose name remains unknown, of the prisoner Espectación Bernal, had assisted in the escape plans which allegedly began last year. The guns were brought in one by one, and the last one was brought into the prison in January. This woman was pregnant, and according to El Diario, she used her pregnancy to hide the guns.

Bernal, also known as "El Chon," was serving time for homicide and kidnapping. He is the alleged leader of the group of prisoners including Edmundo Porras and José Angel Peyro who were behind digging of the tunnel which began some six months ago. According to the prison director, Andrés Mendoza Molina, the destruction of the tunnel has begun.

The prisoners who tried to escape, including Bernal and Peyro, have been transferred to a maximum security prison in the state's capital.

Source: El Diario

Sunday, June 20, 1999: El Paso Police Make Record Drug Bust

On Friday police made the largest cocaine bust in the history of the El Paso Police Department. The early morning bust included 1,975 pounds of cocaine valued at $127 million.

While investigating a series of car burglaries on the East Side of El Paso, Lt. Lalo Balderrama with the Pebble Hills patrol unit, saw suspicious activity and investigated. This led to a chain of events which led to a chase, a wreck and then a "stash house," where the drugs were found. Ultimately four arrests were made and the suspects remain in the El Paso County Jail under $1 million bond each.

The stash house was rented to Miguel Gonzalez, 26 and Omar Nava, 29 both El Paso residents who were charged with possession of cocaine and engaging in criminal activity. Socorro Milan Bañuelos, 27, and Moses Cervantez Ramirez, 19, both of Guadalajara, México were also charged with possession of cocaine and engaging in criminal activity.

A newly created "Stash House Unit" consisting of the El Paso police, sheriff's officers, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Immigration and Naturalization Service assisted in this recent bust. Twenty-nine stash houses were discovered and investigated in 1998, and since March of this year, 13 have been investigated.

This was the largest bust since 1995, when the El Paso Police Department seized 1,606 pounds of cocaine.

Source: El Paso Times

Saturday, June 19, 1999: Police Agents Linked To Women's Murders

Francisco Minjárez, the director of the special anti-kidnapping group of the State Police (PJECH) and Antonio Navarrete, a commander for the municipal police of Cd. Juárez, have been linked to the alleged assassins in the series of murders that occurred in Cd. Juárez from 1993.

Victor Valenzuela, a former "godmother" of the PJECH, said that he has information about the cousins Alejandro and Melchor Máynez, who according to Valenzuela, are the "real" assassins in the murders of women occurring over the last six years. Apparently, Minjárez and Navarrete have been protecting the cousins.

In 1996, Valenzuela provided this information in relation to the legal defense of Abdel Latif Sharif, who was originally accused and charged for the series of Juárez murders however convicted of one murder charge which is currently under appeal. According to Valenzuela there has been no follow up investigation of the information he had brought forward.

This link is supported by both Nahún Najera Castro, former assistant attorney general of Chihuahua, and by Martín Salvador Arce, former municipal police officer. Najera said that Minjárez has led a network of protection for state agents that have committed crimes, and last May Salvador Arce accused Navarrete of drug trafficking.

Nearly 200 women have been violently assassinated and sexually assaulted in the last six years, and the majority of these crimes remain unsolved.

Source: La Reforma

Friday, June 18, 1999: Border Leaders Discuss Alcohol Restrictions

The mayor of El Paso, Carlos Ramírez, traveled to Chihuahua for the first time and met with Governor Patricio Martínez to discuss alcohol restrictions in Cd. Juárez clubs. The leaders have both supported changing the drinking age in the border city to 21, the legal age for Texans, instead of 18, which is the legal drinking age in México.

Ramirez hopes to find ways that young people can amuse themselves without using alcohol. "We want to see mechanisms in place which will help youth enjoy the entertainment of the clubs without getting drunk."

Martínez is interested in finding a way to obtain an age restriction however still resect the laws of both countries. "We are considering all possible angles in order to quickly arrive at a definitive agreement."

Source: El Diario

Thursday, June 17, 1999: State Police Arrest PRI Candidate's Assassin

The Chihuahua State Police (PJE) arrested the alleged assassin of last year's PRI mayoral candidate for the city of Balleza, Raúl Fernández Villalobos. Yesterday, the PJE took Enrique Ceballos Soto, the former commander of the Batopilas Municipal police, into custody.

On June 3 of last year, during his campaign for mayor, Fernández was murdered outside of his home. He had also been shot at on April 19. Yesterday at daybreak Ceballos was arrested while driving through Batopilas.

Ceballos is the prime suspect, and the authorities have not yet named the motive or any other suspects in this crime. The possibility of drug trafficking, originally believed to be a motive, is still being considered.

Attorney General Arturo Gonález Rascón has said "In Chihuahua we have we have declared a war on crime," and he sees this recent arrest as a fulfillment of Governor Patricio Martínez' commitment against crime.

The murder of Fernández occurred during former PAN governor Francisco Barrio's term, and he attributed the crime to drug trafficking and the internal problems of the PRI party.

For more information go to June 4-11, 1998 Top Border News of the Day FNS archives.

Source: El Diario

Wednesday, June 16, 1999: Municipal Authority Sues For Defamation

Andrés de Anda, the director of the Cd. Juárez Department of Human Relations, has filed a counter suit against the woman accusing him and two other municipal authorities of sexual abuse. De Anda filed the suit against Emilia Flores Díaz on Tuesday accusing her of defamation and perjury.

According to authorities at the Cd. Juárez Police Department, Díaz filed a complaint against De Anda stating that he and two other men sexually assaulted her while she was working. However, De Anda claims that he has evidence and witnesses that will prove that he was not even in the area of the alleged assault and that he is completely innocent.

"I emphatically deny these events. The day that she claims the events happened I was in my office overseeing departmental procedures and meeting with a number of people. I can prove that it would have been practically impossible for me to have been in the place she claims that incidents happened at that time of day," added De Anda.

The director of the human resources department has received support from the general public in fighting these allegations. De Anda is demanding a full investigation into the events and said he will prosecute Flores for falsely accusing him and lying to authorities.

Source: El Diario

Tuesday, June 15, 1999: Students Will Miss Out On A Higher Education

Over 1,700 students will be left with a junior high school education due to lack of space in local high schools. It is estimated that over 9,000 students will graduate from junior high school this month; of these students only 7,300 students will be accepted to continue their education.

Students lined up outside the high schools to take admission tests yesterday in hopes of securing a place within the educational system. One student explained that she had been present on the school's grounds since 6:00 a.m. in hopes of receiving a token entitling her to take the admissions exam.

Monday was the only day for students to take high school entrance exams, and because the exams were scheduled on the same day for all of the schools, students only had one chance at admission.

Results of the exams will be available in the last week of June. If a student is not accepted they will either have to go to a private school or look for an alternative to a high school education.

Source: El Diario

Monday, June 14, 1999: Tigua Indians Celebrate Holiest Day

The Feast of St. Anthony, the holiest day of the year for the Tigua Indians, was celebrated yesterday on the border by Native Americans from all over the country. More than 500 people celebrated at the Ysleta Mission in the Lower Valley of El Paso, Texas.

Yesterday was the last of a nine-day celebration, and it was a day celebrated with song, dance, food and blessings for newly planted crops. St. Anthony is the patron saint of the tribe. "When the conquistadors added Christianity into the tribe, the tribe still continued to practice its Native American religion, and that has continued," Tigua spokesperson Marc Schwartz said.

The Tiguas were able for the first time in five years to celebrate with their sacred drum called the Juanchido. The Juanchido had recently been returned to the tribe after a $1 million reward had been offered for it. The drum traveled 350 years ago with the tribe when they re-located into the El Paso area from the Northern Pueblo.

Source: El Paso Times

Sunday, June 13, 1999: Five Police Officers Suspended Due To Death Of Prisoner

Five Cd. Juárez police officers, believed to be involved in the murder of a prisoner, have been suspended without pay. The five will go before a judge today.

Marcos Saldaña, who allegedly refused to pay his bar tab in a Cd. Juárez club, La Princessa, last Friday was arrested and brought to Estacion Delicias, a Cd. Juárez detention facility where he continued to resist officers' orders. A fight ensued between the prisoner and five officers which is believed to have resulted in head fractures that ultimately killed Saldaña.

The officers have all said they are innocent of murder, however, several prisoners said they witnessed four of the officers' brutality against Saldaña. This matter will be heard before a municipal judge today.

Source: El Diario

Saturday, June 12, 1999: The Disabled Residents Hold Forum At City Hall

A group of disabled residents of Cd. Juárez were at City Hall on Friday for the Conference on the Disabled. The group held the forum in order to propose that existing laws be better enforced.

Marissa Flores, a disabled citizen, said, "We do not want to add regulations, because the laws exist. However, the laws have not been respected by public officials or citizens." Other complaints expressed involved the lack of handicapped access in public places such as schools and malls.

Another citizen, Isidro Zamora Alvarez, publicists for Friends on Wheels, wondered "Why learn how to drive if there are always obstacles in your way?"

Source: El Diario

Friday, June 11, 1999: Border Declares War On Pollution

The Clean Air Association and the the Coalition of Clean Cities of the Paso Del Norte Region initiated a new program yesterday that will urge residents to take action against the contamination of the ozone.

According to Archie Clouse, manager of Air Quality Commission for the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), this regional program "Ozone Action Days" will work in conjunction with other projects that control industrial and vehicle emissions.

"Actually, the El Paso, Sunland park, Cd. Juárez region exceeds the contamination standards at the national level," Clouse explained. The three factors effecting pollution most are carbon monoxide, suspended particles and the ozone, which is the most difficult to control.

The levels will be monitored 24 hours a day by the TNRCC in Austin, and as needed, residents will be warned of precautionary measures they should take that will best protect the ozone. Recommended actions will include using public transportation, avoiding harsh chemicals such as those found in oil based painting activities and garden supplies and to drive later in the evening during the summer when possible.

"The community will have to modify its behavior with respect to driving since it is the main source of contamination in this river basin," according to Dr. Carlos Corner, president of the Clean Air Association. "We all must participate, because we all contaminate."

Source: El Diario

Thursday, June 10, 1999: U.S. Senate Approves Additional Border Fence

In addition to the 1,000 new border patrol agents that have been approved by a U.S. Senate subcommittee, the Senate yesterday approved five more miles of fence on the U.S. México border. The fence will be built in approximately one year from Sunland Park to Santa Teresa. The proposal is pending passage through the U.S. House of Representatives.

The fence will be funded, if approved by congress, by the federal Commerce-Justice-State spending bill for the fiscal year 2,000 which was approved Wednesday by the U.S. Senate. The fence will be similar to the existing fence between Anapra and Sunland Park.

Senator Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said "As the city of Juárez continues to grow, it becomes increasingly necessary to construct a fence between our two countries where there are no natural barriers." Bingaman believes that this fence will help Border Patrol agents in their fight against drugs and crime.

Construction of this road will coincide with the road planned by Mexican officials to run along the border which will connect San Jerónimo to Cd. Juárez.

Sources: Las Cruces Sun News, El Paso Times

Wednesday, June 9, 1999: Authorities Seek Conspirators In Attempted Prison Escape

Authorities from the Assistant Attorney General's Office in Cd. Juárez, in conjunction with Suly Ponce from the Special Task Force of Crimes Against Women, discovered a secret tunnel within the walls of the Center for Social Rehabilitation (CERESO). Officials believe that four prisoners dug the tunnel as part of an elaborately planned escape.

Suly Ponce told members of the press that an anonymous phone call was received in which details were provided about the tunnel. However, representatives from the Assistant Attorney General's office have stated that the phone call never gave specific locations of the tunnel, and only after intense follow up investigations were the whereabouts discovered.

According to Ponce, the four convicts who planned to use the tunnel were "dangerous criminals who's sole purpose for escaping was to destabilize Cd. Juárez." Ponce also believes that there were conspirators outside of the prison walls that were prepared to help the escapees in their efforts to obtain a get-away car and firearms for their crimes. "We are investigating the events in order to determine who is directly involved with the tunnel and who offered the convicts enough protection from being caught."

Authorities believe that the digging of the escape tunnel began over six months ago and progressed most after the change in administration at CERESO (last April), said Ponce.

Source: El Diario

Tuesday, June 8, 1999: Specialists To Assist Investigation Of Crimes Against Women

Up to five investigators from California State University Fresno will spend the next two months in Cd. Juárez to assist the state of Chihuahua in the investigations of crimes against women. This group is one of several that have come from other countries to help the Chihuahua investigators solve up to 185 rapes and murders of women in the border city.

Candice Skrapec, professor of Criminology at CSU, said she is relying on the assistance of at least five investigators. This group follows a unit of criminal profilers from the FBI in Quantico, Virginia that twice visited Cd. Juárez. Last fall a criminologist from Spain analyzed the crime spree.

In related news, three more women were murdered in Cd. Juárez. According to Esther Chávez Cano, on June 2, a sixty-year-old woman, María Santos Ramírez, was raped and murdered by her stepson who confessed that he was under the influence of inhalants, and on June 6 a seventy-year-old woman, Irene Castillo, was murdered during an armed robbery. Finally, today's El Diario reported that a twenty-year-old woman, Elizabeth Flores Sánchez, was beaten to death yesterday, however, it is not at this time believed that she was raped, and no suspects have been charged.

Sources: El Diario

Monday, June 7, 1999: Authorities Worried About The Spread Of Rabies

Authorities from different medical units as well as from the Chihuahua State Department of Civil and Agricultural Protection have placed representatives on duty in five municipalities warning against the spread of rabies. The doctors and officials will reside in the mountain communities high in the Sierra to prevent and protect against rabies which is transmitted through the bite of a bat.

The medical units present in the communities are supplied with a vast amount of medicine and vaccinations to help them combat the spread of this deadly disease. The doctors are trying to prevent any further deaths this season; according to officials the first death was reported two weeks ago. Doctors reported that a child was bit by a bat and later died from rabies.

These bats are very common in the Sierra, especially when temperatures are high. It is precisely because of the heat wave that officials believe so many bats have been appearing in the mountains, this is why they have moved the beginning of the anti-rabies vaccination campaign up two months.

Another part of the project is to provide education to ranchers, farmers and municipal authorities so that they can capture the bats and detect any signs of rabies in other animals.

Source: El Diario

Sunday, June 6, 1999: Border Community Talks About US Border Patrol

On Saturday the Citizens United for Rights on the Border (CURB) held a public meeting in Columbus, NM, where more than 50 people took the opportunity to voice their concerns, complaints or compliments about the U.S. Border Patrol.

Carl Frazier, a member of CURB's steering committee, hosted the meeting where residents of the border region discussed alleged occurrences of harassment and abuse by the Border Patrol or voiced their appreciation for the federal agency. Also present were Luis Barker, Chief Border Patrol Agent for El Paso, Carlos Ogden, former mayor of Columbus and an attorney, and John Cruise, representative from the U.S. Attorney's office in Las Cruces.

Items discussed included citizens reporting incidents of abuse that they had experienced such as agents pulling them over on their own property and forcing them to get out of their cars for no apparent reason, along with the belief that the Border Patrol "profiles" certain types of people and stops vehicles accordingly. Barker denied that they profile types and reminded people of the importance of filing formal complaints when incidents occur.

Also, the legal representatives, Ogden and Cruise, discussed the legal rights citizens have when pulled over and the authority that the patrol has.

In addition to complaints and rights, some residents expressed gratitude for the federal agency. "Where I live there's no sherriff, no state police," said Nancy Clopton who lives outside of Columbus. The Border Patrol is all they have, she says.

Source: Las Cruces Sun News

Saturday, June 5, 1999: Border Patrol Discovers Portable Drug Bridges

The El Paso Border Patrol discovered two portable metal bridges suspected to be used for drug trafficking from México to U.S. across the Rio Grande (Bravo). The bridges were found near Fort Hancock Entry Port, approximately 60 miles east of El Paso and were removed last week.

Apparently, this is a new tactic by a very sophisticated drug organization, according to authorities. The metal ramps, which may have been used for the last six months, spanned some 12 feet, and were assembled from four parts, each weighing approximately 150 pounds, which together were strong enough for vehicle crossing. The water at this point of the river is only a couple of feet deep.

"They must have had groups of people involved in the assembly of the ramps, and in the drug trafficking," according to Luis Barker, director of the El Paso Border Patrol. The Border Patrol does not know if other bridges exists.

Source: El Diario

Friday, June 4, 1999: Authorities Warn Juarenses To "Buckle Up"

Authorities from a number of U.S. federal agencies are working together with El Paso officials to ensure that more tourists learn to fasten their seat belts while traveling within the United States. Federal and local representatives have joined forces to post safety flyers urging drivers coming from south of the border to buckle up.

According to the El Paso Times, the new safety project began after a Brownsville doctor concluded that only 5 percent of passengers entering the U.S. from México use their seat belts. This study, along with a survey showing that El Paso had the third-worst record for seat belt use across the state in 1997 shocked local and federal officials.

"We knew there was a problem, but that quantified it," said Carl Wells program manager for the Department of Transportation about the drastic statistics.

While authorities are busy posting flyers and warning drivers of the dangers of driving without a seat belt, some officials feel helpless. "I try to tell them to fasten their belts," bridge inspector Ben Ortiz said, "but I don't think that they are taking it to heart."

United States Border Patrol officials can only warn drivers because it is not within their jurisdiction to issue this type of citations.

In the meantime, 22 people have died in auto related accidents on El Paso streets this year. The majority of the people killed were not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. Another tragic statistic proves that of the seven children killed in automobile accidents in El Paso in 1999, none of them were "buckled up."

Source: El Paso Times

Thursday, June 3, 1999: Predicted Heat Wave May Cause Health Problems

The Chihuahua State Health Department has started a program called "Onda Cálida" (Heat Wave) to prevent and detect severe cases of heat-related health problems. According to recent reports the summer of 1999 will be one of the hottest and driest in recorded history. This new program began on May 31.

Homero Olivares Pérez, director of the epidemics prevention division of the State Health Department, said that all medical units will be trained to detect the signs of heat-related illnesses so that the victims can be treated promptly. These units will also work to educate the public on how to detect and prevent these problems. Symptoms to be aware of include fatigue, excessive perspiration and fainting, and coolers should be kept at 30 degrees centigrade.

The program also consists of members who will work in hospitals, federal health care clinics and the Red Cross centers to assist in treating extreme cases of dehydration and diarrhea. The program will conclude on August 31.

Source: El Diario

Wednesday, June 2, 1999: Cd. Juárez Maintains Minimal Unemployment

According to the National Chamber of Industry and Business (Canacintra), Cd. Juárez currently has less than one percent unemployment which is substantially lower than the national average.

"Until January of this year," said Leonardo Villar Calvillo, president of the local Canacintra, "the unemployment rate for the city was at 3 percent, but currently it remains under one percent." The national level is at 3.7 percent.

Overall, the Mexican economy is troubled with a slowdown in growth and many businesses working under capacity. Additionally, national consumption is down, as are prices and the country has little to no savings. The only strong positive factors for México's economy right now, according to Calvillo, are the increased cost of petroleum and the consistent foreign capital that the country sees.

Nonetheless, the border city of Juárez is keeping its residents employed at rate higher than the rest of the nation.

Source: El Diario

Tuesday, June 1, 1999: El Paso Resident Found Murdered In Cd. Juárez

The body of an El Paso resident was found by Cd. Juárez police agents in an abandoned car located on a quiet side street. The man, a 45-year-old hospital worker was apparently shot to death over the weekend. Miguel Guillen was reported missing by family members in El Paso just days before his body was discovered inside the parked car, said El Paso police authorities.

While both police forces (El Paso and Cd. Juárez) are working together to solve this case, there is no explanation fro Guillen's sudden disappearance or reason for him appearing south of the border said one police official.

According to Juárez police agents, Guillen was found shot in the head inside his Chevrolet Cavalier. Police Spokesman, Juan Manuel Carmona said that police suspect that Guillen was murdered after an argument broke out as the victim was leaving a party.

Carmona added that police in Cd. Juárez do have some leads and are contacting witnesses that might be able to explain the murder and abandonment of Guillen.

Guillen's murder is approximately the twenty-fifth of its kind in the last six months in Cd. Juárez. There have been no official reports on how many of these crimes have been solved.

Source: El Paso Times