In spite of the vicious attacks on American tourist in Mexico recently, Americans living near the border still cross into Mexico for various reasons including family, business and tourism.
Last week saw the violent deaths of two Americans in Mexico apparently at the hand of drug cartels operating within the area. And a Mexican commander who was investigating one of the deaths was killed and his head delivered in a suitcase to the army post yesterday.
These acts of violence have escalated over the past few months. The Lake Falcon, where David Hartley was killed last month, is a border straddling lake and the Mexican side of the lake is constantly patrolled by drug cartels. The lake is considered so dangerous that the Mexican police refuse to patrol it after dark. Yet, Texan police and Gov. Rick Perry have not cautioned the boaters about the danger. They feel that it would be sufficient if U.S. and Mexican officers increase their presence in the area. They insist that the lake is safe as long as they mind the border and stay in the U.S. area.
Texas Department of Public Safety and the State Department have repeatedly issued warnings to avoid the international boundary that slices through Lake Falcon. These warnings were issued in May after some fishermen were robbed by men in boats carrying rifles. These boatmen are suspected to belong to drug traffickers operating in the area.
The police find that the locals take more precautions than the tourists which still flock to the place.
The beheading of a police official did not make headlines in a country where more than 28,000 deaths can be attributed to the drug war since 2006. More than 2000 of these deaths have been those of police officials.
