REPORT FOR WEEK OF 5-11-09
Assistant Police Chief Killed in Tijuana
With Tijuana Police Since 1998
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico - May 16, 2009 - The Baja Attorney General's Office says an assistant municipal police chief was fatally shot early today in the Mariano Matamoros neighborhood of eastern Tijuana. Abel Salazar Armenta, 45, was driving to his job at a police substation in the Mesa de Otay district at around 5:50 this morning when gunmen fired repeatedly at his vehicle.
Law enforcement officers at all levels of government have been targets of violence related to drug groups fighting for control of the region's trafficking routes and domestic markets.
Four Youths Strangled in Tijuana
3 U.S. Citizens - 1 Mexican
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico - May 15, 2009 - Mexican authorities have confirmed the death of four youth ranging from 19-23 years of age. According to authorities all four had connections with the drug cartels per interviews with family members. According to the report released by the PGJE all four had been tortured and then strangled and left covered with blankets inside a station wagon that was found abandoned in Valle Dorado last Saturday approximately 20 hours after they were killed. According to authorities tests revealed cocaine in the female victims blood. The names of the victims are as follows: Briana Hernández Aguilera, 19, Oscar Jorge García Cota, 23 Luis Antonio Games Jr., 21, all three U.S. Citizens and Carmen Jimena Ramos Chávez, 20, Méxican.
Homeowners Publish Peticion in Baja Newspapers
Seek Governement Intervention and Investigation
Rosarito, Baja Californi, Mexico - May 14, 2009 The homeowners association of Terrazas Del Mar has published a petition in varios Baja newspapers requesting the Mexican Government's assistance in investigating the fraudulent activities of Grupo Lagza in selling lots with the knowledge that they were involved in a lawsuit. Sales persons have been seen in the area even during the month of May showing properties in Terrazas Del Mar. The homeowners association is also asking for help from the State Congress of Northern Baja California to also investigate the public administration in office during the time of the majority of these transactions. That being the mayorship of Antonio Macias Garay who apparantly had strong ties with Grupo Lagza during the time many of the lots were sold.
According to sources the homeowners association met with one of the magistrates in Mexicali on Monday May 11th and the magistrate seemed surprised that there were residents and homeowners living on the property which UNICRECOPE is seeking to take. UNICRECOPE apparentley did not make the magistrates office aware of this important fact. The magistrates office is expected to make a final decision within a week.
1,000 Rosarito Families Face Eviction
Some Are Americans - Some are Seniors - Many are Families
Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico - May 11, 2009 Yesterday members of the Terrazas Del Mar Homeowners Association met and discussed their impending eviction as a result of several fraudulent real estate transactions which began with Grupo Lagza and it's owners Ricardo Zazueta and Carlos Lagos Yagues. Some had tears in their eyes and some faces were red with anger.
Residents stand to loose millions of dollars in land and materials used to build their homes over the past several years. UNICRECOPE was a small credit union who loaned money to the original owner of the property and is now dead. Lagza sold the properties to hundreds of families knowing they had a lien against them. The loan which was secured by all of the properties in Terrazas Del Mar is now being called and the whole caotic problem is being reviewed by a group of magistrates in Mexicali and a final decision is to be made on Tuesday May 12th. It takes a majority of three magistrates to decide in favor of the credit union. The the credit union would prevail and Grupo Lagza would loose. The homeowners would then be subject to eviction.
One resident said "if they think the swine flu affected the mexican stock market wait until this hits the press." Many believe that if the story reaches China it could drastically affect how this Chinese are currently viewing Baja as a potential place for investments.
Many American residents are angry and have expressed their desire to continue with public protests which were going to happen last summer but Carlos Lagos Yagues and his attorneys Lic. Contreras met with Mayor Hugo Torres and signed an agreement to begin refunding money to property owners and/or replace their properties with one of equal value in other areas being sold by Grupo Lagza. Residents state that Grupo Lagza has not come through with their agreement.
One resident stated "If all goes negative against us we will continue with protests planned last summer." These protests include marches in Rosarito, and at the Mexican Consulate offices in San Diego and Tijuana. They stated that a plan to protest at the border to stop all traffic from going into Mexico may also be held in order to gain bi-national awareness of the fraudulent real estate transactions that occur in Mexico. Other groups will be passing out flyers to warn people to not buy real estate in Baja. Sales people from Grupo Lagza continue to sell parcels in Terrazas Del Mar without informing prospective buyers of the impending decision. Terrazas Del Mar residents have many groups involved in the U.S. who are sympathetic to their cause.
Some have expressed their desire to have the FBI investigate Carlos Lagos Yagues and Ricardo Zazueta Villegas as both have properties in the San Diego area. Others stated that they may file a complaint with the Postmaster General for mail fraud as some were making payments to Carlos Lagos Yagues to a post office box.