In one of Mexico‘s most violent border cities, no one is saying what happened to Police Chief Roberto Balmori Garza.
It’s been a week since he went missing from Nuevo Laredo and the local news media have reported nothing, even after two of his brothers showed up murdered in a neighboring state on Feb. 17. One of them was an agent for the federal Attorney General’s Office.
City spokesman Juan Jose Zarate said the local government has no confirmation that Balmori Garza disappeared, only that he has not come to work.
He said the mayor, Benjamin Galvan Gomez, is still waiting for the chief to show up.
“That’s why we’ve put out absolutely no statement,” Zarate said.
It’s just one of the strange realities of the border city of 350,000 people, which is racked by drug violence every time a gang decides to challenge the reigning cartel at the busiest commercial crossing at the U.S.-Mexico border. Attacks have flared again in the Zeta stronghold since the beginning of the year.
On a recent afternoon, the few people willing to talk about life in Nuevo Laredo refused to be quoted for fear of retaliation. Residents rely on social media, not the press, to keep each other informed of attacks and day-to-day security.
Two weeks ago, the U.S. consulate in Nuevo Laredo reported via social media three grenade explosions in the vicinity of the consulate and a general uptick in violence from organized crime. A couple of days later it reported explosions near city hall.
The police station, city hall and U.S. consulate have all extended their security perimeters.
“Mexican law enforcement sources tell us the increased violence is likely the result of rival transnational criminal organizations fighting for control of the city and that similar attacks are likely to continue in the near-term,” the consulate said in a message dated Feb. 8.
It’s difficult to even gauge the impact of the chief’s disappearance because he had no police force. Local police haven’t patrolled the streets of Nuevo Laredo for nearly two years after being disbanded over concerns about corruption, according to a U.S. State Department security report.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News