Killings of U.S. Citizens in Mexico Hit 8-Year High

[Jeff Dunsavage]

U.S. State Department data show that the first six months of 2011 represented the most deadly period of the past eight years for U.S. citizens in Mexico, the Christian Science Monitor reports. From January 4 to June 11 of this year, 65 Americans were killed in Mexico, a 300% increase since 2003. Read full article.

The report found that Baja California, Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, Sonora, and Sinaloa have been the site of most of the violence, with a third of the deaths occurring in the border cities of Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana. In its most recent travel advisory, issued on April 22, the State Department also warned US citizens to exercise extreme caution when traveling to the states of Michoacán, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, Guerrero, and Jalisco.

I would like to point out that the article (I have not yet read the report) makes no mention of the American citizens who have simply disappeared in Mexico, with no body found. Given the scant attention State has shown to our families with loved ones missing in Mexico, I strongly suspect "the missing" are also missing from State's radar screen.

This part makes me chuckle (typical State "glass-half-full" spin): "Nevertheless, the State Department warning points out that 'there is no evidence that US tourists have been targeted by criminal elements due to their citizenship,' a reminder that attacks on Americans are usually opportunistic, and not systemic in nature." I'm sure this provides a great deal of comfort to the murdered and their families.

I also wonder whether the report contains stats as to how many of these killings are resolved and the perpetrators brought to justice. I can hazard a guess.....