Blog dedicated to reporting on Mexican drug cartels
on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Kidnapping: Through the Eyes of the Taken


By ACI for Borderland Beat
What you are about to read is a true account of a kidnapping, as with most stories in Mexico, the victim wishes to remain anonymous, out of fear for himself and his families safety.
 

He awoke; the sun was blistering, dust devils spun down the street.  He could hear the stray dogs fighting over scraps of trash in the alley behind his home.  Dry and hot, the unmistakable smell of death filled the air, as he walked out his front door he could see what was creating the stench; a body was strewn on the side of the road; carelessly thrown into a ditch.  Dried blood stained the dirt, flies danced around the corpse.  He could see that part of the man’s skull was missing, a sure sign of an execution.  He pondered if the police had been called; perhaps this was the work of the police, hard to tell these days.  He thought he should feel something, fear, anger, sadness, something; but there was nothing there, he was numb.  He had seen so much already.

Since he was a little child he could remember watching the men in their trucks; the fancy cloths, snake skinned boots, ostentatious belt buckles, pistols gilded in gems and gold.  Women pinned for their attention, for their power, and from his front porch, it seemed to him that these men had everything.  But he knew that all these trappings came with a price.  He saw many lured into the world of the cartels, only to have their lives cut short.  He saw a better opportunity crossing into the United States. 

He had family in the states and steady work, but as with all who make the journey, he longed for his home.  Every so often he would make the trip back to his small suburb outside the city.  This last trip back was different however, the scenery had changed, and so had many of his friends and family.  Many had been sucked up into ensuing war which had broken out in the region.

On the outside everything appeared the same, perhaps more rundown, but more or less the same.  People still went through their daily routines, work, church and family dinners, but there was a quiet silence when he asked questions about what exactly was going on.  Perhaps they didn’t know, or were afraid to tell him, whatever it was it left an unsettling feeling in his gut.  One he should have perhaps heeded.

It was late in the afternoon and the sun had baked the dusty town.  He and a group of friends were hanging outside his friend’s house enjoying some cold beers.  There was much laughter and jokes; they all wanted to hear of his adventures in America.  Then they began telling him stories, and the jovial nature slowly turned eerie and silent.  His friends told him of the disappeared, the roaming bands of gun totting lunatics and the war.  He wasn’t shocked, it wasn’t like he hadn’t heard these stories before, but the difference was the sheer depth of the conflict, it seemed to have touched everyone. 

As they were telling stories a police vehicle pulled up beside them and four officers got out.  A short fat cop started questioning the young men, asking them for their names and ID’s.  Something was amiss, they were all put in handcuffs, tape placed over their mouths and bags placed over there heads and all faded to black.

The three received what felt like several blows to their bodies then tossed into the back of the vehicle.  There they drove to some place unknown.  Some dimly lit room, in some part of town he was unfamiliar with.  It smelled of shit and piss, the light flickered on and off, bobbing back and forth.  For all he knew it might have been part of a police department or someones home. 

They interrogated him and his two friends for what seemed like hours.  He wasn’t sure what they were after, what answers they could possibly want.  Something about who they worked for and what they did.  The beatings continued; he felt like he was being hit with a two by four for a while.  He could hear his friends moaning in agony.  The sweat poured out of his skin, he had heard too many stories like this to be naive.  He thought this was his end.

Dazed and confused he and his friends were then once again tossed into another vehicle.  This time they were thrown into the bed of a pickup truck.  He wondered how they were going to die.  He had heard of so many terrible ways to die in Mexico.  He shuttered at the thought blocking it out as much as he could.  He thought of all the things he was going to miss, dinner with his family, chasing girls with his friends, cold beer and tamales on summer days.  The memories came flooding back as the truck lumbered on.   He could feel the road underneath him, every pothole, twist and turn.  His mouth was dry, his eyes watered, was this how it was going to end for him he wondered?

The truck veered to a stop, kicking up dust and rock, as the tires fought the earth.  They halted on the side of a dirt road.  The men forced the three out of the truck pushing them forcefully over a small gulley next to the road.  They tripped, unable to navigate the terrain with their eyes covered.  One fell and was kicked by one of the gunmen.  The three were told to get on their knees.

He heard the first shot; then the awful thump of dead weight falling to the ground.  He felt his hands shake; there was a terrible pit in his stomach; that was his friend.  He heard the bullet casing wedge itself in the dirt, he heard footsteps and another click as another round loaded into the chamber.  Each sound echoing in his head, the seconds felt as if eternity was toying with him.  Then the second shot came, followed by that same dreadful thud.  He was next; then he heard feedback from a two way radio.  One of the gunmen answered, in a hushed tone he walked away.


So on his knees he prayed, at least he thought his death was to be fast.  He heard the man on the radio come back, and start talking to the other gunmen.  Why had they not shot him already, his mind wandered.  The next thing he remembered was being picked up and thrown into the into the bed of the truck.  What was going to happen?  Was he going to be ransomed?  He didn’t have any money to pay, neither did his family.  His head started pounding, perhaps he wasn’t to receive a quick death, perhaps his nightmare was about to come true.  The pickup suddenly stopped and he was thrown, still handcuffed and blindfolded and gagged on the side of the road.  The truck sped off leaving a trail of dust in its wake.  What just happened he wondered?  He stumbled to his feet, weary and beaten he walked aimlessly. 

He was spotted by a mechanic from town who gave him a ride back to his home.  There he sat, trying to make sense of what just happened.  Why did he survive?  What did he do?  Not a single day has passed that he doesn’t think of that night, or his friends who never returned with him.  The perpetrators were never found and no one was brought to justice to pay for the crimes.  Life in the border region just went on as if nothing had happened, a figment of his imagination, some horrible nightmare unleashed only to vanish back unto the darkness from wince it came.  So he left, it was the only thing he could do.


He came back to the United States and began work again but something inside him was different.  He was haunted by the memories of the demons he faced down that night.  He was left with so many questions and so few answers.  He never reported the incident, since it was the police who picked him up in the first place.  His story having only been shared with family and friends until now seems to lack any reason, any justice or any moral perspectives.  Senseless comes to mind when recounting this story, but for him this telling of his tale might bring to him some validation of what has happened to him and countless others through out Mexico.  He may never know why he was allowed to live while his friends died, some things never get answered, but he thanks god everyday for his second chance at this life.

Stories like his are repeated daily in Mexico, young men getting swept up only to be found days later, dead.  Their stories never to be told, never to be resolved, it has just become part of life now.  It takes courage to bring light to darkness and expose those who claim to work in the name of justice.  To all those who remember the missing, to all of your stories, to all your pain, may you one day you find the answers to what you seek.  We will never forget and we will not remain silent.    

38 comments:

  1. Great article. Cops kidnapping people,.. murders, quotas etc. All signs Mexico has lost control of some parts of the country. The cops in Mexico are just an extension of the cartel army. This is way beyond corruption, which is influence peddling, and more like direct control. Mexico will have to wage a full scale battle to take back these areas.

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  2. Its a terrible story, I wish to God it was not true. Thanks for the courage to write it and may the poor victim find peace.

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  3. There is a special place in Hell for those mother fuckers!

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  4. Wow thanks for this story, it was a very good indicator on the real life stories of life in Mexico, very good article. You should send these to American new paper companies, so the US knows whats going on.

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  5. These stories bring back memories from when I was a little kid in El Salvador. All the dead bodies, chopped up bodies, teenagers shot with .50 cal machine gun for stealing the equivalent of $2,the tore up faces caused by the exit wounds of the high caliber rounds. The one time dozens farmers got rounded up in 1977 at midday and massacred in front of a my school for asking for agricultural reforms; endless stories. After seeing all this with my own eyes. Now in my 30's I am some what numb to all the violence. It should be No surprise that the authorities are involved in it. The infamous Escuadrones de la Muerte (death squads) .Where do you think their rank and file come from? I've seen into their eyes, I've seen them operate. the have no soul. I wish my mexican brothers a fast recovery from this insane violent spiral that they find themselves in.

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  6. Thats one of the best posts I read about this bloody war, really gave me the creeps, thank you!

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  7. ACI- Holy shit. That was a powerful story. Thank you for your work on that.

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  8. Reading that I can only think these poor bystanders in Mexico (those not in gangs, uniformed gangs or otherwise) should just get weapons, only move in groups, and if anyone tries to kidnap you just fight for your life.

    Doesn't matter if it's a narco or a police narco, if you get grabbed chances are you will end up in a plastic bag dead. Might as well fight for your life you are going to die if you don't anyway. If everybody did this, they would have a free country in one day, same for this country

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  9. Great writing ACI...-CHIVO

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  10. my cousin were kidnapped not to long ago they were beat pretty bad some chic carved the letter z on 1 of them on thier back ive had three other cousins disappearnieghbors have dissapeared its crazy man

    -tyrone-

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    Replies
    1. Tell them to stop running with the cartels then

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  11. Soon their wont be any guys left only women lol ima make my way over there to get some mamacitas

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  12. That was just as subtly unnerving as just about anything much more obvious that I have read on Borderland Beat. The thing is, it is more common than you'd think. Gracias ACI.

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  13. THE COPS IN THE U.S NEED TO DO THE SAME THING, START ROUNDING UP ALL THE KNOWN GANG MEMBERS THAT GET AWAY WITH TO DAMN MUCH DUMP`em IN THERE HOODS N U WONT HAVE ALL THESE LIL WANNABE THUGS.

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  14. Mexico is a failed state. Time for Obama to give them some hope and change.

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  15. what is happening now in mexico is a window into what is beggining to happen in the US followed by even more to come. open your eyes people and hold the feet of your elected officials to the fire.
    the count of local state and federal officers that have been arrested is ever climbing not to mention the corruption of elected officials.
    for any of the bb readers that are inland and far north of the border all i can say is number one you will never see news about what is happening on the border and two bb writters are too busy to fill you in about it.

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  16. Good job Aci. His story needed to be told.

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  17. Does anyone have a clue why this happens?

    Why pick up men, beat them and then kill them?

    WHY? I just don't get it.

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    1. Im thinking they picked up the wrong guys, later the ones that sent for them found out it wasnt them and had nothing to do with cartel so thats how one of them survived unfortunatley the other two didnt. They were innocent and died just like millions being innocent get killed too.sad but true. They should eliminate cops in mexico because the mayority are corrupt people are scared to go to them now days for help because they donr know whos involved or not.

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  18. Good story to bad we cant trust our own goverment

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  19. Also thank you to the brave man wo told us his story. May he find peace.

    !Cchimera

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  20. Thats why in mexico all the citizens that are informe by facebook, twiiter, youtube, about where all this come from (pri,pan) " goberment partys" they are going to vote for " lopez obrador" every body is aware of, if EPN " enrique peña nieto " wins the presidency, all this will continue, and probabli will get mush worst...

    Es el motivo porque los ciudadanos informados por medio de las redes sociales, se estan preparando para votar por lopez obrador, ya que hay infinidad de informacion de lo que pasaria si gana enrique peña nieto, o sea el pri, todo apunta a que relatos como este, continuaran sucediendo e incluso peor que esto


    Saludos.

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  21. This is happening everyday in Mexico and other parts of latin america as well. The only solution is that the mexican people rises up and take up arms. The mexican gov is protecting the cartels as we all already know.


    iEL PUEBLO UNIDO JAMÁS SERÁ VENCIDO!

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  22. Great personal account of the senseless violence going on in Mexico. It makes me wonder what steps need to be taken to re-establish order there. The place seems as dangerous as Afghanistan.

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  23. This is the reality for alot of Mexicans and south Americans ,all for fucking greed, al ll because the elite taking money making richer rich n p poorer poor. If le people had enough to make a living things like this wouldst happen. If drugs were legal n anyone can kill them selves how ever they like let em. Tnx to the corrupted system we live in world wide atrocities will keep happening . And the worst we prosecute peope who want a better future scaping from realities as such.

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  24. Im sure they were lifted by accident and only realized it after they killed his friends. Sad stuff. my grama gave me some advise one time i was is mex. she said if they ever try to take you by force, just fight to the end then and there because its worser if you get taken.

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  25. @1:33 PM What makes you think the US does not know about stories like this?

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  26. They do know but dont care. As long as they get their money, its not their buisiness. Im tired of the U. S. KEEPING US IN THE DARK! I know many people here that dont have a clue of whats going on across the border and here.

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  27. @11:18am..the us has never seen anything close to what faces Mexicans everyday..stupid prick

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  28. So the US citizens should make martyrs out of the citizens of MX? If it is so bad, tell me why young mexicans in the US glorify the narco lifestyle and try to act just like them. They are actually proud of that shit. They boast about how many family members are in a cartel. They attempt to affiliate themselves with a cartel to make a name for themselves. Fuck, they write songs about it. Seems to me the ppl of MX want pity for the war while at the same time they glorify it.

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  29. EVERY post on here is something like MOST people in this world would only see on T.v.
    I read these sad stories and think, if this Kaos was happening anywhere else in the world would there be any effort to help?

    Or is it because this is happening in Mexico people just dont seem to care?

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  30. In December 1993 Pablo Escobar was hunted down and killed.

    It took every lame level of government and practically both Army's of two of the most Powerful Nation's in the Western Hempisphere.
    (U.S. and Colombia).

    If this Calderon guy isnt corrupt then he wouldve come up with a plan by now.
    Like how about this brain-fart, have the honest/ordinary/working people... Evacuate:Relocate to resort's hotels/ the mountains??/

    THEN have all the military's that is South of the border positioned there. I'm sure there would be some sypmathy found by other Latino Soldiers, especially ones who do not have a war to fight.

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  31. Anonymous said...

    EVERY post on here is something like MOST people in this world would only see on T.v.
    I read these sad stories and think, if this Kaos was happening anywhere else in the world would there be any effort to help?

    Or is it because this is happening in Mexico people just dont seem to care?
    June 28, 2012 1:10 AM
    _________________________________________________

    people would care if the totally yid controlled news media didn't direct the attention towards the middle east

    the way it is ,is this ..any thing that might threaten or concern the zionists israelis is big news...any thing else is left to languish

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  32. Although I don't doubt that this happens in Mexico. This " article" read like an introduction to a crime novel.

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  33. They don't necessarily have to be Mexican Cops. The people involve in the cartels also have unlimited money and supplies and can easily pass them selves as police officers too. But you never know where,when or who will take you away. Extremely helpless situation.

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