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 Editorials | Opinions | August 2006 
Border Crimes Top Priority
 Antonio O. Garza Jr. - U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
| | Antonio O. Garza Jr. - U.S. Ambassador to Mexico |
I read with interest the Huston Chronicle's July 28 editorial on violence against women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico. Violence along the U.S.-Mexico border is of great concern to me and to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and our nine consulates in Mexico.
I am deeply troubled by the brutal murders of women in Ciudad Juarez, and our entire U.S. mission continues to emphasize to the Mexican government the urgency and necessity of investigating and preventing these heinous crimes.
Our consulates along the border work extremely hard to assist American citizens and their families when they are victims of violence. To date, none of the women murdered or abducted in Ciudad Juarez or Chihuahua has been an American. While the citizenship of these victims does not change our concern and outrage, it does change our role. Mexico is a sovereign nation, and this tragedy must be dealt with by Mexican institutions.
Since arriving in Mexico as the U.S. ambassador, I have shared the frustration expressed by the Chronicle's editorial board that the investigations of at least 470 of these crimes against women have remained unresolved. In July 2005, I traveled to Ciudad Juarez to meet with the governor of Chihuahua, Jose Reyes Baeza, the state attorney general and several forensic experts. I emphasized the U.S. government's commitment to provide whatever support we could to the Mexican government in its investigative efforts and in its work to prevent further violence in the region. Since 2003, the FBI field office in El Paso has helped provide investigative training for the state of Chihuahua Special Unit for the Prosecution of Female Homicides. The FBI has processed evidence and conducted DNA testing in support of these investigations.
In 2005, the FBI's behavioral science unit from Quantico provided guidance and created the profile for the subject under investigation for the murder of an 8-year-old girl and a related serial rape/murder case. By June 2005, this coordination of resources with U.S. law enforcement helped the Chihuahua state attorney general indict 20 individuals for unresolved cases dating as far back as 1995. Our mission continues to facilitate cooperation between the state attorney general and U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the El Paso Police Department.
In addition, in May 2005, our mission facilitated an agreement between the Argentinean Forensic Team (the EAAF) and the Chihuahua state attorney general's office. The state of Chihuahua has given the forensic team full access to the remains of unidentified women's bodies. This past February, the remains of two missing teenagers discovered in Chihuahua City were identified by DNA testing conducted by the EAAF.
We are also working to promote justice reform within Mexico. In January, Chihuahua Gov. Jose Reyes Baeza presented a wide-ranging criminal justice reform package to the Chihuahua state legislature. This package, which will be supported by a $5 million grant from our mission, will establish oral trials, reduce red tape and introduce principles of restorative justice. On June 15, 2006, the Chihuahua state congress passed a new code of criminal procedures.
Having grown up along our shared border, I am keenly aware of the challenges the region faces and the grave threat that narco-violence presents to citizens in the area. Making our border a safer place is a top priority for me.
Last year I took the unprecedented step of closing our consulate in Nuevo Laredo to make clear that we will do everything possible to protect American citizens in Mexico and draw attention to the grave challenges both countries face in our border region. |
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