This archive report was first published on 21 December 2019.
December 21, 2019, marked a grim milestone in Mexico's ongoing struggle to contain crime and violence. The country's border with the United States has become a hotspot for kidnappings, with vulnerable migrants being targeted by ruthless cartels.
According to Octavio Rodriguez, a scholar at the University of San Diego who studies violence in Mexico and the border region, 'families on this side of the border, regardless of social status, will manage to pay ransom.' This chilling reality has left many migrants and their families living in fear.
Despite the Mexican government's efforts to increase security, the situation remains dire. Aldo Hernandez, the state's communications director, admitted that 'neither the municipal nor state governments have the resources to fight this situation.' The authorities have doubled the number of police officers in the past three years in the state of Tamaulipas, but it is clear that more needs to be done.
Some are blaming Mexico's president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and his government's decision to step back from confrontations with drug cartels. Tony Payan, a scholar at the Baker Institute of Rice University, said that 'the López Obrador administration has sent the message to organized crime that police and national guard will not confront you. That emboldens them to target this population.'
Mark A. Morgan, acting commissioner for Customs and Border Protection, has urged migrants to 'work with the government of Mexico' to keep themselves safe. However, his words ring hollow in the face of the growing violence and kidnappings.
As the situation on the border continues to deteriorate, it is clear that something needs to be done to protect the vulnerable migrants who are being targeted by cartels. The Mexican government must take immediate action to increase security and provide support to those affected by the violence.
