Los Zetas in Laredo? - Continued

When this story broke in late July, it spread across the internet like a sagebrush fire on the Idaho plains. How could this be? Zeta's invading ranches near Laredo? No news coverage? Is this war? Is our border security really that weak? What is the real level of violence along the Texas/Mexico border? What exactly is going on?

While the story sounded believable at first, there were a few "red flags" that made US Border Watch decide to look into the story further. What we found was no credible and verifiable evidence that anything had occurred outside of normal life in and around Laredo Texas.

But on August 10th, the story's original author, Kimberly Dvorak at Examiner.com posted another story with what seemed to be proof positive. The story reveals an actual police communications message revealing the existance of a call for assistance from a rancher.  

But what exactly does that mean? And is this a real law enforcement communication message?

The author of that story would have you believe this is proof that a ranch was taken over by the Zetas. This prompted further investigation. I was able to verify the authenticity of this message from my sources within the Laredo Police Department. It verifies there was actually a call for service to a ranch outside Laredo.

But, my prior investigation had already revealed a call for service occurred. So, what is a "call for service". Well, it is exactly what it sounds like. In law enforcement terms it means a law enforcement agency received a phone call requesting assistance from the police (or sheriff's department in this case). Nothing more. It does not mean that anything really happened. Only that someone called.

In this case, the call itself appears to be a hoax. I have spoken with the rancher who allegedly made the call and he denies it ever happened. For several reasons detailed below, I believe him. It appears, the call actually came from a café/store located in the vicinity of the ranch. The Sheriff's department reacted to the call and found nothing happening out of normal daily life. Perhaps the call was a hoax? Perhaps it was a diversion to draw law enforcement resources to one area while drugs or human cargo were smuggled across in another area.

So, why was this story so believable by readers across the nation? What I found was perhaps more interesting than the alleged story itself.

First, I found nothing but cooperation from all law enforcement agencies working that region. I spoke with the "originating source" of the story, the Laredo Police Department. They talked openly and honestly with me for quite some time. They even said if we want to visit they will "roll out the red carpet." I talked with the rancher who allegedly was forced off his land. He told me the first he heard of this was Monday morning when the FBI called him to ask what was going on at his ranch. He told them, and me, everything was normal. I have also learned his ranch is really of no strategic value to a drug cartel. The ranch is situated above a high cliff facing the river which would make a border crossing extremely difficult, at best. Nothing had happened. We talked for over 30 minutes about several issues regarding this and life around Laredo.

Texas DPS and the Webb County Sheriff's Department were equally welcoming and cooperative with our questions. As was the US Border Patrol district office. The Laredo PD and Webb County SO have both invited us to come visit and "see for ourselves." We plan to take them up on this.

I learned the state of Texas and the Federal Government have been pouring what one police spokesman told me "insurmountable resources" in this region for the past several years. Texas Department of Public Safety has not only deployed manpower, but several helicopters to help make the manpower more effective. One source told me, "There is a sea of various uniforms from the entire alphabet of agencies!" But more importantly, they have learned to cooperate and communicate to make law enforcement more effective in the area.

All that said, life in and around Laredo is anything but normal. Across the river from Laredo, there is a war raging that is beginning to make Baghdad start to look like prime vacation territory. The sound of automatic gunfire from Nuevo Laredo rings out across the city on a regular basis. City Hall in Laredo has been struck by bullets fired from across the river. Not "life as normal" at all.

During this investigation I received a Texas DPS report detailing a massive gun battle that took place in Nuevo Laredo on July 16th. This happened just days before the July 24th alleged ranch takeover. The report is VERY graphic and should be viewed with caution. It clearly illustrates the level of violence and organization being carried out by the Zetas. It has been censored by Texas GOP Vote to remove the graphic gore but still conveys the warlike level of violence that occurred just minutes from Laredo Texas yet inside the confines of Mexico. 

Download and view the Nuevo Laredo Cartel Battle aftermath, July 16, 2010.

An August 1st Washington Post article says this firefight lasted for five hours. Twelve people were killed and even children were wounded during the battle. Yet, none of Nuevo Laredo's media gave the incident any coverage. Is the American media doing the same thing? The Post report says, "We are under their complete control," said a veteran reporter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Editors and managers of news organizations who agreed to speak with The Washington Post insisted that the interviews take place away from their offices, at back tables in empty bars. "The cartels have eyes and ears inside our company," one editor said.

Yet, government officials still take a lackadaisical attitude, or worse, when asked about border security. The Obama administration regularly tells us "the border is secure". Democratic Congressional leaders (including Houston Representative Sheila Jackson Lee) spout the party line… The border is secure. Yet, we know that is not the case. Phoenix AZ is the number two city in the world for kidnapping. Second only to Mexico, it is the direct result of an open border situation. Because of the danger to law enforcement and US Citizens, an 80 mile section of a national park has been virtually surrendered to drug traffickers and human smugglers.

In Houston, Texas we have evidence of regular activity of the drug cartels and human trafficers. From shootouts on our major freeways, to executions ordered by the cartels, to evidence of women and children forced into sex slavery, border violence is real and it is spreading across our nation.

It is past time for our citizens to rise up on this matter. It is time for the government to listen to the demands of its citizens that our border be secured. It is time for President Obama to quit ignoring the request for assitance from border governors like Texas' Rick Perry and take action. We deserve better government and the time is here to make the changes for this to happen.

For now, our investigation continues into this incident and the dangers of ignoring an unsecured border. We will keep you in the loop as we seek the truth. Anyone with information about this incident or any other reports of border violence are encouraged to contact us. We will maintain your confidentiality.

Border Security IS National Security…

Read additional articles on the Los Zetas in Laredo story.