News on North America

Mexico Drug War

2010-03-16T15:46:58Z

Protesters hold a sign that reads in Spanish "People from Juarez let's defend ourselves. Get out army. Assassins" against the upcoming visit by Mexico's President Felipe Calderon in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Monday, March 15, 2010. Calderon is expected to visit Ciudad Juarez on Tuesday. FBI: Mexico hit men may have gone to wrong place before attacking guests of US consulate party</div><div><p>Confused hit men may have gone to the wrong party, the FBI said Tuesday as it cast doubt on fears that the slaying of three people with ties to the U.S. ...

Mexico-bound bus crashes in Texas, killing 2

2010-03-16T17:45:21Z

<div id="subtitle">Bus headed to Mexico flips over along Texas highway, killing 2 and injuring at least 30</div><div><p>A crowded bus carrying young families and spring breakers toward Mexico went careening off a Texas highway and flipped onto its side Tuesday, killing two people and forcing dozens of bloodied passengers to climb to safety through broken windows and an emergency exit.<...

Group: Set aside section of Southwest for jaguars

2010-03-16T17:30:55Z

<div id="subtitle">Group wants Southwest land more than half the size of Calif. listed as critical jaguar habitat</div><div><p>Environmentalists are asking the federal government to set aside an area of the Southwest more than half the size of California to help protect the endangered jaguar.</p><p>The area proposed as critical habitat by the President Felipe Calderon on Tuesday called for shared US responsibility in the fight against Mexico's drug gangs, after US consulate-linked killings in the violent city of Ciudad Juarez.</p><p>"It's indispensable that the fight against organized crime is fully assumed as a shared responsibility between...

U.S. puts brakes on "virtual" border fence

2010-03-16T16:45:22Z

<div><p>PHOENIX (Reuters) - The U.S. government is pulling $50 million in funding from a problematic "virtual fence" meant to secure stretches of the Mexico border and is freezing additional funding for the project pending review, authorities said on Tuesday.</p><p>CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Crowds of protesters slammed President Felipe Calderon's military crackdown on drug cartels as he flew to Mexico's most violent city on Tuesday, three days after gunmen killed two Americans and a Mexican linked to th...

Costa Rican president-elect to fight drug cartels

2010-03-16T15:15:21Z

<div id="subtitle">Costa Rica's president-elect says she will launch crackdown on drug trafficking gangs</div><div><p>Costa Rican President-elect Laura Chinchilla says fighting drug trafficking will be one of her government's priorities.</p><p>Chinchilla said in an interview with

Texas heightens border patrols amid Mexico violence

2010-03-16T14:15:50Z

<div><p>Texas has heightened border patrols in the wake of escalating violence in northern Mexico, the governor's office said Tuesday.</p><p>"With the growing threat of violence in Mexico spilling over the border, we have taken important measures to increase the law enforcement presence along the Texas border and have placed additional resources on standby to combat any potential situati...

Texas Bus Crash

2010-03-16T13:34:48Z

Officials and passersby tend to people injured after a tour bus headed for Mexico carrying 40 people overturned along a southern Texas highway on Tuesday March 16, 2010, killing at least two people and injuring an unknown number of others, officials said. (AP Photo/Pleasanton Express, Leon Zabava) MANDATORY CREDIT

Mexican president in Ciudad Juarez after US killings

2010-03-16T13:16:35Z

<div><p>President Felipe Calderon visited Mexico's most violent city Tuesday after deadly attacks on US consular staff and their families upped the ante in his battle against drug gangs.</p><p>Calderon's third visit to Ciudad Juarez this year followed the drive-by murders of an American employee of the US consu...

Mexican police implicated in killings, kidnappings

2010-03-16T13:00:44Z

<div id="subtitle">Investigations implicate scores of Mexican police in killings, kidnappings</div><div><p>Scores of police officers — including the entire department of one town — have been detained in Mexican probes of killings and kidnappings.</p><p>Mayor Alfredo Osorio of the Gulf coast town Tierra Blanca said Monday that about 90 city poli...

Mexican president heads to Ciudad Juarez after US killings

2010-03-16T11:16:34Z

<div><p>President Felipe Calderon headed to Mexico's most violent city Tuesday after deadly attacks on US consular staff and their families upped the ante in his battle against drug gangs.</p><p>Calderon's third visit to Ciudad Juarez this year followed the drive-by murders of an American employee of the US con...

Recall news

2010-03-16T08:00:31Z

<div id="subtitle">Product recalls: electric fireplace and stove remotes</div><div><p>The following recalls have been announced:</p><p>_ About 700,000 remote control kits for electric fireplaces and stoves, manufactured in China and imported by Ontario-based Dimplex North America, because the unit that plugs into the...

A 13,000-mile drive south: NYC to Argentina

2010-03-16T07:00:14Z

<div id="subtitle">Driving the Americas on a trip around the world: 4 months, 13,000 miles, NY to Buenos Aires</div><div><p>It was just like driving to work, except that I kept on going: From New York to Argentina, through 12 countries, for four months and more than 13,000 miles.</p><p>It's the first leg of m...

FBI joins Mexico probe into consulate slayings

2010-03-16T05:16:22Z

<div><p>US agents on Tuesday probed the deadly attacks on US consular staff and their families in Mexico's bloodiest city, that brought condemnation from both governments.</p><p>Mexican authorities have blamed the drive-by murders in the notorious border city of Ciudad Juarez on "the Aztecas," a gang linked to the powerful Juarez drug cartel.</p><p>Facebook feds go undercover: Report shows FBI, other agents dipping quietly into social media</div><div><p>The Feds are on Facebook. And MySpace, LinkedIn and CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - The killing of three people linked to the U.S. consulate in Mexico's bloodiest drug war hotspot has thrown President Felipe Calderon a major test as he heads to this border city on Tuesday to try to contain spiraling...

FBI arrives for Mexico probe in consulate slayings

2010-03-15T19:15:40Z

<div><p>US agents joined a probe into the brazen weekend killings at an American consulate in Mexico's bloodiest city, highlighting rampant violence that prompted expressions of concern from both governments.</p><p>Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrived in violence-plagued Mexico, 4th so far in 2010</div><div><p>A journalist has been killed in southern Mexico, the fourth slain in the country so far this year.</p><p>The leader of the journalists union in Guerrero state says Evaristo Pacheco worked for the regional we...