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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| American on Jet Ski Killed by Mexican Pirates on Falcon Lake,TX |
| 2010-10-01 |
| Armed boaters ambushed an American tourist and shot him in the back of the head. Six gunmen attacked the 30-year-old American and his wife while they were riding on jet skis. The wife tried to circle back to her husband, but the gunman fired on her, and she had to retreat. The shooting happened on the Mexican side of Falcon Lake, about 60 miles down the border from Laredo. Earlier this year, several fishermen were robbed at gunpoint on the lake's Mexican side," according to Fox News. Falcon Lake is a dammed section of the Rio Grande and is part of the border between Mexico and the United States. While the U.S. side of the lake is relatively safe, Americans must be aware that pirates, thieves, and the drug war is spilling over into the United States. The couple is from McAllen, Texas, and the shooting happened about 2:45 p.m. on Thursday. This is so ridiculous, and there is nothing the U.S. can do to capture these people. Tourism in Mexico is suffering, and Americans need to be aware that traveling to Mexico is not wise right now. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #11 Melvin keeps trying to retrieve Sir Francis the Drake from the pond but he can't catch him. sir Francis, by the way, is a Black Runner Drake. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2010-10-01 21:06 |
| #10 How many 'bass anglers' do you know of who go out on a lake with $500 in their immediate possession? Hmmm... that's tricky, I always carry a sawed off Goldie to fetch the duckfish tho. I mean if the water is warm enough and there's a good crowd. |
| Posted by: Goldies Every Damn Where 2010-10-01 20:14 |
| #9 what bait you're using all depends on your hoped-for catch |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-10-01 18:45 |
| #8 They demand weapons or drugs from their captives, but finding neither, seem satisfied with taking $400 or $500 as booty A prime example of fishy and hysterical reporting. How many 'bass anglers' do you know of who go out on a lake with $500 in their immediate possession? |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-10-01 16:34 |
| #7 The story is fishy. Only one witness, the man's wife. Happened in broad daylight 24 hours ago. Initial news reports from last night were hysterical and extremely vague, e.g., 'Mexican pirates' and 'most likely dead', as opposed to 'gunman on boats' and 'missing and feared dead.' Of course the MSM prefer news like this to remain in the bit bucket. The part that gets me is why anyone in their right mind thinks of Falcon Lake as anything other than a WAR ZONE. From the Houston Chronicle web site: Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez said 29-year-old Tiffany Hartley fears her husband is dead. She circled back on her Jet Ski to rescue him but had to retreat when she heard bullets whizzing by. Gonzalez said he had contacted the Mexican consulate to ask them to search for Hartley on its side of the lake. "I'm not trying to place the blame on her or him," Gonzalez said. "But we've told people not to go over there, and now this happens." Texas Parks & Wildlife Department spokesman Mike Cox said Friday that the state planned to issue a fresh warning to boaters about staying on the U.S. side of the lake. The last warning came in May, and some campers on the lake have taken to arming themselves. It appears even the locals don't take the likelihood of being shot at while recreating on this lake, very seriously. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-10-01 16:32 |
| #6 From the Washington Post on May 30: Mexican pirates attack Texas fishermen on Falcon Lake, which straddles border In the past month, crews of outlaws in a small armada of banged-up skiffs and high-powered bass boats launched from the Mexican shore have ambushed bass anglers from the Texas side innocently casting their plastic worms over favorite spots. The buccaneers have struck in Mexican waters but within sight of the Texas shore. Dressed in black, the pirates brandish automatic weapons, carry radio cellphones and board the anglers' boats. They demand weapons or drugs from their captives, but finding neither, seem satisfied with taking $400 or $500 as booty, according to law enforcement officials and victims' accounts. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2010-10-01 15:55 |
| #5 No -- these are "real" pirates. There have been several more incidents of these "pirates" as they are being called, occurred. Fishermen and boaters have been warned about the problem for at least the last 2 months. I haven't read of any other shooting to death incidences, but, you know the media. Not the first incident... Not sure why they are calling them pirates, but that is the term the police world are calling them. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2010-10-01 15:49 |
| #4 When returning sniper fire while bobbing about in a Ski-Doo, well, anything can happen. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-10-01 14:34 |
| #3 Terrorism? Or just a disgruntled wife getting rid of a problem? |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-10-01 13:52 |
| #2 There is 'stupid' and then there is 'very, very stupid' or is there more to this hapless boating story? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-10-01 11:41 |
| #1 Not a whiff of this on the Evening News. Wouldn't want to give those good people a bad name before we make them citizens. |
| Posted by: bigjim-CA 2010-10-01 11:38 |