Mexico - again

I've been warning all year about the dangers of Mexico's descent into crime-ridden anarchy, most recently just a few days ago.

Now comes the news that a US anti-kidnapping consultant, Felix Batista, has been - what else? - kidnapped while on a visit to Mexico. There's speculation in, shall we say, informed circles that he may have been betrayed by corrupt law enforcement officials. He was in Mexico to conduct a series of seminars on avoiding kidnap attempts, and the theory is that the kidnappers might not have liked this potential interruption to their business plan.

I'll pray for Mr. Batista's safety . . . but it may be too late for that.

Folks, please, please take the danger from Mexico's meltdown seriously. It's already affected literally thousands of US citizens and residents this year, both North and South of the border. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. If you live within a day's drive of the border, and/or in an area with a significant Hispanic population that Mexican criminals can use to cover their movements and/or threaten into providing them with shelter, you're at risk. Right now.

Peter