I am speaking today with Mr. Ildefonso Ortiz, a reporter with the Monitor Newspaper in McAllen Texas. In any country there is always a war of some type between the Government and the Press, normally a very healthy thing, and it tends to keep both sides a little more honest. In Mexico, the war is between the Cartels and the Press more that with the Governement, although that does show its head every once and a while.

In Mexico, like any other country most citizens only interaction with criminal elements is by reading about it in the papers, hearing about it on Radio, or seeing it on a TV show. But in Mexico this has come almost to a halt. If a reporter is filing stories on the Cartels actions, they can soon find themselves in danger. So many of the stories are now social mediaed out to the US, where border news is carrying the load.

We are talking to Mr. Ortiz who is one of those brave reporters that are doing the reporting for both sides of the border. He along with a cadre of fellow reporters are about the only way any stories of Cartel criminal actions are being told.

If Mexico is going to get a real handle on the Drug Cartel, or now days Criminal Cartel problems, since they are into so many other criminal enterprizes now, not just drugs. A big step will be to have the Mexican Government, as well as it’s Citizens support their press at all levels, let the press shine the light on the criminal actions, so it can be addressed by the Government’s legal system.

Until then, it will be the US Border Press that will be trying to keep a spotlight on Mexico’s problems.

Mr. Ortiz can be reached at [email protected] , if you want to know more about this issue.