June 29, 2006

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

First, I am very pleased to share with you that I have asked Leslie Bassett to be my new Deputy Chief of Mission. Ms. Bassett will now share with me the challenge of leading this enormous Embassy and our nine Consulates throughout Mexico. She is an extraordinary diplomat who has served in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Colombia, Israel, the National Security Council, the U.S. Department of State in Washington, and as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Botswana. Most recently, Ms. Bassett has served as the Political Counselor in our Embassy in Mexico, and during her two years here, she has developed a deep understanding of Mexico and the important political, cultural and economic ties that join our two nations so closely. Leslie is an innovative leader and a crucial part of our diplomatic mission. She will also be the first woman to serve as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Mexico. I am delighted that she has agreed to serve in this new position at such a critical time in the U.S.-Mexico bilateral relationship.

June has been a very busy month for the U.S. Embassy. We continue to cooperate closely with our Mexican counterparts to make a positive contribution to our bilateral relationship and to Mexico’s security, environment, and economic development. Please take a few minutes to read about what we have been doing and how our activities will benefit both Mexicans and Americans.

High-Profile Fugitives Caught and Expelled from Mexico…

Last week, Mexican and U.S. law enforcement authorities cooperated in bringing to justice two criminals who once appeared on our law enforcement agencies’ “Ten Most Wanted” lists. On June 20, Mexico extradited to the United States Ruben Hernandez Martinez to stand trial for the crimes he allegedly committed, including home invasions, sexual assaults, and burglaries in and near Nashville, Tennessee. Mexico also arrested Pedro Castorena, the head of a crime family that bears his name and is responsible for an immense document forgery ring. The U.S. will request extradition of Castorena, who was indicted in Denver, Colorado, in July 2005 on charges of conspiracy, fraud, misuse of visas, and money laundering.

Click here to read more about these actions

I was particularly pleased with the speedy arrest and deportation on June 22 in Puerta Vallarta of fugitive Darren Roy Mack, sought by U.S. authorities in connection with the June 12 murder of his estranged wife and the shooting of a Nevada family court judge.

Embassy Press Release

…And U.S.-Mexico Law Enforcement Cooperation Grows

Cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officers led to the mid-June rescue of 19-month-old Alejandra Gomez in Puebla, Mexico. Alejandra was abducted, and her mother was allegedly killed, by Gildardo Rosas Rodriguez, who is still at large. Alejandra has now been reunited with her family in the United States.

Read more about this rescue

Drug abuse remains a critical problem for both the United States and Mexico, one that we must continue to fight together. On June 8, I announced that the United States will pay a reward of up to $5 million dollars for information leading to the arrest of Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez, believed to be the leader of the Gulf Coast Drug Cartel, an organization responsible for the distribution of thousands of kilograms of cocaine and marijuana into Mexico and the United States each year. On June 12, I delivered a speech at the International Conference on Drug and Crime Prevention, held in Mexico City, and urged that more counter-narcotics cooperation between authorities on both sides of the border is necessary if we are to take back our communities from narco-traffickers.

Click here to see the Ambassador’s speech at the International Conference on Drug and Crime Prevention

On June 5, the Mexico City daily El Universal published an opinion piece I wrote on how criminals are using the Internet to traffic people and to facilitate crime, pornography and, most horribly, child pornography. I am convinced that Mexicans and Americans can prevail against cyber criminals if we work together.

Ambassador’s op-ed of June 5 on cyber-crime

Honoring Socially-Conscious Businesses and Talented Mexican Youth

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez and Mexican Minister of the Economy Sergio Garcia de Alba presented the 2005 Partnership for Prosperity Good Partner Award to Hewlett-Packard of Mexico and to Patronato Pro Zona Mazahua at a ceremony held on June 15 in Washington, D.C. I was pleased to have a role in selecting these two firms for this prestigious and important award, created by Presidents Bush and Fox in 2003 to further the Partnership for Prosperity Initiative by acknowledging the positive contributions of businesses toward social progress and economic opportunity in Mexico. Hewlett-Packard was recognized for its role in supporting education and social programs that have helped more than 136,000 people in Mexico, and Patronato Pro Zona Mazahua was honored for its considerable efforts to bring health care and the benefits of the modern economy to thousands of rural and indigenous Mexicans.

Click here to read more on the award

On June 13, I had the pleasure of meeting Mexico’s four teenage 2006 Youth Science Leadership Institute finalists, who will represent Mexico at a two-week seminar on science and leadership, to be held in Washington, D.C. and in West Virginia in July. These intelligent young people confirmed my view of Mexico’s bright future. They will be among 50 students from throughout the Western Hemisphere who will take part in this intensive program, designed to enable promising young people to become the leaders and decision makers of tomorrow.

More on this seminar

Visit to Monterrey and Matamoros

Finally, I had the pleasure of visiting Monterrey and Matamoros on June 22 and 23, to review agreements and projects designed to improve life for Americans and Mexicans in the border area where I was born and raised. In Monterrey, Banorte Director General Luis Pena Kegel and I signed a cooperative agreement to expand access to financial services through Pronegocio, an Banorte subsidiary that offers micro-credit and financial assistance to small businesses and rural entrepreneurs.

Also in Monterrey, I toured the Instituto Nuevo Amanecer, a Mexican non-governmental organization that provides assistance to children with cerebral palsy and their families and has programs supported by the U.S. government. I also visited the Family Justice Center facility, which helps the victims of domestic violence, and was patterned after a domestic violence center in San Diego, California thanks to the support of the U.S. government. In addition, I visited the Tecnológico de Monterrey campus, which cooperates with American institutions of higher learning in a variety of key scientific fields, and the AMT/ITESM Tech Center, which brings together engineering experts from U.S. and Mexican firms. Finally, in Matamoros, I visited a NADBank sponsored waste-water purification project that will bring purified water to Tamaulipas state residents and cleanse waste-water before it is deposited into the Gulf of Mexico.

Click here to read more about the Ambassador’s visit

* * * * *

In three days, Mexicans will go to the polls to elect a new President. Voting for a chief of state is one of the most cherished of all democratic rights, and I celebrate with Mexicans as they exercise that vital civic duty. I have great confidence that Mexican citizens will make their voices heard in a democratic way. I also believe that the actions of Mexico’s political parties and the transparency of its election-monitoring body, the IFE, will further strengthen civic pride and Mexico’s place in the world as a prime example of the world’s strong democracies.

To my Mexican friends, I wish you well during the forthcoming Presidential election. To all, I thank you for the opportunity to share with you the activities of our Mission in Mexico. May God bless Mexico and the United States of America.

With best wishes, I am,

Sincerely,

Antonio O. Garza, Jr.

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