Update on the Hartley case
Scott C. writes:
Here are the latest articles on the Hartley murder. The first says the investigation by Mexican authorities has been suspended. The second says it has resumed.
What I find interesting in these accounts is that the Hartleys drove to Falcon Lake in a truck with Tamaulipas license plates. Thus they were suspected as being spies by the Zetas, Mexican special forces trained by the American military who then switched sides in the drug war.
My own take is this. The Hartleys were stupid venturing into Mexican waters, especially as far as they did. That cost one of them his life.
The Mexican authorities are hesitating out of fear of reprisal from the drug cartels, who basically rule the border region now. The drug cartel, whichever one it is, has the body and will not turn it over, because it doesn’t want forensic evidence to cause increased surveillance and stronger enforcement along their smuggling routes for drugs and humans.
Anyone who doesn’t think this is anarchy is deluding himself.
As to the repeated questions about Tiffany’s story, the reason why the pirates didn’t chase her into American waters is that it would have made their crime more evident. And the reason why they decapitated the police commander investigating the crime is that they could, and to send a brutal message—Do Not Mess With Us.
The U.S. authorities have no jurisdiction in this matter. The Mexican authorities have no jurisdiction either, having surrendered it out of fear to the cartels.
I have serious doubts whether this case will ever be solved. And, no, I don’t think the body will be found.
- end of initial entry -
Posted October 18
Kathlene M. writes (Oct. 15):
I too have read the account (mentioned by Scott today) that the drug cartels may have mistaken the Hartleys for spies, but this theory still leaves doubts. Again, why not kill both Tiffany and David if both were spies, and if the Zetas were afraid of scrutiny? If they wanted to escape surveillance and stronger enforcement, they did a lousy job by mercifully letting Tiffany go so that she could go on television and tell the entire world about the problems on the border. (According to one of Tiffany’s accounts, the “pirates” let her go after pointing a gun directly at her and speaking amongst themselves. She asked them not to hurt her, and they mercifully let her go.)
The media-shy gangsters then made the matter worse by beheading an investigator—a sure attention grabber. The result is that there is an increased presence at the border by both Americans and Mexicans! So if they wanted less attention, it failed because now there’s more anger and scrutiny than ever. If Tiffany had simply “disappeared” like David, there would be lots of speculation but little media scrutiny.
Now it’s possible that the “pirates” realized after shooting David and seeing Tiffany that they were Americans, but again, why would this stop them from killing her too? The Hartleys were in Mexican waters, and it’s known that Americans and other foreigners have been killed in Mexico without much international outrage. Recall that when the American rancher was recently killed in Arizona by illegal Mexicans, there was media coverage and muted outrage, but no international call to arms.
The Hartleys were reckless but not stupid. They both lived in Reynosa, Mexico for three years and Tiffany admits they became aware of the violence and problems in Mexico, on the border, and on Falcon Lake. They knew about the problems on the border long before they jet-skied on Falcon Lake. Until and if David’s body shows up, this will sadly remain a missing person mystery with Tiffany being the last person to see him alive.
Posted by Lawrence Auster at October 15, 2010 07:22 PM | Send