Photo:Prensa LibreAFP
A college student and mother who was a Mexican bordertown police chief has fled to the United States seeking asylum, one of her relatives told AFP on Thurssday.
Marisol Valles, 20, "received death threats from a criminal group that wanted to force her to work for them," the relative told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Valles, who has a baby son, took over the job as police chief in the town of Praxedis G. Guerrero in October after two other job candidates dropped out following the assassination of the mayor and his son.
Valles "went to the United States along with two relatives and will seek asylum," the source told AFP.
Praxedis G. Guerrero is on the Rio Grande border with the United States some 65 kilometers (40 miles) southeast of Ciudad Juarez.
Valles's departure comes after Erika Gandara, 28, a female officer and the sole representative of the law in the town of Guadalupe, a border town just up the road towards Ciudad Juarez, was kidnapped in December. Gandara's fate is unknown.
The Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels are engaged in a bitter fight for control of Ciudad Juarez and its surrounding towns, key points to smuggle illegal drugs into the lucrative US market.
Last year some 3,100 people were killed in Ciudad Juarez, population 1.2 million, in violence police blame on the drug trade.
PBS.ORG
That girl is brave and earned respect by steppig into the shoes of an entire police force that was so scared that they all dropped thier guns and ran. Praise her for taking a stance against those filty traitors and having the nerve to do so.
ReplyDeleteIf she needs protection here in America because she refused to cooperate with dirty criminals and is out numbered then so be it, let the hero in with open arms.
Welcome to America Marisol!!
@DFL
ReplyDeleteSome of these BRAVE men and women need to know someone is CHEERING for them to WIN! (The good half)...
777
Ever since this lady became national news i have been in love with her,seriously,i wish i could invite her to come live with me.LOL
ReplyDeleteThis comes from the El Paso Times. Not disputing story just sharing another report:
ReplyDeletePraxedis G. Guerrero official: 20-year-old police chief is not seeking asylum in U.S.
by Aileen B. Flores \ El Paso Times
Posted: 03/03/2011 06:13:59 PM MST
"A city official of the town of Praxedis G. Guerrero denied police chief Marisol Valles Garcia is asking asylum in the U.S.
Valles Garcia, 20, made international headlines last year when she became a police chief in the violent Valley of Juárez.
On Thursday, Mexican news reports said Valles Garcia was asking for asylum in the U.S. after receiving death threats.
But town secretary Andres Morales said that information had not been confirmed."
BTW.. have they ever found Grika Gandara, Guadalupe Police Chief??
If there were ever anyone more worthy of asylum, I haven't heard of them. These women are more than brave...most of her town's burnt down...
"Right now, these are rumors," he said.
@ Layla
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for this link. Juarez newspapers are reporting she fled to Ft Hancock, but also say Praxedis mayor and town clerk deny her resignation (although they do admit she has not come to work.)
http://www.diario.com.mx/notas.php?f=2011/03/03&id=e68598aeb04575c811b0af9d2e6faab0
http://www.arrobajuarez.com/notas.php?IDNOTA=20555&IDSECCION=Portada&IDREPORTERO=De%20la%20Redacci%C3%B3n
Regarding Erika Gandara, I have tried to keep up with any news concerning her disappearance, but I haven't found anything since the intital reports.
Thanks again for the El Paso Times link.
http://noticierostelevisa.esmas.com/nacional/265740/se-acuerda-marisol-valles
I'm relieved she escaped with her life. Didn't want to see her kidnapped or murdered, which was certainly coming.
ReplyDeletePardon the cynicism but - maybe before she had no way to get legal US status - now she has a good case for asylum. She had to know what she was getting into. Smart gal and it's past time to get out of that job.
ReplyDeleteShe is too pretty to be a cop in that dump of a country.
ReplyDeletei would have bet $50,000 of my own money that she was'nt gonna make it but i'm happy that she's still alive. good for her for having the ovaries to take on a true man's job and risking her life for the good of mexico.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but what she did was brave, but also very misguided and stupid. There is no way this girl was going to be effective with a 'gentler' approach. She's lucky she's still among the living.
ReplyDeleteWell even if she took the job with an aim of getting asylum in the U.S, that still takes alot of courage. I mean she's studying criminology, it's not like she'll be getting a job in her field in mexico anytime soon, in the U.S though she might have more luck.
ReplyDeleteIf that's the case it's the most dangerous publicity stunt I've ever heard of, and that should be rewarded. Mexico's Paris Hilton, lol.
God bless that young woman. She has a child who will need her in his life. I as well am surprised to still see her alive because cartels are becoming ruthless as hell and nothing is holding anything back now. I guess maybe that area is controlled by La Linea? It's bordertown Chihuas and I don't believe gente nueva would be there but who knows. Either way for nobody to take the job says it all and for her to step up mighty brave. Some might call it ignorant but if it weren't for people of Marisols caliber there would be no future for youth of Mexico. I highly respect people in Mexico who aren't corrupt and take goverment jobs. In most cases your days could be numbered but for the sake of Mexico's future it has to be done.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Vanguardia, Andres Morales Arreola states a replacement will be announced on Monday.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vanguardia.com.mx/renunciamarisolvallesjefapoliciacadepraxedis;pideasiloeneu-664867.html
In another note, from El Universal, he states
she has requested a temporary leave of absence to take her young son to the U.S. for medical treatment and will return to work on Monday.
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/749289.html
God bless her, i welcome her to the U.S.
ReplyDeleteCould've been her plan all along. How can she see what's been happening and not expect to be threatened?
ReplyDeleteC'mon, guys, this was certainly NOT a publicity stunt. You're imposing your American ways of thinking on Mexicans. Why can't you just assume she's a young idealist who was fed up with the situation in her town and wanted to do something about it. There are plenty of brave people like her here in Mexico. Seriously, you're reading WAY too much into it.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't seem that brave anymore.
ReplyDeleteShe Resign yesterday!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/03/marisol-valles-fue-considerada-por.html
Stop the War on Drugs now!!!
ReplyDeleteLet's end the lies and start protecting our children!
Sign the petition to defund the drug czar here:
http://www.fearlesscampaign.com/page/signup/DrugCzar
Yea she was brave...up until the point she started receiving death threats, then she just "high-tailed it" to the US looking for protection instead of turning to her own country. I read, she will probably (most likely) be denied asylum in the US because her plight is not of a political nature (meaning she is not being targeted for her political views)...So, I guess she's screwed...In addition, as of 3/7 she was fired because she failed to return back to work...
ReplyDeleteOh for christ sake give the girl a break. What's one more (well, two more) mexican immigrants. Let her finish school and sign her up for ICE. US gain, Mexico lose.
ReplyDeleteShe's such a cutie! I am glad she is outta there! Been worried for her from the start. The other chic (Gandara) was walking around with an AR-15 like she was tough. She went down fast. This girl was working in schools and on social programs. She's a good girl.
ReplyDeleteWell I glad she out of that shit hole as she surely would had ended up dead but not just dead but because she's cute she would no doubt be raped multiple times tortured then dead.
ReplyDeleteShe got out just in time.
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