It's been a year of stunning headlines from the border, beginning with the capture of El Teo the gang leader believed to be responsible for 300 murders. The discovery of smugglers tunnels resulting in the seizure of hundreds of tons drugs; and the arrest of an alleged 14-year-old assassin born in San Diego.
Guest
KPBS Border Reporter Amy Isackson.
Transcript
This is a rush transcript created by a contractor for KPBS to improve accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Please refer to the media file as the formal record of this interview. Opinions expressed by guests during interviews reflect the guest’s individual views and do not necessarily represent those of KPBS staff, members or its sponsors.
IT'S BEEN A YEAR OF STUDYING HEADLINES FROM THE BORDER BEGINNING WITH THE CAPTURE OF THE GANG LEADER BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 300 BIRDERS. THE DISCOVERY OF SMUGGLED TODDLERS RESULTED IN THE SEIZURE OF DRUGS. WITH ME TO RECAP THE STORIES AND GIVE US A GLIMPSE OF HOW NEW READERS THE IMPACT THE GEARHEAD. HAPPY NEW YEAR.
YOU CLOSELY ALL OF THE DRUG VIOLENCE AND WARNED TIJUANA. A YEAR AGO ONE OF THE MOST WANTED DRUG GANG LEADERS WAS ARRESTED IN TIJUANA. WHY WAS THAT STORY SO IMPORTANT HERE.
AS YOU SAID HE WAS THE MOST WANTED AND HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR WRECKING HAVOC ON THE CITY.
THANKS FOR JOINING US. AS 2010 COME SO CLOSE WILL LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT SHAPED SAN DIEGO. WE WILL LOOK AHEAD TO NEXT YEAR. 1MILLION MORE PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO CALL SAN DIEGO HOME IN THE NEXT 40 YEARS SO WHAT'S BEEN DONE TO PLAN FOR THE POPULATION SURGE NOW. PLUS A POWERFUL REPORT INTO THE WHOOPING COUGH EPIDEMIC. THAT'S COMING UP NEXT ON DIEGO WEEK AND WE BEGIN WITH DRUG-RELATED VIOLENCE IN TIJUANA.
IT'S BEEN A YEAR OF STUDYING HEADLINES FROM THE BORDER BEGINNING WITH THE CAPTURE AGAIN LATER BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 300 MURDERS. THE DISCOVERY OF SMUGGLER TUNNELS RESULTED IN THE SEIZURE OF DRUGS. WITH ME TO RECAP THE STORIES AND GIVE US A GLIMPSE OF HOW THE LEADERSHIP THEY IMPACT THE YEAR HAD. HAPPY NEW YEAR.
THANK YOU.
YOU CLOSELY FOLLOWED THE DRUG VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. A YEAR AGO ONE OF THE MOST WANTED DRUG GANG LEADERS WAS ARRESTED IN TIJUANA. WHY WAS THE STORY STILLBORN?
AS YOU SAID HE WAS THE MOST WANTED AND SHE WAS WAS POSSIBLE FOR WRECKING HAVOC ON THE CITY. HE WAS WITH THE DRUG CARTEL IN TIJUANA, HE BROKE AWAY I DON'T LIKE HOW YOUR ACTING. HE BROKE AWAY, STORY GOES THAT HE WOULD STOOP WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL CARTELS IN ALL OF MEXICO AND QUÉBEC AND UNLEASH HIMSELF. AT THE END OF THE YEAR TO 70 THERE WERE MORE THAN A HUNDRED AND 40 MURDERS AND CARRIED ON INTO 2000 AND THE MURDER COUNT WAS ALSO SO HIGH. THE SENTIMENT IN TIJUANA WAS SO SCARY. POLICE WE'RE BEING SHOT FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON. SO THE REST OF HIM AND THE TWO WOULD LATER THE ARREST OF ANOTHER LIEUTENANT REALLY CALM THINGS DOWN.
IS THAT WHAT THE RESULT WAS THAT TIJUANA BECAME COLD. WAS THERE ANY OTHER RESULT THAT YOU COULD FEEL OR TOUCH?
I REMEMBER BEING THERE WHEN THEY ARRESTED HIM. PEOPLE LOOKED STUNNED ON THE STREET. THEY JUST BRIEFED A SIGH OF RELIEF. IT HAS HELPED CHANGE THE SENTIMENT IN THE CITY. THE CITY FEELS BETTER. THERE ARE LESS PUBLIC SHOOTERS. THEY'RE MORE THAN 740 AT THIS POINT. BUT THE MURDERS HAVE REALLY BEEN PUSHED TO THE OUTSKIRTS. POSSIBLY HAPPENING AND THE SPEAKER.
SO WHERE WOULD YOU SAY WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE DRUG WARS.
IN TIJUANA I THINK THEY'VE DONE GREAT THINGS. THERE'S LESS CORRUPTION IN THE POLICE. IT APPEARS THAT THE CARTEL IS WHAT'S LEFT OF IT. SEEMS TO BE WORKING TOGETHER. THE AUTHORITIES LINKED. THERE'S A NEW POLICE CHIEF AND EX-CHIEFS TORTURE CHARGES, TAKEN HAS BEEN PROMOTED AND THAT'S WHERE THINGS ARE PURE.
I AM SURE THE VISITORS BUREAU WILL BE HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT THAT. TOURISTS HAVE NEVER BEEN TARGETED OR TILTED.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT. BUT THERE'S ANOTHER STORY. THERE'S THE STORY OF THE ALLEGED 14-YEAR-OLD ASSASSIN BORN IN SAN DIEGO AND HAS BEEN IS WHAT THE IN THE CONTEXT A SPECIFIC THIS IS GOTTEN A LOT OF MEDIA ATTENTION BECAUSE IT IS SHOCKING. A 14-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO SAYS HE THE CABINET PEOPLE FOR DRUG CARTEL AND WAS DRUGGED AND CONFLICTED INTO DOING THIS.
IT'S IMPORTANT SECONDLY TO PUT THIS INTO CONTEXT. PEOPLE THINK ALL MY GOD THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING TO USE IN MEXICO. TO A DEGREE IT IS. 50,000 CHILDREN IN MEXICO ARE CAUGHT UP IN THE CARTEL. THEY'RE NOT ALL DECAPITATING PEOPLE. IN AN AREA WHO WATCHES OUT AND PASTE $10 TO DELIVER DRUGS HERE ARE THEIR PEERS WHO MIGHT BE UNUSUAL STORY ABOUT THE DISCOVERY OF ORDER TITLES TELL US ABOUT THE HISTORY BACK TO TUNNELS AUTHORITIES TIED THEM TO THE SCENE. MORE THAN 50 TONS HERE IN THE U.S. CONNECTED WITH THOSE. JUST QUICKLY, THERE'S A NEW MAYOR AND A NEW POLICE CHIEF DO EXPECT ANY CHANGES BECAUSE IT APPEARS
REPORTER: EVERLY REMAINS TO BE SEEN. THEY WERE ALL WORKING TOGETHER THAT IT WAS AN ALIGNMENT OF THE STARS. SO IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN THE PERSONALITY OR THE STRENGTH OF THE NEW INSTITUTIONS IN TIJUANA AND THOUGH STILL NOT APPEAR. >> THANK YOU.
