Border Journalist

These guys really like wrestling

2009-03-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid I wanted to be a wrestler too. My mom still laughs at me once in a while when she remembers. But then, just like that, I got over it.

But these guys didn't.

On the recent Wednesday night, behind the city's auditorium, where El Santo, El Perro Ahuayo and Tinieblas fought historic matches, 40 or so men were trying to get their wrestler license.

It was a grueling three-hour test that nobody passed.

These are some of the pictures of the guys, whose ages range from 17 to 34 or so. The guy in charge of signing off on the licenses told students to tell the teachers: “You guys are sending me sissies.”

Wrestling is not for sissies, as you can see in this video I did some time ago.

Wrestling hurts.

tijuanenses fleeing violence...

2008-10-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

All this violence in Tijuana reminded me of a recent story / video I did on the subject on how many more people are moving to San Diego for relative safety.

It used to be only the rich would / could move to San Diego. Many had papers or were US citizens. But these days, professionals or other middle class people are moving here, even if they have to do so illegally...

Unfortunately for them, they are not necessarily safe in San Diego, either...

16 bodies found in Tijuana

2008-09-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable. It's early Monday morning. Several shots are fired in a middle-class Tijuana neighborhood. 16 bodies lay there, some seminaked, some missing tongues, and a sign that reads: 'this is what's going to happen to those who work with el ingeniero,' whose real name is Fernando Sánchez Arellano, the head of the Arellano Cartel or Cartel de Tijuana. Read the full story here. Photo by my friend David Maung.

Inmates say they are ok...

2008-09-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

After several days of riots that led to the death of 24 inmates and dozens of injured, authorities offered this video to the media in which they ask the prisoners how they are doing.

What would you say if a prison official holding a camera asks you how you are doing? Here's what they said:

New Photos of Caos at Tijuana Prison

2008-09-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

These are some of the photos I took while covering the riot. I was more focused on shooting footage, so the photos you see here were just taken very quickly.

Officer looks into a potential escape route

Smoke fills the air.

The buildings set ablaze three days earlier...

A close-knit community.

New images inside penitentiary

2008-09-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

Mexican authorities released a video of inmates talking on the phone, teleconferencing with family members, cooking in the kitchen, and overall showing that everything is under control.

But the day after they released the footage, an inmate died beaten to death. Four prisoners are suspected of committing the crime.

Hard to believe.

Man jumps border fence

2008-09-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

Why dig a tunnel, as a good friend of mine recently asked, when you can jump the fence?

This guy should know. He fired himself from Tijuana to San Diego, and landed masterfully. Took the photo with my digital rebel.

Inside Tijuana's Notorious Penitenciary

2008-09-18T14:41:00.002-07:00

Crazy week.

Inmates at Tijuana's infamous state penitentiary riot TWICE, and I get to dodge the bullets and film and photograph Mexican authorities as they attempt to bring order to the place.

I wasn't sure what was worse: standing with the masses and risk getting teargas (or worse) by police, or stand alongside the riot police as hundreds threw chunks of concrete.

This is a picture I took looking into the prison through a hole that inmates made while trying to escape. Good thing they didn't. Outside there were dozens of heavily armed federal police ready to shot. The metal fence was already full of bullet holes.

Crazy.

Video of riot in Tijuana

2008-09-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

This is a video I did on the riot. I got there about a half an hour after it started. The shots heard are probably the ones that killed 19 inmates. No officers were killed. Smells like a massacre. My grandma, and two aunts live two blocks from there.