Juarez Consulate

[웃 910]

Printed 11/30/2008

12 Masked Gunmen Shoot Up Restaurant in Mexico, Killing 8

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico -- Police say at least 12 masked gunmen opened fire inside a restaurant in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez, killing eight. Chihuahua state prosecutor's office spokesman Alejandro Pariente says the gunmen arrived at the seafood restaurant Friday evening in three cars, approached a group of people and opened fire. Pariente says no arrests have been made. The attack comes days after police found the bodies of seven men who were killed in a school soccer field in an upscale neighborhood of Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas. The homicides were the latest of hundreds of killings in the city, where drug violence has taken a heavy toll during Mexico's nationwide crackdown on drug cartels that supply U.S. consumers.

Printed 12/04/2008

Three Americans Dead Amid Rising Violence in Mexican Border City

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico --At least three U.S. residents have been killed in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in as many weeks as the death toll in the violent border city surpasses 1,400. The latest victim, a 32-year-old American woman, was shot several times Tuesday as she stood in front of a Juarez home, Mexican police said. The woman was taken across the Rio Grande back into El Paso, where she died on the way to the county hospital, officials said. It wasn't immediately clear where the woman lived. Two other U.S. residents, Roberto Martinez and Ruth Sagredo Velasco, were killed in a barrage of at least 20 shots from AK-47 assault rifles fired at them as they drove in a Nov. 22 funeral procession for Sagredo's sister. Both Martinez and Sagredo were U.S. residents living in El Paso and working at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center there. The killing of Velasco, her sister Cinthia Judith Sagredo Escobedo just a few days earlier, and her father Francisco Maria Sagredo Villareal in October, were related to domestic problems, Velasco's attorney Edward Hernandez told the El Paso Times. Juarez, a sprawling city of about 2 million, has been the site a bloody drug cartel war that has killed more than 1,400 people this year. Warring cartels have been fighting for control of the city's lucrative drug and human smuggling trade. Mexican authorities have stationed thousands of soldiers and additional police officials in the city, but the fighting has only intensified. George W. Grayson, a Mexico expert at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, said violence in Juarez and other Mexican border cities has become so widespread in the last year that innocent bystanders are routine victims. "It's just mounting violence and I think it's going to get much worse," Grayson said. Grayson said violent crime has become so common that criminals unrelated to the battling cartels are also taking advantage of the virtual lawlessness. Americans have been cautioned about traveling to Mexico. In a travel alert issued in October, U.S. State Department officials warned that "the situation in Ciudad Juarez is of special concern." The alert warned travelers to avoid isolated areas at night or in the early morning and avoid carrying cash to the city's U.S. consulate.

Edited December 5, 2008 by Confucian

[Daniel and Erika 0]

Hi to everyone,

I will share my experience when i was in Juarez, i went with my honey the last Nov 5 to Juarez, i had medical examination and the same day we back to the clinic and they had ready my test, we thought will be good ask to the embassy about the process becuase we wanted go to the next day,and oh surprise!!, the consulate was closed, they told us, they will be working again until the next week this mean Nov 12 but this time in the new address, we were a little mad and sad because they never told us they will move in that week, we had all ready, so I have to go again to Juarez and try to have my appointment.

For my next time i will go alone because my future husband moved all his projects to be with me on Nov 5 to Nov 9 in Juarez. I have planned be there on Nov 11, i called to the consulate they told me i will not have issues with my medical examination, they told me they are very close of a hotel called HolidayInn Express, so i did a reservation in this hotel for Dec 11 and Dec 12, the cost for 2 days was of 129.57 usd in my case was more cheap to do the reservation by internet that by phone. The fly form Mexico City to Juarez have a cost around 400 usd.

I have the plan to go to my appoinment on Dec 12, i am living in a city of Puebla, in my case i will go to Puebla city then take a bus to Airport of Mexico City and then fly to Juarez, i will do this becuse in my case the cost is more cheap if i took the fly from Puebla city, the bus arrive in the airport of Mexico city so i will not have to take a taxi to go to the airport, in Juarez the taxis in the airport are safe so you can take one inside the airport until the hotel.

In the consulate told me the new place where they are is very safe, even the hotel where i will be have a service of taxi so if you need to go to the airport they can pick you up there..

I hope this information can help

Good luck!!

[YGandMAT 0]

I'm in the US with a tourist visa and my mom is waiting for my invitation letter back in Mexico. The Consulate recieved my petition from the NVC beginig Oct and my mom says it hasn't gotten there yet. We called and they said they were sending them out 2 months after they were receiving them.

Today we recieved the letter that is sent to the US Citizen, I have it in my hands. Is it the same one?

Can I go with this one or does it have to be the one sent to Mexico?

Because this one has a letter in the front saying I have an open appointment to the interview and all the intructions with it.

Also the NOA2 said I had to Jan 8 to go to my interview but this letter has no deadline. Can I go after Jan 8 or no?

Congrats ARIANNA....good luck in your interview.

[GueraKristina 1]

I took alfredo to the philly airport today so he could get everything done in time for his fiance visa appt. in juarez. It was SOOOOO hard just letting him go.

ALOT of mexican workers the alfredo and i know think that we are stupid for risking him not being able to come back if the fiance visa doesnt turn out well. And honestly i cried like a big baby the whole way home and stayed in bed for 4 hours after i dropped him off just hoping and wishing that everything goes ok.

Alfredo kept telling me ' just tell me you dont want me to go, and i wont', well the truth is, i didnt want him to go, but if he doesnt go, he wont get the visa... so were just gna have to risk it.

Last time i got a text message from him he was in Houston, Texas and he said it was snowing really hard. He said he would let me know when he got to his home town.

Ill be posting just about everything that happens with me and alfredo as far as the process before hand, during and after so hopefully it will help someone else out in the future.

to top it all off, when i finally got out of bed today, my 2 year old sister points towards me and alfredo's bedroom and says "Day do?" (its alfredo in baby lingo), i just about broke down again, she is already looking for him, and he has only been gone for 10 hrs. It sucks that all this had to happen on the same day that i have a final. Well off to study... if i can.

[YGandMAT 0]

I took alfredo to the philly airport today so he could get everything done in time for his fiance visa appt. in juarez. It was SOOOOO hard just letting him go.

ALOT of mexican workers the alfredo and i know think that we are stupid for risking him not being able to come back if the fiance visa doesnt turn out well. And honestly i cried like a big baby the whole way home and stayed in bed for 4 hours after i dropped him off just hoping and wishing that everything goes ok.

Alfredo kept telling me ' just tell me you dont want me to go, and i wont', well the truth is, i didnt want him to go, but if he doesnt go, he wont get the visa... so were just gna have to risk it.

Last time i got a text message from him he was in Houston, Texas and he said it was snowing really hard. He said he would let me know when he got to his home town.

Ill be posting just about everything that happens with me and alfredo as far as the process before hand, during and after so hopefully it will help someone else out in the future.

to top it all off, when i finally got out of bed today, my 2 year old sister points towards me and alfredo's bedroom and says "Day do?" (its alfredo in baby lingo), i just about broke down again, she is already looking for him, and he has only been gone for 10 hrs. It sucks that all this had to happen on the same day that i have a final. Well off to study... if i can.

Best of luck to both of you! We understand since we have all been there, every goodbye was sooooo hard for me too, and I would also cry everytime it was time to depart. Be confident, everything will turn ok, just have faith. We need to do some sacrifices to get bigger rewards....it will pay off...trust me. The wait will soon be over. Keep us updated.

[웃 910]

GueraKristina:

Diana and I are beating you to the punch, her interview is this Tuesday, 2 days before your fiance's! This should be an exciting week for the Juarez Consulate thread, it has been so silent lately. We will be very soon I hope!

Edited December 12, 2008 by Confucian

[renejon320 0]

Hi all, I am so excited... me and my fiancee and our kids are flying in to Juarez from Tijuana on Monday (15th) morning. I believe we should be staying at the Hilton or Hampton Inn. Both hotels indicated that they are about a couple minutes from the Consulate. I'm more used to staying at large hotels and I saw the pics of the new Holiday Inn Express and it looks a bit tiny..... we scheduled a flight back out to Tijuana on Friday the 19th just in case things take longer than expected. What's everyone else's expectation???

Cheers,

Rene

[GueraKristina 1]

Alfredo actually depending on when he gets to juarez, and how long the bus ride REALLY takes, he might have his doctors appt. this coming monday, and his consulate appt. this tuesday, but if not, everything will just be pushed back a day, not really that big of a deal. Alfredo is going to try to stay at the holiday inn express las misiones because it is really close to the consulate, and it has been reported that they have free breakfast and shuttle you to and from the consulate for free. I hope everything goes well for everyone, including myself , we need to keep eachother updated, and lively up the forum a bit. it definately has been very dead.

[Marty80 0]

Good evening,

We got our NOA 2 from CSC, an email tonight from CRIS at 8:30pm. Thanks for all of those who have been writing on this forum, it's been helpful.

Now we only need to interview and make it through the waiver process.

Happy holidays, and good luck to everyone else.

-Marty

[GueraKristina 1]

Ok everybody, i need some experience and advice rush delivered!!!

So far, alfredo got just about everything done in his home town. He got the police report, and all the papers that he needs, soo he is ready to leave, EXCEPT the banks were closed yesterday because of the virgencita, so he couldnt withdraw his 1,000 dollars from the bank that he planned on using for juarez. His bank in mexico is a banamex, so i told him to just get on the next bus, so that he can get to juarez before the week starts, and take out his money there in juarez.

He thought it was a good idea, but he is going to be taking all of the money he has in the account out, AKA, closing the account, normally, in the U.S that would be fine, as long as you are using the same bank branch that you have your account with, but we dont want any complications and have alfredo have to go back to his home town to withdraw the money because he couldnt do it in juarez.

Has anybodys hubbies or jefas taken out money from their bank chain, but in a different pueblito? Were their any problems?

Our options are as follows to sum everything up.... 1) Stay in his home town until Monday, which is when he can get the money withdrawn and close his account, and get on the bus by 3 pm the same day, and arrive around 10 am tuesday (thus causing him to wait till wednesday to go to his doctors appt.) OR 2) Leave his town (as soon as you guys tell me that withdrawing the money wont be a problem), and be in juarez in time to have his doctors appt. this Monday.

Its not HORRIBLE if you guys recommend that alfredo waits in his home town, because i would rather be safe than sorry, but keep in mind that im trying to have mi flaquito home for the holidays. Who else is gonna keep his skinny butt warm?

[웃 910]

I hate to get so financial and technical, but I couldn't resist, I am really bored, here are some quick facts:

Banamex is an enormous bank, founded in 1882, it is the second largest bank in Mexico, after Bancomer. They have over 1,400 branches.

Citigroup, which bought out Banamex in 2001 for 12.5 billion dollars was the second largest bank by US assets with over 374,000 full time employees, however, after the recent collapse in share price Citigroup is now the 5th largest bank by US assets (Citigroup used to be #1 in the world).

Carlos Slim, the second richest person in the world and by far the richest person in Mexico, recently bought more than 40 million shares of Citigroup along with a Saudi prince who increased his stake in Citigroup from 4 to 5%.

It has been rumored that Citigroup is considering selling Banamex to raise capital.

To make a long story short, I believe that Banamex is a very large and professional bank, owned by Citigroup, an even larger and more professional bank. I believe that there will be no problem at all to withdrawal everything from the account on Monday, in Juarez. I am not 100% positive, but it may even be possible to go to a Citibank in the states and access/withdrawal the money, in case there was some sort of problem.

Edited December 13, 2008 by Confucian

[caityrose 0]

Hello all- sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I'm finishing up my last semester of classes and things just got busy. Plus a lot of talk recently has been about the new consulate, and I have absolutely no advice to give about that

GueraKristina- GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND ALFREDO!! I hope everything goes smoothly and Alfredo can be back for Christmas!!

Same to you Confucian- good luck and let us know how everything turns out!

As for me... Angel will be arriving in Chicago on Friday evening, and I can't wait. After over 3 years of being apart, we're going to finally know what it's like to be together without me having to leave after 3 weeks. I hope everyone here waiting gets to experience that soon as well!

Good luck to everyone,

Caity

[caityrose 0]

Ok everybody, i need some experience and advice rush delivered!!!

So far, alfredo got just about everything done in his home town. He got the police report, and all the papers that he needs, soo he is ready to leave, EXCEPT the banks were closed yesterday because of the virgencita, so he couldnt withdraw his 1,000 dollars from the bank that he planned on using for juarez. His bank in mexico is a banamex, so i told him to just get on the next bus, so that he can get to juarez before the week starts, and take out his money there in juarez.

He thought it was a good idea, but he is going to be taking all of the money he has in the account out, AKA, closing the account, normally, in the U.S that would be fine, as long as you are using the same bank branch that you have your account with, but we dont want any complications and have alfredo have to go back to his home town to withdraw the money because he couldnt do it in juarez.

Has anybodys hubbies or jefas taken out money from their bank chain, but in a different pueblito? Were their any problems?

Our options are as follows to sum everything up.... 1) Stay in his home town until Monday, which is when he can get the money withdrawn and close his account, and get on the bus by 3 pm the same day, and arrive around 10 am tuesday (thus causing him to wait till wednesday to go to his doctors appt.) OR 2) Leave his town (as soon as you guys tell me that withdrawing the money wont be a problem), and be in juarez in time to have his doctors appt. this Monday.

Its not HORRIBLE if you guys recommend that alfredo waits in his home town, because i would rather be safe than sorry, but keep in mind that im trying to have mi flaquito home for the holidays. Who else is gonna keep his skinny butt warm?

Question- does he have a card that he was going to withdraw money with? If he has a card, then he can just go to the ATM and take money out. If not, I'm not sure. But I would think he'd be fine, Banamex is everywhere and would think they'd be able to access his account at a different Banamex.

[GueraKristina 1]

Thanks for your replys guys, it really helps. I thought that it would be fine to withdraw the money too, but i didnt want alfredo to take the $200+ dollar bus trip to juarez, and try to withdraw the money, and not be able to, and have to waste another 200 dollars to go back to his home town to do it. I will tell alfredo tmrw what every1 is saying, although, it will be sunday by then, and he will probably just tell me, that 1 more day wouldnt hurt just to be on the safe side and get the money out of the banamex in his home town. Ohh well haha we will see

[GueraKristina 1]

Ok guys, this is the newest news, hot off the press.... or cell phone, whichever u prefer

Alfredo was in a rush everytime i talked to him, i guess i would be too, but he went to the bank in his home town and got the money out and closed the count without any problems to my knowledge.

He also told me that he was going to take the bus from Toluca to Juarez, but that something happened??? and that he was going to have to try to make it to the 3 o'clock bus in mexico city.

I just got off the phone with him and he said that he was waiting at the bus station in mexico city waiting to get the 3 o'clock bus to juarez, so all sounds fine so far, besides the fact that we are a couple of days behind, i would rather be behind than have something worse happen.

With the way i see it, alfredo should be in juarez (from mexico city) in 18 hrs, so he should get there around 9 am tuesday morning, by the time he gets to the hotel and stuff, it will probably be too late to go to the medical appt., so he will just be getting situated and organized tmrw when he arrives in juarez, and i would expect his doctors appt. to go down on wednesday.

Will let you guys know of any changes or updates. I have to get ready for work and go to the store on the way to buy alfredo more minutes on his phone so we can keep in touch. (who woulda known that a pay as you go phone woulda worked in mexico without any crazy charges)