The Week in Mexico: 1-10-2010

Sunday, January 10, 2010 at 4:26 a.m.; San Diego Union-Tribune

Brutal slaying: The body of Hugo Hernández, 36, was left on the streets of Los Mochis in seven pieces as a chilling threat to members of the Juarez drug cartel. A note read: "Happy New Year, because this will be your last." To drive home the point, the assailants skinned Hernandez's face and stitched it onto a soccer ball. Hernandez was taken to Sinaloa after being kidnapped Jan. 2 in neighboring Sonora state, in an area known for marijuana growing, officials said.

Reporter killed: In the northern city of Saltillo, a major regional newspaper announced it would stop covering drug violence altogether after the body of a reporter was found Friday outside a motel with a threatening message. Valentin Valdes had recently written about the arrests of suspected drug traffickers. "As of today we will publish zero information related to drug trafficking to avoid situations like the one we went through today," an editor of the newspaper Zócalo said, asking that his name not be published.

Educator mourned: El Monte High School Assistant Principal Agustin Roberto "Bobby" Salcedo was mourned Thursday at his funeral. Salcedo was with his wife and friends at a bar in Gomez Palacio in Durango state when gunmen took him and five others away around 2 a.m. and shot them. The FBI is helping investigate the slayings.

Priests broke celibacy vows: Four Roman Catholic priests in Puebla resigned after they were caught breaking their celibacy vows, church officials said. Editorial note: I wonder why the archbishop is so silent about this... guess he is busy bitching about gay marriage in Mexico City.

Border-crosser killed: U.S. authorities said an illegal immigrant was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent Monday who was attacked with rocks near Douglas in southern Arizona.

Tijuana students slain: Two boys and a girl were shot to death in a vehicle as they were leaving Jardines La Mesa COBACH high school in Tijuana, Tijuana media reported.

Inmate transfer: About 300 inmates have been transferred out of a prison in Veracruz state to make room for a film that Mel Gibson reportedly plans to make there.