Yesterday's earthquake was a reminder of the poverty and need just south of the border in Mexico. But, even before the earthquake, there were several organizations on the ground in Tijuana who, with the help of American volunteers, are helping to build homes and rebuild lives for those who need them.

The Charity Anywhere Foundation is one of these organizations that brings volunteers to Tijuana where they help families according to their needs. The group works to improve existing structures or build new structures for families in need of safe, warm shelter. On most trips, a mix of more than 80 volunteers work alongside the family members whom they are helping. The trip costs around $100 per day which includes accommodations, meals and building supplies. The next trips to Tijuana are scheduled for June 12-19 and July 10-18.You can find more information at their website, Charityanywhere.org. ]]> cmb 2010-04-05T14:11:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/1/24/123521/041

You know the violence is getting out of hand in Tijuana when Marines from nearby Camp Pendleton in California are now effectively prohibited from visiting. The new rules apply to 44,000 Marines, many of whom who have recently been in Iraq and Afghanistan or are there now, and were implemented during the Christmas holiday and extended indefinitely. Base commanders cite Tijuana's shocking rise in gang violence, with 843 killings in 2008 compared with only 337 in 2007. Marines can still visit Tijuana, but it takes plenty of planning and the proper authorization. According to USA Today, Marines now need written approval from a lieutenant colonel or higher-ranking officer to cross the border, and must also "complete anti-terrorism training, receive a military security briefing, and 'use the buddy system.'" Sounds like a lot of time and effort to go through for some R&R. The irony of preventing people who've spent time in Middle East war zones from guzzling cheap tequila in TJ isn't lost on anyone, but the military seems to have taken a better-safe-than-sorry approach. After all, Baghdad might be dangerous, but Tijuana is where authorities recently nabbed Santiago Meza Lopez, who confessed to dissolving the bodies of 300 murdered enemies of a drug kingpin in vats of acid. Any reasonable person would proceed with caution.

[Photo: USA Today]

Related Stories:
· Tijuana Off-Limits To U.S. Marines [USA Today]
· Base Commanders Issue New Restrictions on Travel to Mexico [Stars and Stripes]
· Alleged Acid Disposal Man for Mexico Gang Nabbed [AP]
· Tijuana Tourism Struggles as Violence Itensifies [Jaunted]]]> Victor Ozols 2009-01-24T12:35:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/18/11841/110

When Robert Rodriguez released "Desperado" in 1995, he couldn't have known that a decade later Mexico would be locked in a horrifying drug war responsible for thousands of corpses. But that's the case, at least according to the US State Department which recently released an update to its travel alert for the country:

Some recent Mexican army and police confrontations with drug cartels have taken on the characteristics of small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and, on occasion, grenades. Firefights have taken place in many towns and cities across Mexico but particularly in northern Mexico, including Tijuana, Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez.

A number of areas along the border are experiencing rapid growth in the rates of many types of crime. More than 1,600 cars were reportedly stolen in Ciudad Juarez in the month of July 2008, and bank robberies there are up dramatically. Rates for robberies, homicides, petty thefts and carjackings have all increased over the last year across Mexico generally, with notable spikes in Tijuana and northern Baja California.

There was a time not long ago when a visit to Tijuana was a rite of passage for Southern California youngsters, who'd flock to "TJ" for cheap tequila and an anything-goes attitude that made for so many great stories back home. Unfortunately for Tijuana's tourism industry, however, more and more prospective visitors are choosing different destinations these days, put off by reports of an explosion of murders and kidnappings in the once charmingly-seedy border town. Just over the past week, nearly fifty people were murdered in a spate of drug-related violence, and the grisly nature of the killings - including decapitation and the removal of tongues - suggests that further retaliations are all but assured. ]]> Victor Ozols 2008-10-05T14:12:25-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/