In the campaign of fighting crime

With steady hand Edgar Veytia, manager's office ordered the immediate destruction PGJ. Tepic, Thursday August 23, 2012. -

Six marijuana plantations that fully exceeded to one hectare in the area were discovered by members of the Police of Nayarit near the town of San José, at Ixtlan del Rio.

The discovery was made after a week o elements of Nayarit security elite, flew overhead in a helicopter "Apache" belonging to the Police Nayarit.

It was located about 200 meters from the motorway bridge Guadalajara-Tepic up to Ixtlan del Rio, near the channels of a stream that fed the sown field.

During the destruction of the plantation were recorded around 5000 plants, measuring between 60 inches and up to five feet tall.

In the operation, which was conducted by the immediate police Nayarit involving about 90 elements, who cut and burned this unnerving.

Regard Edgar Veytia, head of the office of the State Attorney was satisfied with the performance of elite security corps Nayarit, who once again dealt a blow to crime and thus "protect thousands of young children who may be drug victims.”

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Navy and the Attorney General's Office launched the project system Illicit Crop Monitoring in Mexican territory.

This initiative seeks to strengthen technical and technological national institutions to coordinate and implement the illicit crop monitoring for research, analysis and policy making The project coordinator Sebastian Solis stated that UNODC will support these agencies with technical methodologies and the application of advanced technologies for the detection of illicit crops to strengthen Mexico's strategy in this area.

He said that the federal strategy is centered on the eradication of marijuana and poppy crops, and not monitoring or detecting various narcotics planting.

Solis explained that the main growing areas are in the "golden triangle", comprising the states of Durango, Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Guerrero, but "the trend" spread to Jalisco, Michoacán and Oaxaca.

He explained that the National Center for Planning, Analysis and Information for Combating Crime (CENAPI)  the Attorney General's Office (PGR) is the "administrative leader" of the project.

The government of Mexico will contribute more than 10 million pesos in the period of three year duration of the project, whose results will be announced jointly by the United Nations (UN) and the federal government, he said.

At the Appropriate, the captain of the Navy (Semar), Alfredo Enriquez said that the results of this joint project will have a strong impact in the fight against drug traffickin

He also disclosed that Semar geosatelital developed a system to monitor and detect the illicit cultivation of crops, and thus armed troops directly addresses these areas.

Semar Enriquez recalled that in 2007 developed various techniques for monitoring poppy plantations, and in 2008 for the detection of marijuana by geosatelital system, which is made available to the UN for evaluation. In turn, the expert in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System of UNODOC, Coen Bussink criticized Mexico has focused this strategy on crop eradication mentioned and set aside such monitoring crops.

Bussink stressed that the satellite imaging system that will implement the project will provide optimal information for public policy development, and information obtained will be shared by the government of Mexico to the UN.

During this ceremony was also attended by the representative of the PGR-CENAPI, William Jordan and Ruby White.

[readon1 url="http://www.prensaglobal.com"]Source:PrensaGlobal - Translation by Suyapa Ajuria[/readon1]

As part of the program "Philanthropy Strategy Vallarta", collaboration with the city of Puerto Vallarta, the Municipal DIF System and civil associations to increase benefits to the needy, meeting between was held between the Mayor, Salvador Gonzalez Resendiz and representatives of the Network of Puerto Vallarta Altruistic Associations. Photo Source: Comunicación Social de Puerto Vallarta

During the meeting, the mayor said, "Philanthropy Vallarta" was born a year ago of the need to ensure that resources for social services are being appropriately distributed.
The city assured the Altruistic Network that during in the next session of City Council there will be a vote on the proposal to ensure full support for the associations of the region which will be assessed by the Commission for Social Assistance.

Cesar Sanchez, Representative of the Network of Altruistic Associations highlighted the good communication that has occurred with the municipal government and said that thanks to "Philanthropy Strategy Vallarta" the lives of hundreds of people have been improved.

Attending the meeting were Lolita Covarrubias, Asylum San Juan Diego, Petronilo Fernandez of Vida y Libertad a tu Alcance, Monica Mejia of PV Animal, Francisco Arjona of SETAC, Beatriz Barron Youth Integration Center, Katy Huet and Luis Espinoza of Casa Infantil Agape, Elba Nieto of the Down Foundation, Adriana Garcia of the Los Mangos Library, Jorge Cruz of Vida y Libertad Primer Paso, Martin Pasitos of Pasitos de Luz, Mainor Esau Rodriguez of Horizontes de Paz, Jorge Manuel Flores of Guerreros contra la Adicciones and Mauricio Franco.

Pacific Treasure is proud to host the Tianguis Turístico Mexico 2012. Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta welcomes all professionals of the tourism industry to participate in this grand event that will take place on March 25 – 28.
Here are some of the most important events you should not miss.

RESTAURANT WEEK Tianguis Edition
This festival is held each year in the month of May, but in 2012 it will feature a preview created exclusively for participants of the Tianguis Turístico México 2012 so that all visitors can enjoy the gastronomic delights of our region.
During Restaurant Week, participating properties will offer innovative three-course menus with three different options. Prices are discounted by up to 50% (not including tips or beverages), which will make going out for dinner during the Tianguis Turísitco 2012 more fun and more affordable.

GOLF TOURNAMENTS
For participants at the Tianguis Turístico Mexico 2012
On March 23rd, as an event prior to the Tianguis Turistico 2012, Vista Vallarta Golf Club will host the Lorena Ochoa Tournament (proud tourism ambassador of Jalisco), where our major trading partners and buyers will have the opportunity to play with one of the best golfers in the world.
There will be tournament competitions at two different emblematic golf courses open only to participants of the Tianguis Turístico Mexico 2012: One at El Tigre Golf & Country Club in Nuevo Vallarta – which has been chosen by Rolex as one of the best golf courses in the world, and the other tournament by invitation only will be held at the Punta Mita Pacifico Golf Club in Punta Mita – the first Jack Nicklaus Golf Course – which will welcome 72 players.

SAN PANCHO POLO CUP, Tianguis Edition 2012
Polo is without a doubt one of the most thrilling sports for viewers, as it combines the talent of the rider and its horse to reach a goal and make a spectacular pairing – and when we add the glamour of this game to the equation, the results are spectacular.
Campo La Patrona at Riviera Nayarit allows our visitors to experience first-hand this sport of kings.
Four teams with some of the most experienced polo players will compete for the Tourism Tianguis Polo Cup 2012, which will be played at La Patrona on Saturday, March 24 and on Sunday, March 25 in matches with 4 chuckers of seven minutes each.
For more information, visit: www.polovallarta.com

6th Wine Fest 2012
From March 22nd To 29th
Puerto Vallarta invites you to participate in the Wine Fest Tianguis Edition, portraying the wine culture as an artistic expressions. The union of Puerto Vallarta gastronomical food and wine Pairing.
For more information visit www.vallartawinefest.com

Cocktail Puerto Vallarta & Fireworks
March 26 / 2012 from 8:00pm to 11:00pm, at the Malecon.
Enjoy a wonderful fireworks display at the new boardwalk in Puerto Vallarta, a light show that will adorn the bay as a reflection of the great party of Tianguis Turistico.
And if this were not enough, the renowned Mariachi Vargas will grace the event with a concert.

For more information about tianguis turistico and activities discounts please visit www.tianguisturistico.com.mx

Mexico is safer than it's made out to be in the news. click here
Contributed by Robert Bertrand of Coldwell Banker La Costa Real Estate in Puerto Vallarta=322-223-0055

by William Harper

The U.S. is 8th in the world in total crimes at 80.0645 per 1000 residents, giving you an 8% chance of being a victim in the U.S., compared to Mexico that ranks 39th in total crime in the world with a per capita of slightly less than 13 crimes per 1000 residents¦ That is a 1.3% chance of being a victim of crime in Mexico.

According to almost every measure, Mexico is much safer than the U.S.:

Assaults in the U.S. ranks number 6, Mexico number 20

Burglaries in the U.S. ranks number 17, Mexico number 34

Car thefts in the U.S. ranks number 9, Mexico number 22

Fraud in the U.S. ranks number 18, Mexico number 29

Rape in (Canada number 5) the U.S. ranks number 9, Mexico number 17

My personal experiences are that Puerto Vallarta is the safest, most crime-free city I've ever lived in (and I've lived in dozens) and that typically Mexicans are much more honest than Americans or Canadians. Of course, there are all kinds so take heed of your activities and surroundings in any place.

Almost any other country in the world has crime. I have not yet seen any gun shooting on the streets, nor any of my American and Canadian Friends that keep coming every year, as they quoted "I feel much safer in Puerto vallarta than in Detroit or NYC".

False rumors are on the media, so friends from the US call me to ask if Puerto Vallarta is safe for them and their children.

Well I would´t be living here if I didn't feel safe, nor would all the tourists keep coming to stay for 3-6 month periods every year. Mexicans have been treating me with respect and caring.

By Bucio, Rocio

For 14 years the primary school "Juan de la Barrera" in Puerto Vallarta and the educational institute "John Stanford " in Seattle, Washington held a cultural exchange, educational programs and friendship .

The city council presented a recognition to representatives of the American institution, for their invaluable support, as they have given several donations throughout these years to strengthen the School system in "Juan de la Barrera", besides the care they have shown for the children of this community.

The Mayor is committed to support these kinds of educational programs that will help transform the environment of the schools in Puerto Vallarta and the integration of the community.

Hopefully more schools will have access to this program.

By Rocio Bucio

The Opening of the new Municipal Council offices for People with Disabilities is a great achievement.

The Mayor recognized that the support from family members is vital to overcome the obstacles disabled people have to face every day.

It is indeed a great example of courage, tenacity, and the will to live a life fully despite their condition.

They are going to continue working to improve the conditions of disabled people that live in Puerto Vallarta.

The new offices for the local Government will be designed with appropriate access, with elevators and ramps for disabled people. There is, however, still a lot of work that needs to be done. The commitment is there, not only from the Government but also from the society in general to create awareness for these needs.

The Mayor "Salvador González Reséndiz" urged all of the audience to work together in order to help disabled people, develop their potential and achieve their goals in life.

"It is a small step , but it is only the beginning"

By Don D. Nelson, Attorney at Law, C.P.A.

If you own your Mexican real estate through a Fideicomiso you have a yearly U.S. Tax filing obligation with the IRS. There are two informational forms which must be filed each year by Fideicomisos which have been deemed to be foreign trusts. These filing requirements are set forth below:

• Form 3520A is due on March 15th following the end of each calendar year. The due date of this form can be extended for six months if the extension is filed before the due date.. None of the Banks in Mexico who act as trustee will file this form for your as required by US tax law. Therefore, you must file it yourself since it is you the IRS will penalize if it is not filed. There is a penalty of 5% of the value of the assets in the trust for failing to file this form. This penalty can be waived for resonable cause. The form contains information on the Fideicomiso, its beneficiary(ies), its income and expenses, and the value of its assets, etc.

• Form 3520 is due on the extended due date of your personal tax return. However it is filed separately from your personal return. Failure to file this form can result in a penalty equal to 35% of the value of the Mexican real estate transferred to the Fideicomiso. This penalty is currently waived if you provide the IRS with a reasonable late filing excuse. This form mostly duplicates the same information contained in the form 3520A the addition of other informational items.

• Both of these forms are filed separately from your personal tax return and go to a different address than your tax return.

• The Fideicomiso must secure a US Federal ID number from the IRS. The ownership of all US owners must be reported.

• To date, we have successfully managed to file these forms late for Mexican property owners who did not know their obligation to file, and have succeeded in avoiding all potential penalties.

• If you the property you own in your Fideicomiso has been your primary personal residence for 2 out of the past 5 years, and you filed jointly with your spouse, the first $500,000US ( $250,000US if you are singled) can be exempt on your US tax return. You can claim a foreign tax credit for taxes paid on your sales gain in Mexico against your US tax on any gain on the sale in excess of the exemption amount.

• If the property in your Fideicomiso is a rental, you must report the income and expenses on of the rental on your US tax return. You must depreciate the value of the improvements and structure on the property over a 40 year period. Keep in mind that you must also file and pay income and IVA taxes on your rental income in Mexico or risk problems with the Hacienda.

In the past year several attorneys have written articles analyzing the IRS foreign trust filing requirements and have expressed their opinion that a Fideicomiso is not a foreign trust and should not have to file Form 3520 and 3520A. That is good theory, but does not reflect the position of the IRS. Unfortunately the Fideicomiso document is worded as a foreign trust, holds title to the property in your behalf, and is administered by the Mexican Bank trustee. The IRS has never issued any pronouncement in writing that exempts Fideicomisos from filing the forms. Representatives of the IRS have indicated that it does not have any plan to exempt Fideicomisos from filng these forms. Therefore, if you chose not to file you are at risk of being assessed the high penalties for nonfiling as set forth previously.

If you own your Mexican real estate through a Mexican corporation you are required to file Form 5471 each year with your US income tax return. This form reports various information on the shareholders, income and expenses, and assets and liabilities of the corporation and the property it holds. Failure to file this form on filing it late can result in a $10,000 per year penalty. If you have a reasonable excuse for late filing that penalty is currently usually waived, though this policy may change in the future.

___________________________________________________________________________

Don D. Nelson is a U.S. Attorney and C.P.A. who has been assisting US Citizens who live, work or own property in Mexico with their US tax return filing requirements and tax planning for over 20 years. His clients have "attorney-client" privilege which is not available from other tax preparers and C.P.A.s. In the past six years he has assisted a large number of Americans file their Fideicomiso US Tax Forms and has been to date very successful in helping all of them avoid any penalties for filing past years or filing late. Whether the IRS will continue to waive the penalty in future years is not known.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico sees 2011 revs growth of 5-6%; co reports passenger traffic decrease of 1.3% for November 2010 (39.14 +0.41) : Co sees 2011 revs growth of 5-6%, Aeronautical Revenues: Increase between 4.5% and 5.5%, Commercial Revenues: Increase between 5.5% and 6.5%. Co also announced preliminary terminal passenger traffic figures for the month of November 2010 compared to traffic figures for November 2009. During November 2010, total terminal passengers decreased 1.3% compared to the previous year; domestic passenger traffic decreased 0.9%, while international passenger traffic decreased 2.1% compared to October 2009.

TVPUERTOVALLARTA.COM

The words, crossing the Mexican border, spark apprehension, especially if driving is involved. However, many Puerto Vallarta locals make the journey several times per year.

"It is not that big of deal," says Robina Oliver. She drives across the US - Mexican border as many as six times in a year. She goes on to say, "My husband and I cross in Nuevo Laredo and there is varying amounts of traffic, depending on the time of day and the day of the week and if it's a holiday period or not. The longest we have ever waited was about 40 minutes and the shortest we ever waited was about three minutes. When actually crossing the border, there are several lanes and you just choose a lane and you get up there and the custom agents look at your passport and they want to look at your car and see what you have in your trunk and that's it, you're in."

The line separating the United States and Mexico stretches close to two-thousand miles and is the most frequently crossed international border in the world, with about 250 million people making their way across every year.

"We've never really encountered any problems at the border at all," says Robina, "We've never seen any issues, nothing, ever. I mean obviously you read about things but, we have never witnessed any of that ourselves."

Robina and Carlos suggest using common sense when traveling on the road in Mexico or the United States.

"We start early like 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning," says Carlos Vasquez, "We drive about 12 hours and we don't drive at night. We sleep over and the next day, the same thing again." It takes two days to get from the city to Austin, Texas, which is their US destination. They cross in Laredo and really enjoy the drive.

Both are animated when they talk about the different scenery the encounter on their journey and it really changes from the sea level features of Puerto Vallarta to the mountains around Guadalajara. Robina says, "The roads are good, they are straight, they are flat, they are not full of pot holes and we usually travel the free roads, el libre, from Guadalajara to Saltillo to Monterrey and from Monterrey we take the quota or toll roads because it gets really congested there with a lot of 18-wheeler trucks."

They enjoy the picturesque little towns along the way and stopping at their favorite burrito stand about an hour north of Guadalajara. Mexico is country where there are a lot of things to see on the road. Carlos says he feels safe while driving because there are plenty of Federales on the highways.

The U S State Department's warnings about travel to Mexican border towns such as Juarez, Tijuana and Matamoras should be taken seriously and it is recommended you drive through these border towns early in the morning and get through as quickly as possible. When driving stay alert, keep your map handy and chances are good your journey will be happy and safe.

A family in western Mexico was in shock Thursday after finding a tiger, which had escaped from a circus, lying on their patio, police said.

The tiger terrified the town of Zitacuaro, in western Michoacan state, as it wandered the streets for an hour and a half before entering a house, a local police officer said.

The tiger "went through the house and lay down on the patio," the officer said. "The family was terrified and they hid."

"But these tigers are peaceful, they don't attack," he added.

A total of three tigers escaped from their circus cages when the doors were left open Wednesday.

A trainer recovered two of them quickly, using chickens as bait, while the local pound picked up the third tiger after its town excursion.

A bus hit a stray elephant that had escaped from a circus on a central Mexican highway in September, killing the driver and the animal