Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas, has seen a serious increase in narco-violence which has stirred the business community to action for fear of losing its important tourist economy. Tourists have not been victims of this sort of violence, but they have suffered from crimes committed by police. Typically, tourists have been detained by police, or people posing as police, for supposed infractions and then been forced to pay a fine on the spot. In one case, a San Antonio off-duty policeman was detained, driven to a remote location, and forced to pay a fine or be detained indefinitely. Authorities are cracking down on such police crime, but few Americans are willing to return to testify in court, so many crimes go unpunished.
