Another thought on the violence in Mexico.
I am aware of 2 kidnappings of persons I know on the Mexican side of the border in 2008.
The first case occurred sometime in March. The son of a customer of mine was kidnapped and held until settlement was reached (approx $20k). It seems that the parents had been mistaken for not paying the normal business expenses. In border mercantile businesss, the most lucrative merchandise is the illegal merchandise. Drugs going North, Guns, and in this case used clothing going south. Apparently there was a clerical error and even though the boys parents were in the system (yes, the Mafia uses portable computers with wireless internet), ie paying "the man", Junior was apprehended. Once he was in custody, some payment had to be arranged.
The original ransom was $40K.
The second case was the owner of a casa de cambio (money exchange house) in Matamoros. I just discovered yesterday that his businesses are now closed because he was kidnapped 2 weeks ago. This one will cost alot more (they are asking for a $1M). I expect some settlement will be reached eventually.
None of these cases will reach the media or officially the police.
You see these are not random occurances. The organization knows who they want and how much they might get. An American riding a motorcycle, although enviable in lifestyle, is still an American. He or she probable doesn't have $20-30K in cash, forget a million. That's a waste of time for the mafia.
Whenever you leave stateside there are no guarantees. My nephew was kidnapped in India for a week during 2007. Google "scams in India" and you will see what happened to him. He was living in Asia for 3 years already. He was not wet the behind the ear. It just happened.
Keep a low profile, try not to get drunk in public, and avoid any contact with those who might be involved in illegal drugs. Beware of the frigates flying around those plazas. Before long, someone might approach you (lets face it, we are Americans) and offer drugs,etc...Turn and shut that door. The only thing entering your life will be increased risk.
Pinklloyd