"July 29, 2006: Drug violence has harmed the city of Nuevo Laredo. Long known as an up and coming Mexican "port city," and perhaps infamous as a party town (with its prostitute district, Boys Town), the rampant drug-related violence has closed a number of Mexican businesses in Nuevo Laredo and sent the economy into a tailspin. At least 40 Nuevo Laredo companies have shut down due to the violence. Many of the firms have moved across the border to Laredo, Texas -- where the cops are clean and the streets are comparatively safe. The breakdown in law and order in Mexican border towns is creating a warlike atmosphere, as gunmen openly move about, and open fire in the streets. [ Now there's big surprise. Secure the borders? What kind of a silly idea is that? -ed. ] "