Mexico Mexico - Jenny Chen, 26, Oaxaca, 11 April 2016 #1

[Satchie]

problems now in Guerrero:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/w...tudents-ends-on-note-of-frustration.html?_r=0

On September 26 2014 a large group of students attending rural teachers college hijacked 5 commercial buses, planning to use them to travel to a rally in Mexico City. The students had done this type of commandeering buses in past years, but this time they were forcefully attacked. 43 of the students were taken and presumably killed by the local drug gang in cooperation with local police members.

The most credible theory I've heard so far for this bizarre event is that one of the buses they stole was being used to smuggle heroine and possibly had a shipment of heroine hidden on board.

If you can see the connection to Jenny's disappearance, please tell.

 

[JerseyGirl]

just seeing gangs, cartels, violence and killings in the area where she traveled.

 

[Satchie]

just seeing gangs, cartels, violence and killings in the area where she traveled.

Guerrero is hundreds of miles northwest, she was travelling southeast.

Sorry, but it's like saying what happened in Pike County Ohio explains why a person's gone missing in Washington, DC.

Mexico is as large and varied as the US.

 

[margarita25]

The Attorney General of the State of Oaxaca in a statement.

http://www.oaxaca.gob.mx/solicitud-para-localizar-a-la-joven-jenny-chen-ciudadana-americana/

http://www.animalpolitico.com/2016/...viajaba-de-mochilazo-y-desaparecio-en-oaxaca/

From above:

 

[TravelingBug]

<snip>

Some things I'd like to know:
1. Did her husband go to Cancun as planned, to meet her? I haven't seen confirmation.
2. I would like to know how they met.
3. What is her educational background?
4. I find it odd that in some posts, she comes across as being quite the penny pincher and possibly even short on cash (or maybe just overly frugal?) but in other posts she seems to have a lot of cash. I wonder if she planned her funds enough to be gone so long.

I'm hoping that something happened to her smart phone and she is just in an area that she can not get in touch with anyone and will surface soon. I guess in this scenario, that might be the best case.

ETA: I guess I should have read better. She is 26 and they met in 2008 while he was working in China. Makes her 18-ish when they met.

To me this:

The two agreed to meet up at the Cancun airport on April 15, but Chen never showed up. The last time family and friends heard from her was 4 days earlier.

On Friday, he's planning to head back to Mexico to try to retrace his wife's steps.

which is from one of the first articles in post 5 seems to indicate YES he did go.

It seems it was when she didn't show up when he was there at the airport that it was apparent something at least was going on.

Plus they said he was (initially, at least) "planning to go back" - which indicates to me that he had been there at least at some point prior.

I'm most curious about WHEN he got there.

Was he planning to travel some before meeting her at the airport? Or was he just flying in and meeting her at the airport straightaway?

If it's the former, as it reads to me, then when/where did he arrive and where was he in the intervening time?

And if so, how close to the timeline of the last time anyone else heard from her 4 days prior? :thinking:

Also, it says the last time family/friends had contact was 4 days prior, but it doesn't specify if the husband also didn't hear from her during those 4 days.

 

[Cryptic]

On September 26 2014 a large group of students attending rural teachers college hijacked 5 commercial buses, planning to use them to travel to a rally in Mexico City. The students had done this type of commandeering buses in past years, but this time they were forcefully attacked. 43 of the students were taken and presumably killed by the local drug gang in cooperation with local police members.

The most credible theory I've heard so far for this bizarre event is that one of the buses they stole was being used to smuggle heroine and possibly had a shipment of heroine hidden on board.

If you can see the connection to Jenny's disappearance, please tell.

Though the buses in question could have been used to smuggle heroin, but I don't think it was why the students were murdered. The students were all members of a quasi leftwing group that is known to protest against corruption while calling for social changes in poorer Mexican areas. Among other things, these social changes include an end to the practice where nobody becomes a teacher in town "X" unless they are related to those holding local political offices and make supporting the "powers that be" a big part of their lesson plans. This tends helps create a "circle of love" where the youth are indoctrinated into supporting local authorities no matter how bad they are. Anyways, the local authorities (and in that town, the local authorities and the local narco cartel are essentially the same) feared that the student protest would challenge their control over the town- espescially if the students occupied government buildings and then called in more protestors. With this fear in mind, the local police intercepted the students enroute, then turned them over to the narco group which killed them.

As a side note, the left wing group in question used to have armed membership the 1970s before the Mexican government made them "disappear". The fact that there has not been any armed response against the local cartel members and that the cartel was not afraid to take such drastic action shows that left wing groups in Mexico cannot protect their own. This is in contrast to Columbia where armed leftist guerilla groups charged dug cartels rent for fields, landing strips, processing factories etc. They also told the narco groups that though they may find some leftwing occupier protest groups annoying, they needed to tolerate them.

 

[FlowerDoll]

Her husband mentioned he interviewed a bunch of people yesterday and have some interesting leads, which is good.

This girl does look awfully young, petite, naive, gullible... which is a perfect target for kidnapping and/or human/sex trafficking. Not to mention Mexicans find asian women 'exotic'.

I'm surprised by this suggestion that she's a victim of human trafficking. The Wikipedia article has lots of info on how young women are lured in, eg unwed teen mothers rejected by their families.

Traffickers, like pimps, are businessmen. The use bullying tactics, but they also depend on the victim going along with the arrangement, because the victims feel they have no other option. IMO they wouldn't want a woman who, although naive, has an appointment with her American husband, voluntarily quit a job in a bank, speaks several languages, has a network of friends on social media and an airline ticket for Cuba. It would require too much effort and risk to guard and control her, compared with a girl who's never been away from home and will submissively do whatever a man tells her to do and never fight back or try to escape.

Are you serious? Please read up on other cases such as Amy Bradley. She was supposedly kidnapped into trafficking on a cruise trip. Her family was frantically looking for her the next morning. Lots of women gone missing and supposedly kidnapped into trafficking in Latin American/Mexican countries.

Anyways, god bless this woman. Hopefully she gets found/saved and learns her lesson to be more logical in traveling. Hitchhiking is dangerous in Mexico, especially, when you almost got raped a few days prior.

 

[margarita25]

I'm surprised by this suggestion that she's a victim of human trafficking. The Wikipedia article has lots of info on how young women are lured in, eg unwed teen mothers rejected by their families.

Traffickers, like pimps, are businessmen. The use bullying tactics, but they also depend on the victim going along with the arrangement, because the victims feel they have no other option. IMO they wouldn't want a woman who, although naive, has an appointment with her American husband, voluntarily quit a job in a bank, speaks several languages, has a network of friends on social media and an airline ticket for Cuba. It would require too much effort and risk to guard and control her, compared with a girl who's never been away from home and will submissively do whatever a man tells her to do and never fight back or try to escape.

I think that anyone can become a victim of trafficking or held against their will. Sometimes extreme fear tactics and threats (hurting family) are used, and/or getting them under their control by forcing them drugs and getting them addicted. While vulnerability often plays a role, I do not think that this is always difinitely the case. Jmo.

Eta: Jenny is/was vulnerable being alone and trusting.

 

[margarita25]

Just bringing all possibilities to the table, while I think foul play is likely here, remember Lisanne and Kris, the Dutch tourists in Panama who diappeared while on a hike, and were later found deceased? It has been stated by LE that they think they likely fell off a cliff. Any chance Jenny might have encountered a similar danger while hiking in a dangerous spot? I wonder if she maybe was touring the Mayan ruins since she was making her way towards Cancun?.I don't think accident at the ruins would be likely, although Tulum is pretty high up and over the water...was she a good swimmer? Just looking at all angles. Any jungle hikes? Just trying to look at all possible angles. I'm afraid foul play is at the top of my list though due to the hitchhiking and couchsurfing. I need to go back, did she have any political agendas? This case makes me very sad. Not blaming anyone, but was her husband OK with her hitchhiking and couchsurfing alone through Mexico?

 

[otto]

Her husband mentioned he interviewed a bunch of people yesterday and have some interesting leads, which is good.

This girl does look awfully young, petite, naive, gullible... which is a perfect target for kidnapping and/or human/sex trafficking. Not to mention Mexicans find asian women 'exotic'.



Are you serious? Please read up on other cases such as Amy Bradley. She was supposedly kidnapped into trafficking on a cruise trip. Her family was frantically looking for her the next morning. Lots of women gone missing and supposedly kidnapped into trafficking in Latin American/Mexican countries.

Anyways, god bless this woman. Hopefully she gets found/saved and learns her lesson to be more logical in traveling. Hitchhiking is dangerous in Mexico, especially, when you almost got raped a few days prior.

Not everyone believes that Amy Bradley was a victim of human trafficking. It was also suggested (for months) that Natalie Holloway, who vanished in Aruba, was a victim of human trafficking and we know that didn't happen.

I doubt that this girl was kidnapped into a human trafficking environment. It's more likely that she was hitchhiking, was picked up by the wrong person, was assaulted and murdered, and is lying somewhere in the fields of Mexico.

 

[Portabella]

From what I have read, she did very little hiking to be honest. I mean she would got to a town and hike around the town to explore, but as far as actual hiking to a destination, she has taken buses or hitched. Even when she went deep into the mountains from a town, she hitched.

Also, it sounded to me like she initially was going to bus to Cancun, but decided to hitch to face her fears due to an encounter she has (almost raped by two men while hitching, just days before). She had four days to get to Cancun and stated its over half the Country of Mexico away, so she planned on making good time. So I am assuming she did not plan on sightseeing other then what she saw on the road while moving to her destination. (Cancun). Her husband was meeting her there, they were then flying out for Cuba I believe.

I am not certain she got taken by Cartel, but would not be surprised. But I think more then likely she got in with the wrong man/men and Poof. I have hitched cross America many years ago, you really are prey on the road. Its all just luck, until it runs out.

All of this is just my OPINION.....

 

[otto]

From what I have read, she did very little hiking to be honest. I mean she would got to a town and hike around the town to explore, but as far as actual hiking to a destination, she has taken buses or hitched. Even when she went deep into the mountains from a town, she hitched.

Also, it sounded to me like she initially was going to bus to Cancun, but decided to hitch to face her fears due to an encounter she has (almost raped by two men while hitching, just days before). She had four days to get to Cancun and stated its over half the Country of Mexico away, so she planned on making good time. So I am assuming she did not plan on sightseeing other then what she saw on the road while moving to her destination. (Cancun). Her husband was meeting her there, they were then flying out for Cuba I believe.

I am not certain she got taken by Cartel, but would not be surprised. But I think more then likely she got in with the wrong man/men and Poof. I have hitched cross America many years ago, you really are prey on the road. Its all just luck, until it runs out.

All of this is just my OPINION.....

I'm stunned to read that she was almost raped, and then she still decided to hitchhike afterward. Most people learn from experience, but apparently she did not.

 

[pukasonqo2]

i am surprised that she continued to hitchhike, and don't want people to think that i am blaming the victim which i am not but travelling in southamerica as a lonely female is pretty risky; our countries are very macho orientated (sadly and infuriatingly so) and i don't think that has changed much since i left.
in the majority, southamericans are nice and friendly but, like in any country in the world, you have to think carefully and make informed decisions about where and how you are travelling around; mexico is and can be dangerous and violent and not only for foreigners, i think jenny was a bit naive about it and might not be as knowledgeable about the subtleties of a macho orientated culture where violence seems to be the answer to anything.


Lupus est *advertiser censored* homini, non *advertiser censored*, quom qualis sit non novit

 

[TheAutomaton]

I'd like to know who took the picture of her hitchhiking...

I don't know how shy she is meant to have been, but many times in my life I've had people ask me to use their camera to take a photo of them. I would say it's very likely that the person who took the photo had nothing to do with her at all.

 

[otto]

I don't know how shy she is meant to have been, but many times in my life I've had people ask me to use their camera to take a photo of them. I would say it's very likely that the person who took the photo had nothing to do with her at all.

I can't see how a person taking a photo would suddenly grab her off the street and make her disappear. People who live in the area need to come forward and report any family members who were suddenly delayed by a couple of hours on the last day she was known to be alive.

 

[KaaBoom]

Her husband mentioned he interviewed a bunch of people yesterday and have some interesting leads, which is good.

This girl does look awfully young, petite, naive, gullible... which is a perfect target for kidnapping and/or human/sex trafficking. Not to mention Mexicans find asian women 'exotic'.



Are you serious? Please read up on other cases such as Amy Bradley. She was supposedly kidnapped into trafficking on a cruise trip. Her family was frantically looking for her the next morning. Lots of women gone missing and supposedly kidnapped into trafficking in Latin American/Mexican countries.

I&#8217;m sorry but I think that's weak evidence that the problem even exists. Amy Bradly disappeared from a cruise ship. More then likely she was drunk and fell overboard, or maybe she was murdered, and thrown overboard.

 

[KaaBoom]

I don't know how shy she is meant to have been, but many times in my life I've had people ask me to use their camera to take a photo of them. I would say it's very likely that the person who took the photo had nothing to do with her at all.

But there have been some reports that she was seen traveling with a man. Yes, tourists ask locals to take their picture all the time, but that&#8217;s around tourist attractions, not at some random spot on the side of the road to prove that they are hitchhiking. Plus asking someone to take your picture is so 1990s. Now days people just take selfies. She could have taken her own picture at the toll plaza. She didn&#8217;t have to ask some random person to do it for her.

 

[mrsobrien]

I can't see how a person taking a photo would suddenly grab her off the street and make her disappear. People who live in the area need to come forward and report any family members who were suddenly delayed by a couple of hours on the last day she was known to be alive.

I was thinking more about someone she may have befriended rather than a random person on the street.
I'd just like to know more about the situation.

 

[Satchie]

I'm stunned to read that she was almost raped, and then she still decided to hitchhike afterward. Most people learn from experience, but apparently she did not.

Having managed to get out safely from that encounter, she may have had a rush of confidence, believing that since she'd survived that, she could survive anything.

Young people are known to be reckless and overconfident - that's why, for eg, they have to pay exhorbitant auto insurance premiums. I think she was still in that phase.

 

[otto]

Having managed to get out safely from that encounter, she may have had a rush of confidence, believing that since she'd survived that, she could survive anything.

Young people are known to be reckless and overconfident - that's why, for eg, they have to pay exhorbitant auto insurance premiums. I think she was still in that phase.

I guess she wanted to live on the edge, experience risk while playing with her life.