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Eduardo Verdugo / AP
Armando Montano, 22, poses for an ID photo at the Associated Press office in Mexico City on June 4.
Police in Mexico City are investigating the death of an Associated Press summer intern whose body was found early Saturday in an elevator shaft.
Armando "Mando" Montano, 22, was working as a news intern for the AP in the Mexican capital. His body was found in the elevator shaft of an apartment building near where he was living in the city’s Condesa neighborhood, AP reported.
Montano had been in Mexico City since early June after graduating from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. He was not on assignment at the time of his death, according to the AP. The U.S. Embassy is monitoring Mexican authorities as they investigate the circumstances of his death.
Montano, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a concentration in Latin American studies from Grinnell. During his time with the Associated Press, he covered stories including the saga of nine young elephants from Namibia who wound up on animal reserve in Mexico’s Puebla state, and the shooting of three federal policemen at the Mexico City airport, the AP said.
“Armando was a smart, joyful, hardworking and talented young man,” said Marjorie Miller, AP’s Latin America editor based in Mexico City. “In his short time with the AP, he won his way into everyone’s hearts with his hard work, his effervescence and his love of the profession.”
Montano had said he planned to pursue a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Barcelona in the fall.
Montano’s other journalism experience includes reporting for The New York Times, The Colorado Independent, The Seattle Times, and the Scarlet & Black, Grinnell’s College student newspaper.
“Mando was a standout young journalist, with a rare passion and exuberance for life and for people,” Richard Berke, an assistant managing editor at The New York Times, told the AP. “He accomplished so much and touched so many in a short time, and his potential was truly limitless.”
Montano was the recipient of an Ellen Masin Persina Scholarship from the National Press Club in 2008, a Newhouse Scholar with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in 2008 and a Chips Quinn Scholar from the Freedom Forum for Diversity in 2011, according to the AP. He belonged to the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
He was born in Massachusetts and grew up in Colorado, but he lived for two years as a child in Costa Rica and spent time in Argentina and on the U.S.-Mexico border with his family.
Montano is survived by his parents, Diane Alters and Mario Montano, of Colorado Springs, who both teach at Colorado College.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Acts of violence like this are why we need to drop a NUKE on Mexico and do away with the problems like drug cartels and ILLEGAL aliens from affecting the United States of America!! Nothing good EVER came out of Mexico including it's people!!
But we should start by killing all racist in the US nothing good ever comes from them in our country!!
TO
TOMKAT372:
Acts of violence like this are why we need to drop a NUKE on Mexico and do away with the problems like drug cartels and ILLEGAL aliens from affecting the United States of America!! Nothing good EVER came out of Mexico including it's people!!
DROP A NUKE? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? MAYBE YOU SHOULD DROP A NUKE ON ALL THE DRUG USERS, BUT THEN THERE WOULD BE NO U.S.A.!!! LMFAO!! YOUR SOOOOO STUPID, YOU CANT EVEN TELL YOUR BUTT HOLE FROM YOUR MOUTH!! YOUR MOTHER SHOULD HAVE ABORTED YOU AT BIRTH! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A BURDEN ON SOCIETY! YOUR WIFE HATES YOU! YOUR MISERY POURS OUT THROUGH YOUR PORES & YOUR LIFE SUCKS! NUKE YOURSELF AND DO SOCIETY A FAVOR!!! FOCUS ON ALL YOUR DRUG ADDICT FRIENDS, FAMILY, NEIGHBORS AND YOURSELF BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO STONE OTHERS!! YOU BASTARD PIECE OF !@#$%^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Doubtlessly, it would seem, Armando was doing everything he could to assure that the U.S. become like Mexico - everything, in other words, he could to support continued illegal immigration. I can't know that for certain, of course, journalism and the news media of which Armando was a part being as unreliable as it is.
Maybe, on the other hand, he happened say, or someone Mexican thought he might say, that illegal immigration was unfair to Norte Americanos (including Mexicans here legally). That would do it, too.
"Issues" has come to mean trouble or problem, our soldiers die for "American interests rather than national defense, "abortion," of course, means killing a baby, and our border with Mexico is "protected as never before" - will "Mexican" come to mean criminally insane?
How about "government?" What does that mean?
What a shock, I can't believe it. Found dead in an elevator shaft in Mexico. What the h e l l did he expect living in a lawless state? I know this stuff happens everywhere in the world but use common sense people. Mexico is governed and run by drug cartels so do you really think it's safe to live there??
Unfortunate. That said, Mexico is a lost cause. When elements of Mexico's Law Enforcement and Military infrastructure are allegiant to the criminals, there is no Country left. If there is no safety and security and your live your days in fear, it's understandable why Mexican citizens would want to leave.
50,000 people dead all because the Mexican Government is trying to correct the problem. It makes you wonder what the actual cost would have to be to purge the plague of crime and corruption in Mexico.
Wow!! The United States sure does have alot of druggies buying dope from the Mexican Cartel's. I mean the U.S. buys so much dope, the cartel's have enough money to buy the government in Mexico...From my friends in Mexico to the U.S. drug addicts, I would like to say thanks for the economic help you druggies provide. If it weren't for all you Drug addicts, Mexico would not have these drug lords...Does that make sense to any of you egotistic, selfish, retarded, one-minded proud Americans who hate mexicans, but love their food, women and their ability to build and work hard outdoors and be nannies to all you white people's kids who just dont have the patience or "time" to take care of a child you made!! America is full of biggots that dont even understand another country's people...Stop using so much methamphetines, cocaine, marijuana and then you can have a valid point. Oh, also, why in the world is the United States exporting so many weapons to Mexico? Does anyone have an answer to that? IDIOTS!!! YOU WILL NEVER BE A PROUD COUNTRY LIKE MEXICO, BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE TOO EGOTISTICAL TO SEE ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW!!! LMFAO!!!
To common cents;
My grandmother and aunt came from another country Worked as a nannie and cook for many years and raised her family. Her legal husband died and she continued to work Without public assistance, food stamps and medicaid. Wasn't around back then. Now all you need to do is get pregnant apply for medicaid Even if you are elligal. delivery paid for by AMERICAN TAXPAYERS! and the best yet you now have a US Citizen who you apply for Public Assistance, Food stamps, and Medicaid Again, all on the taxpayers back. have three or four children work off the books and you can survive very nicely THIS COUNTRY IS NOT PERFECT MUCH LIKE OTHER COUNTRIES BUT YOU BETTER BELIEVE WE ARE A PROUD COUNTRY PEOPLE OF ALL ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS GAVE THEIR LIVES SO WE COULD REMAIN FREE. MEXICO HAS SOME VERY BIG PROBLEMS TO OVERCOME BUT PLEASE DO NOT COMPARE IT TO THE USA. Maybe you shoudnt be so racist in your feeling toward white people after all we are another countries people too. Why do you want to stay here if its so bad? hmmmmmm maybe you like being free and safe too.
To
Adele Sutton:
My mother and father came from Mexico 40 years ago and had myself and my brother and NEVER in her life did she receive public assistance, food stamps and/or medicaid. Where do you get off, claiming that ALL mexicans do that? Thats sooo stupid! You believe the media too much!! Do you have any data to support those statements or you "heard" an honest politician make the statement right? LOL!! Another ignorant American!! They got their legalization and are now american citizens by law. My mother owns 100 acres of land in Mexico and rents it out for money and spends 1/2 the year in the US and the other half in Mexico. She pays taxes here and has private insurance, which by the way makes stockholders and private owners alot of money, you know what I mean? They live and enjoy two great countries! My DAD paid cash for my delivery and my brothers and he has receipts to prove that! SO you stereotyping all mexicans and saying theyre all on wellfare is the most ignorant thing you could say! Thats like if I said all "priests" in the USA are having anal and oral sex with all the kids they come in contact with!! That would be a stupid and ignorant statement right? In Mexico, people like Sandusky are lynched, in the USA, they are covered up like people like you who are too afraid to stand up! Mexico's problem is the USA keeps sending machine guns, rocket launchers, bombs, grenades, rifles and bullets!! And I dont want to stay in this country, I'm saving up my money so I could go live in Alamos, Sonora Mexico, where by the way there are soooo many white people because its so beautiful and peaceful, and not one GRINGO has been killed right? So, the drug cartels are not targeting innocent people, they go after thieves and unloyal people stepping on their toes. Its kind of like when Wal-Mart opens up in a new city and they "KILL" the rest of the businesses in the are and those owners dreams, same @!$%#, different animal!!! The media is a bunch of idiots and you are to for believing what they say...Mexico has so many tourist destinations, if you ever read about Carroll Shelby's loves, you will read that he owns a ranch in MEXICO and it was one of his favorite things to do. You should focus more on commenting about the @!$%# that goes on in the U.S. like that guy in Florida who was eating the other guys face, or the mass shootings in schools that constantly happens in the US not in MEXICO, or the billions of dollars the greedy people from wallstreet steal and make people commit suicide for their thievery and ruining so many peoples lives. Their acts are so heineous, they dont have to kill people, they make people kill themselves!! AM I RIGHT OR AM I RIGHT??
Like JenniGentle said , not enough information to make an accurate opinion, but the way I personally see it is that it seems a lovers gay quarrel.. It’s not a typical Narc killing !!! Narcs kidnaps, tortures cuts your head off or shoots you in the back of the head after taking days or weeks of precision torture !!! They don’t kill in public places unless its mass killing , not their signature and they are never in a hurry , no one is going to interfere !!! . The way this news is presented wants to give the impression of Narc murder, but ALL NARC assassinations have a define signature. ALWAYS !!!
Like JenniGentle said, not enough information to make an accurate opinion, but the way I personally see it; it seems a lover’s gay quarrel.. It’s not a typical Narc killing!!! Narcs first kidnaps you, they cut your head off or shoots you in the back of the head after taking days or weeks of precision torture!!! They don’t kill in public places unless it’s mass killing; not their signature and they are never in a hurry, no one is going to interfere!!! . The way this news is presented wants to give the impression of a Narc murder, but ALL NARC assassinations have a define signature. ALWAYS !!! and the bodies always appear in isolated dumpsters, or forests. The only times the bodies show up in the city is when they are making a statement. Such as 60 decapitated people in the main street or 6 hanged from a transited bridge. If they where to disclose how this person died, it would immediately show it’s not a Narc killing!! Narcs only have 3 signatures and am willing to bet he has none of them!!! Don’t be misled; this one has nothing to do with Narcs… Not that Narcs are not a huge problem in Mexico and the US; it’s just that to be misled is wrong…. And those presenting the news should understand we are not that easy to manipulate !!!
As long as what happens in Mexico stays in Mexico its fine with me. Why has our government allowed and I say ALLOWED so many to cross the border into our country. Anytime the govenment wants something stopped the order is given and its done. Whenever money is involved backs are turned the oher way. Why do we have to get involved with trying to clean up the choices other countries make. If people can't live by the laws and rules of this country DONT COME HERE. I see so many NEW immigrents who come to this country not to assimilate but to make it whats benificial for them and pick and choose what laws they feel l ike obeying. The system is being so abused and our government allows it. I cant image what made this young man go to Mexico knowing what kind of goverment they run From what read from time to time even the police are 80% corupt or they too would not be alive Mexico Give me a Break!!! WHAT WE NEED IS THE PRESIDENT TO PROTECT OUR BOARDERS AND ARIZONA JUST KEEP STANDING YOUR GROUND.
To Adele Sutton:
Did you read about the cop who would waive a ticket for having sex with him, it happened recently, I believe in Texas. Did you read about the police officer who tried to smuggle drugs across the border? Have you heard about that? Did you hear about the border patrol officers allowing drugs to come in for some quick cash? Do you think American police officers are saints or what is up? You are living in lala land! You have no right to trash talk another governments officers if your governments officers are @!$%#ty too!! You see, if you went to school you would know something called "supply and demand". The US demands that people send them drugs and they will stop at nothing to get those drugs, so Mexico supplies it! Is that a hard concept to understand? Ok, here is another one, Mexico demands weapons, so the US supplies them. Ok, here is another one. WHITE BUSINESS OWNERS demand to pay @!$%#ty wages, so Mexico supplies people who will adhere to those WHITE BUSINESS OWNERS desires. You see, then the WHITE BUSINESS OWNERS have more money to go spend on prostitutes, drugs, raping little children and traveling to the beautiful country of MEXICO! If you need me to explain further, please respond....This is getting fun!! VIVA MEXICO!!!!!
C123 You are wrong that drugs don't hurt anybody. I will completely agree with you that some people can use them recreationally harmlessly. However I sit in a courtroom and watch the broken marriages, abused children, stolen items all to support a drug habit. I see generations raised without parents because they are checked out and high. I watch the devestation to families. It is prescription and legal and illegal. It is gutwrenching to watch. I am not addressing marijuana, but methamphetamine, oxycoton and the likes.
He went to a wasteland. I'm sure he felt safe but still knew something could happen.
To Willis:
Wasteland? How dare you? Google images of vacation spots in Mexico and that should change your mind real quick. Wasteland is when you go to Safeway in Tucson, AZ and some psycho starts shooting everyone in sight including children and senators. Dangerous is when once or twice a year there is a college or some school in the US where someone decides to go on a shooting rampage. That is wasteland! Wasteland is when wallstreet steals sooooo much money from people that those people end up killing themselves! Wasteland is where people like Sandusky are allowed to take showers with little children and every white devil covers up for them! So you were saying?
Viva Mexico!!! Viva!!!
Well let's see, who should they investigate? I know, tell the Mexican Police to go check out the men's bathroom the suspect is hiding out in the mirror!
"During his time with the Associated Press, he covered stories including the....shooting of three federal policemen at the Mexico City airport,"
That says it all right there. There's no doubt in my mind that the Cartel, which was behind the shooting at the airport, had him killed. I'd like to think that justice will be served but since the Cartels own the legal system in Mexico, most likely that won't happen. :{
My deepest sympathies to the family and friends of this promising young man. May he RIP.
Maybe the elevator wasn't working and the poor guy just fell in assuming the elavator was there when it was not. I work at places here in the U.S. where that is a possibility. Or he was killed by the cartel. Or he was killed investigating Fast and Furious. This is a major motion picture. Mexico is a very dangerous place if you are going to rock the boat. Corruption is worse than Chicago of the early 21st century... and yes that's 21.
LMorjina.....THAT HELLHOLE MEXICO that you blatantly refer to has millions of hard working, noble, peace loving, law abiding and very ingenious people of all ages and genders.....white people like you easily mock the harships that we non white races confront on a daily basis due to the US government constant illegal intervention in the so called drug war that the US government is actually promoting instead of fighting...all to prop up the so called Home Land Security...which is actually a US Government tool to slowly erode the US constirutional rights of US citizens and this eventually is trickling down here in Mexico....the failed and much covered operation of "Fast and Furios" where more than 1,200 high caliber weapons were purposely delivered to Mexico BY THE DEA...is a perfect example of US Goverment intervention...those weapons were responsible for hundreds of murders and I can assure you that if the operation were at reverse.....Mexico "Drug Enforcement" sending weapons to Texas and eventually used to murder hundreds of US citizens...white people like you would be up in arms and issuing War Powers to your King Obama....but what happened as a result??....fake emberrasment and fake mia culpas......unfortunately President Calderon has had his COJONES removed by King Obama so he barely let out a complaint that quickly was discarded.....In short dear White Lady....refrain from generalizing all of Mexico as a hellhole as the only thing that comes out of such statements is your obvious ignorance to all non white race challenges by darker race people.
I'm an American and I definitely do not put the word 'king' anywhere near Obama's name. I'm sure the 1,200 guns pulled their own triggers and anyone who wanted to kill someone wouldn't find another way - or another gun not issued by the DEA.
Don't worry, Martin - not all us "white people" are stained with bigotry.
TO CatChick74
& I'm sure all the drugs didnt snort themselves, or get put in water bongs by themselves either...No, "white people" smiled and said "sex, drugs and rock&roll"!!!!!!! I LOVE AMERICA!!! LMFAO!! And if no drugs were supplied by Mexico, Americans would be snorting glue and paint!! In either case, America will be high on some sort of substance!! I'm gonna go smoke a blunt myself from marijuana grown and sold in the good old U.S.A.....................
The "racecard" is the most popular venue to exercise when logic appears to have escaped your mental capacity. Unfortunately, Mexico can now lay claim to the slogan "lawlessness is our name and drugs and murder is our game--visit at your own risk".
Didn't that shooting at the Mexican airport happen within the last two weeks? Could his death be related to that? It's not a stretch to think that the guys who were smuggling drugs and shot three cops would kill one of the guys who was reporting about it.
olebud03 you are an idiot
Mexico's new slogan
welcome to Mexico where lawlessness is our name and drugs and murder is our game---care to visit ?
The guy practically asked for it. Firstly he went to Mexico, secondly he worked for the press. We all know how much the cartels hate journalists.
I have no pity for one who for all intents and purposes committed suicide.
This is about the 15,000,000th reason that we should close the border to Mexico and station our Armed Forces there to protect our country.
Stay within you own comfort zone. If you expose yourself to violence, sooner or later you will be the subject of that violence. People should not think that just because they are an American citizen that they are protectd world wide from violence. God rest his young naive soul.
Any American going into Mexico is Asking for Death ! Stay Home if you are American , if not go Home whatever you are from !