Good morning Ladies Gentlemen: OF, my long time friend, and Jeannie, my new one. To answer your question on La Yesca, no, that will continue happily and profitably on it's way.

The violence that is constantly being reported is basically a border problem, and a few growing centers. I could equate it to violence in Chigago, New York, New Orleans and Los Angeles in the United States. It is NOT representative of Mexico in general either! In fact it horrifies most Mexicans also.

As for the rest of the country, because of the remoteness of many regions, some still basically uknown, drugs are grown, yes. Two examples ----

Up at Las Colorados, Sinaloa, a bit south of Jim's project near Culican, they happily grow both Marijuana & Opium. The system is well organized. they always know when the military is going to make a raid and for a few days we always had a no of free / volunteer workers at the mill hehe. We had a type of "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" arangement. they left us alone, and in turn ----..

Up at Tayopa, the same arrangement applies. They are mostly friends and actually protect us from outsiders and show us things that we would never see, such as collapsed portals of the past, and new veins.

Most of the growers are simple farmers that do not have many other ways to earn money for their families So when the representatives of the big boys arrive with money to plant and to buy the harvest, naturally they agree. Of course there are zones where local lords do get violent.

Most of the growers are simple, peaceful people. they would love to see mines opened up in their areas for the Jobs rather than planting drugs.

Basically this was started in W-2 when the US gave them poppy seeds and encouraged them to plant them, paying high prces for the opium which was used for medicinal purposes in the war effort. When the war ended, they were curtly informed that this was now a no, no.

Being simple people, they didn't understand why today they were being hailed as critical War helpers, then tomorrow as vile criminals for exactly the same thing. So as a result, it was a preset up situation for the Organized drug groups. They gradually gathered in enormous power through money and simple violence. However most of the violence is directed towards rivals, not the population in general. there is no profit in killing outsiders, so it is discouraged.

Frankly, I feel safer in Mexico than I do in most US larger cities, especially at night.

Side thingie, Mexico is loaded with smaller Au & Ag deposits which are largly being ignored, except for far thinking individuals such as Jim who recognizes their potential.

Several smaller producers can easily equal a larger one profit wise, with far less acquisition and operating costs. Jim right on track.

Don Jose De La Mancha

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