Mexico is now fully committed to the AMBER Alert Program. Top Mexican law enforcement and government officials announced on April 28, 2011, in Mexico City that a national protocol and implementation of Alerta AMBER for the entire country.
The Attorney General's Office will oversee Mexico's AMBER Alert Program with support from the Public Safety Ministry and the National Registry of Missing Persons. The plan will create a network between law enforcement, government officials, and the media to immediately notify the public when a child has been abducted.
"It is necessary to establish coordination, maximize the use of technology, and provide training to those responsible for operating the AMBER Alert in each of the states," said Francisco Blake Mora, Mexico's Secretary of the Interior.
The Mexican House of Representatives is already considering legislation to strengthen and expand the AMBER Alert Program. Rep. Arturo Zamora Jiménez presented an amendment to make the program part of the Mexican legal code.
"This is an act of utmost importance to protect the interests of minors," said Rep. Zamora Jiménez. "We need to commit our country to protecting the rights of children and adolescents and stopping crimes involving Mexican children."
In 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice began the Southern Border Initiative to extend the AMBER Alert Program into Mexico. Baja California launched the first AMBER Alert Program in Mexico in 2009. Tamaulipas, Nuevo Léon, and Sonora are also developing AMBER Alert programs, and Chihuahua has a child abduction alert plan that uses a different name.
OJJDP Program Manager Cecilia Duquela has worked with Fox Valley Technical College for the past five years to make this dream a reality. "Obviously, I'm very proud and excited about this partnership with Mexico to rescue children and bring them home," said Duquela.
She said federal law enforcement agencies and state attorneys general offices were on board since the beginning. "The best way to describe it is engaged," she said. "They are committed to bringing AMBER Alerts into their states."
Mexico plans to have a fully operational nationwide AMBER Alert Program by early 2012.
According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, nearly 400 American children have been recovered in Mexico. "Obviously, you want to make all the resources and tools available to keep all children safe, but this will bring more U.S. children home," added Duquela.