Mexico Suspends Top Cops For "Trust Tests"

284 Federal Cops Face Drug Tests, Lie Detectors As Government Fights Corruption In Drug War

(AP)  Mexico temporarily removed all 284 of its top federal police officers from their jobs and is forcing them to prove they will not be corrupted in the fight against drug trafficking, the government announced Monday.

Mexican authorities often have purged police forces in attempts to eliminate corruption, only to see the fired officers go to work full time for organized crime. This is one of the most extreme measures taken yet in hopes of guaranteeing the honesty of high-ranking officers.

It comes as Mexico seeks more U.S. aid in its crackdown on drug gangs. Washington has long complained about endemic corruption hindering anti-smuggling efforts in Mexico, but Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna said the review came in response to Mexican frustration over corruption, and has nothing to do with U.S. pressure.

In recent years, scores of federal police have been caught working for the drug cartels, tainting what Mexicans once considered their last trustworthy group of officers.

"We are well aware that the Mexican people are demanding police be honest, clean and trustworthy," Garcia Luna said. "It's obvious that there are mafias that don't want the situation to change so they can continue to enrich themselves under the protection of corruption and crime."

Garcia Luna said the 284 high-ranking police would be forced to undergo what he called a "trust test" including anti-doping exams, polygraphs and psychological reviews; investigations of their acquaintances, friends, and family; and checks on whether their assets are in line with their earnings.

Garcia said the 284 officers would keep their ranks while undergoing the evaluation, and the 34 with the best results will be promoted to regional federal police chiefs, the highest positions in the field. Those who flunk the drug and polygraph tests will be off the forces.

A separate group of 16 officers have been ordered to take courses on professionalism after failing initial tests, and six others who refused drug tests will be turned over to internal affairs, Garcia Luna said.

The government wants to avoid firing officers because after past purges officers have gone on to help organized crime improve their communications, weaponry and techniques, officials have said.

The 284 officers are prohibited from speaking publicly until the investigation is completed.

U.S. officials also have recommended that Mexico streamline its tangle of federal police forces, which often compete with each other and refuse to share information. This evaluation focuses on the Federal Preventative Police and the Federal Agency of Investigation, or AFI, which are leading the drug fight with soldiers.

President Felipe Calderon's predecessor, Vicente Fox, created AFI, which is equivalent to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations, shortly after taking office in December 2000 as a replacement for the notoriously corrupt and inept Federal Judicial Police.

But AFI has not been without its problems: In one of the most infamous federal police corruption cases, regional AFI director Armando Villalobos was arrested along with 26 other officers in Cancun in 2004. The arrests were for the deaths of seven people, including three federal agents, in violence linked to a ring that paid police to protect drug smugglers.

State and local police also are suspect. In April, the Nuevo Leon state government arrested an unprecedented 141 state officers, accusing them of working for the powerful Gulf cartel along the Texas border. And in Tijuana earlier this year, soldiers patrolled the streets while local police were disarmed following accusations they protected smugglers.

In a rare acknowledgment of the gravity of violence related to drug trafficking, Mexico's top domestic security official, Interior Secretary Francisco Ramirez, recently said the government had lost control before President Felipe Calderon launched the current offensive.

The heavily armed drug gangs are blamed for more than 1,300 deaths this year, including dozens of decapitations. Calderon responded by sending out more than 24,000 soldiers and federal police to battle the traffickers, and by ordering the creation of an elite military special operations force capable of surgical strikes.

The Calderon administration insists the crackdown is working. More than 1,000 gunmen have been detained, and millions of dollars in marijuana plants burned. Traffickers are being extradited to the U.S. more rapidly than ever before, and police recently made the world's biggest seizure of drug cash, $207 million neatly stacked inside a Mexico City mansion.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials say it's too early to judge the crackdown's success, and U.S. drug seizures indicate the flow across the border may be increasing.

[sclaires]

I do not see where the United States should be the one to fund all the drug eradication programs in other countries when those countries make plenty of money off the drugs. All these countries have to do is take the money that is seized and use it to help eradicate the coca, marijuana, opium poppies, etc plants. It would be a lot easier to burn the plants then anything else. And, that would help stem the tide of the drugs getting into the US. But, these countries do not want to do it the easy way but want and expect the US to pay for the eradication programs. With the corruption that is rampart in the drug growing regions of the world, that is why it is so hard to get rid of the various drugs. If the illegal drugs were not available, then you would not have the addiction that is all over the US. The harder it is to get drugs, the less people you have using them. The less people you have using illegal drugs would help the crime rate to go down since people would not be robbing people, stores, etc for drug money. Then you also would not have the corruption of police or army personnel. DO AWAY WITH THE PLANTS THAT ARE USED TO MAKE ILLEGAL DRUGS!!!!

[lestb35]

"The government wants to avoid firing officers because after past purges officers have gone on to help organized crime improve their communications, weaponry and techniques."

Then put them away for life. Why can't Mexicodo anything right.

[toolmangler-2009]

Legalize all drugs! It's the only way to stop all the corruption as was the case with prohibition. Let them out and make room for the real criminals!
Posted by jinxkity at 12:55 PM : Jun 26, 2007


Yes we would move from prisons to rehab centers and morgues.
Posted by xzavierbrown at 03:51 PM : Jun 26, 2007





I am with xzavierbrown on this.
I know crack users that would 'do the max' everytime 'if they could get it free. I know personally a crack using perp that took his 7 year old daughters 'New Christmas Bike' and pawned it to feed his habit and even knowing that 'I' knew what happened has never apologized or tried to replace the childs bike.

[xzavierbrown]

the only thing you do with legalizing drugs is legalizing the cartel. getting the drugs is easier and the pressure would mount; I am sure you know the power of marketing. My take on this is that you want drugs legalized because YOU USE DRUGS and you dont really give a rat's arse about anything but your 'right to use drugs'.

Yes we would move from prisons to rehab centers and morgues.

[infidel_us]

Cheech and Chong could do a better job of running Mehico......

[jinxkity]

Legalize all drugs! It's the only way to stop all the corruption as was the case with prohibition. Educate the kids, because if you think those who are going to use are being deterred, think again! Not to mention the billions of dollars spent on keeping non-violent drug offenders in prison. Let them out and make room for the real criminals!

[gusveto57]

?what can we do in Mixico? if USA buy all the garbage of drugs from Colombia, Bolivia, China, Afganistan, Mixico and others
Your money corrupt all the whole world
You have not control in USA and your government knows perfectly
?why to lie? drugs keeps USA population under mental control, as it happen in past with "black panthers"
?isn't it?
if people is more idiot, is more easy to drive
here, there and everywhere
?who is not perverted by political power? ?how politicians have damaged our familys and lifes? ?how can we change this?

[gusveto57]

?what can we do in Mixico? if USA buy all the garbage of drugs from Colombia, Bolivia, China, Afganistan, Mixico and others
Your money corrupt all the whole world
You have not control in USA and your government knows perfectly
?why to lie? drugs keeps USA population under mental control, as it happen in past with "black panthers"
?isn't it?
if people is more idiot, is more easy to drive
here, there and everywhere
?who is not perverted by political power? ?how politicians have damaged our familys and lifes? ?how can we change this?

[gusveto57]

all of you always say "Mixico is under big corruption" yes is true
and ?what can we think about USA government? if drug is sell in USA is because this is covered too by powerfull forces ?maybe political forces?, ?maybe just corruption?
?how can you say Mixico is a bad neighbour, when USA buy all the garbage from Mixico and South Amirica
?how can you signal only Mixico? when from Asia came the morphine, ashis and opium??
if USA is a good market and your governement give the permission ?what can others countrys do?
You have the money and one deep corrupted police and government, ?how will you stop the traffic?

[gusveto57]

all of you always say "Mixico is under big corruption" yes is true
and ?what can we think about USA government? if drug is sell in USA is because this is covered too by powerfull forces ?maybe political forces?, ?maybe just corruption?
?how can you say Mixico is a bad neighbour, when USA buy all the garbage from Mixico and South Amirica
?how can you signal only Mixico? when from Asia came the morphine, ashis and opium??
if USA is a good market and your governement give the permission ?what can others countrys do?
You have the money and one deep corrupted police and government, ?how will you stop the traffic?