Mexico Boosts Force in War with Drug Gang
Mexico on Thursday ordered 5,500 federal police, soldiers and navy personnel to move into a gang-plagued western state following a cartel's slaying of 20 officers and troops in one of the boldest revenge attacks ever mounted against the government.
Amid the violence, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton indicated Thursday that the United States is committed to the Merida Initiative, a $1.4 billion funding package aimed at helping Mexico train and equip its anti-drug efforts.
Mexico is facing a huge challenge, and late Thursday Interior Secretary Fernando Gomez Mont said the government was pouring 1,500 federal police officers, 2,500 soldiers and 1,500 navy personnel into Michoacan state, the home base for the violent La Familia cartel.
The force, which will bolster several hundred federal security officers already in Michoacan, will be backed by at least three Black Hawk helicopters and three armored vehicles.
Last weekend's attacks by La Familia drug cartel were a blatant challenge to President Felipe Calderon, who has deployed about 45,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of federal police across the country in an attempt to halt the escalating drug trade.
Such measures have raised the concerns of human rights organizations, which have alleged cases of abuse by authorities.
Asked whether that could hurt future U.S. aid to Mexico's drug-fighting efforts, Clinton replied, "What we see here is an administration under President Calderon locked in a very difficult battle with the most ruthless drug traffickers and criminal cartels anywhere on the planet."
"We have worked very closely with his administration to provide additional support for police training and it is our assessment that the steps taken and the commitment demonstrated by the Calderon administration is deserving of confidence," she added at a joint news conference in Washington with Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa.
La Familia cartel launched its coordinated offensive in Michoacan and two neighboring states Saturday within minutes of the arrest of its reputed operations chief, Arnoldo Rueda. In the worst attack, 12 federal agents were killed execution-style, their tortured bodies piled along a roadside as a warning for all to see. Six federal police officers and two soldiers were killed in other attacks.
Calderon insists the backlash from the cartel in response to Rueda's capture proves the drug gang has been weakened, but government critics said it revealed how vulnerable federal forces are to heavily armed crime organizations with intelligence networks within the police.
The buildup in Michoacan is already drawing troops away from other drug-violence hotspots. Nearly 2,000 federal police currently stationed in the drug-plagued northern border city of Ciudad Juarez will be sent south to help combat La Familia, local officials said Thursday.
On Wednesday, a man claiming to be La Familia leader Servando "La Tuta" Gomez called the CB Television station in Michoacan to offer a pact with the government. The man said the gang's wave of attacks is only a response to police action against cartel members' family and friends.
Federal officials said Wednesday that they were trying to confirm whether the caller was indeed Gomez. But the interior secretary, Gomez Mont, said that even if it was, the "federal government does not ever dialogue, does not negotiate, does not reach deals with any criminal organization."
Officials have named Gomez as the cartel leader who ordered the weekend attacks, and federal prosecutors have offered a reward of more than $2 million for information that leads to his capture. Authorities say Gomez assumed operational control of La Familia after Rueda Medina's arrest.
The caller claiming to be "La Tuta" issued a rambling defense of La Familia's actions, saying federal police and prosecutors "come and fabricate guilty charges."
"They are targeting innocent people in Michoacan state," he said.
Federal police have arrested and charged eight mayors in Michoacan for allegedly aiding the cartel and also have arrested leading drug traffickers at events including baptism parties for relatives. But Gomez Mont denied that traffickers' families were being targeted.
The weekend attacks spread quickly to at least 10 cities, including towns in Michoacan's neighboring states of Guerrero and Guanajuato. Officers' hotels were shot up and grenades were tossed at police posts.
In Guerrero, La Familia gunmen killed a federal police chief Tuesday. On Wednesday, authorities detained four people supsected in the killing, including Francisco Sotelo, the 18-year-old nephew of "La Tuta," state prosecutor Carlos Zamarripa said.
Federal prosecutors also announced Thursday the arrest of a retired army captain suspected of selling government weapons to the Beltran Leyva drug cartel. It is the first suspected case of weapons sales between the army and a drug cartel, according to a statement from the Attorney General's Office.
Mateo Juarez, a retired first captain, is also suspected of training soldiers to become hit men or bodyguards for the cartel, the statement said. Juarez was arrested July 14 during "Operation Clean House," an investigation that began in 2008 after reports that drug cartels had infiltrated security forces and prosecutors' offices.
The drug war has left more than 11,000 people dead since Calderon took office in 2006.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Amid the violence, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton indicated Thursday that the United States is committed to the Merida Initiative, a $1.4 billion funding package aimed at helping Mexico train and equip its anti-drug efforts.
Mexico is facing a huge challenge, and late Thursday Interior Secretary Fernando Gomez Mont said the government was pouring 1,500 federal police officers, 2,500 soldiers and 1,500 navy personnel into Michoacan state, the home base for the violent La Familia cartel.
The force, which will bolster several hundred federal security officers already in Michoacan, will be backed by at least three Black Hawk helicopters and three armored vehicles.
Last weekend's attacks by La Familia drug cartel were a blatant challenge to President Felipe Calderon, who has deployed about 45,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of federal police across the country in an attempt to halt the escalating drug trade.
Such measures have raised the concerns of human rights organizations, which have alleged cases of abuse by authorities.
Asked whether that could hurt future U.S. aid to Mexico's drug-fighting efforts, Clinton replied, "What we see here is an administration under President Calderon locked in a very difficult battle with the most ruthless drug traffickers and criminal cartels anywhere on the planet."
"We have worked very closely with his administration to provide additional support for police training and it is our assessment that the steps taken and the commitment demonstrated by the Calderon administration is deserving of confidence," she added at a joint news conference in Washington with Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa.
La Familia cartel launched its coordinated offensive in Michoacan and two neighboring states Saturday within minutes of the arrest of its reputed operations chief, Arnoldo Rueda. In the worst attack, 12 federal agents were killed execution-style, their tortured bodies piled along a roadside as a warning for all to see. Six federal police officers and two soldiers were killed in other attacks.
Calderon insists the backlash from the cartel in response to Rueda's capture proves the drug gang has been weakened, but government critics said it revealed how vulnerable federal forces are to heavily armed crime organizations with intelligence networks within the police.
The buildup in Michoacan is already drawing troops away from other drug-violence hotspots. Nearly 2,000 federal police currently stationed in the drug-plagued northern border city of Ciudad Juarez will be sent south to help combat La Familia, local officials said Thursday.
On Wednesday, a man claiming to be La Familia leader Servando "La Tuta" Gomez called the CB Television station in Michoacan to offer a pact with the government. The man said the gang's wave of attacks is only a response to police action against cartel members' family and friends.
Federal officials said Wednesday that they were trying to confirm whether the caller was indeed Gomez. But the interior secretary, Gomez Mont, said that even if it was, the "federal government does not ever dialogue, does not negotiate, does not reach deals with any criminal organization."
Officials have named Gomez as the cartel leader who ordered the weekend attacks, and federal prosecutors have offered a reward of more than $2 million for information that leads to his capture. Authorities say Gomez assumed operational control of La Familia after Rueda Medina's arrest.
The caller claiming to be "La Tuta" issued a rambling defense of La Familia's actions, saying federal police and prosecutors "come and fabricate guilty charges."
"They are targeting innocent people in Michoacan state," he said.
Federal police have arrested and charged eight mayors in Michoacan for allegedly aiding the cartel and also have arrested leading drug traffickers at events including baptism parties for relatives. But Gomez Mont denied that traffickers' families were being targeted.
The weekend attacks spread quickly to at least 10 cities, including towns in Michoacan's neighboring states of Guerrero and Guanajuato. Officers' hotels were shot up and grenades were tossed at police posts.
In Guerrero, La Familia gunmen killed a federal police chief Tuesday. On Wednesday, authorities detained four people supsected in the killing, including Francisco Sotelo, the 18-year-old nephew of "La Tuta," state prosecutor Carlos Zamarripa said.
Federal prosecutors also announced Thursday the arrest of a retired army captain suspected of selling government weapons to the Beltran Leyva drug cartel. It is the first suspected case of weapons sales between the army and a drug cartel, according to a statement from the Attorney General's Office.
Mateo Juarez, a retired first captain, is also suspected of training soldiers to become hit men or bodyguards for the cartel, the statement said. Juarez was arrested July 14 during "Operation Clean House," an investigation that began in 2008 after reports that drug cartels had infiltrated security forces and prosecutors' offices.
The drug war has left more than 11,000 people dead since Calderon took office in 2006.
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They refuse to abide by our Constitution, refuse to enforce our Immigration Laws and refuse to honor their Oath of Office!
Our Government, past & present, Republican & Democrat, have allowed the invasion of 20 to 30 million criminals and uneducated peons which is the largest invasion of any Nation, at any time, by any means & in direct violation of Article IV, Section IV of our Constitution.
This refusal to abide by our Constitution or enforce our Immigration Laws should be classified as Treason of the most foul kind, & as grounds for impeachment & trials for Treason!
Not only have they allowed the invasion, they force American tax payers to pay Billions on Billions of dollars to provide Welfare, Prison cells, Educate the invaders numerous children, and free medical care, at the same time the invading horde break numerous laws and massive document fraud, & are destroying our schools, hospitals, communities, culture and standard of living while Robbing, Raping, Killing & Assaulting American Citizens at an rate the terrorist can only dream about.
Recent statements in Mexico from both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary something needs to be done. "Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers, and civilians," she said.
But no mention, concern or care that their refusal to stop the Massive Invasion of Illegal Aliens pouring across our borders or enforce our immigration laws that causes an estimated 25 Americans deaths per day and 10,s of thousands victims of Assault, Robberies, Rapes, Identify thief, and other assorted crimes committed by the invading horde of Illegal Aliens from Mexico on American citizens each year!
It is a telling indictment & shows their Empathy & Compassion of our Politicians & their priorities when they express more concern over Mexicans deaths mostly connected to the Drug trade, than the murders, havoc & crimes of Illegal Aliens against American Citizens!
Most of our Politicians in Wash. DC are wading knee deep in innocent American blood and suffering because they put Self Interest ahead of the interest of American Citizens & the future of this Nation!
The Welfare vote for the Democrats to further their Socialist Agenda and the Slave Labor for their Pay Masters in the Chamber of Commerce & Business for the Republicans is more important to our Corrupt power mad Politicians than the lives and safety of Americans citizens!
The Citizens of this Nation have not sacrificed with blood, sweat & tears for over 200 years & obeyed the Laws of the land, paid the taxes, and fought the wars & built this Nation to see Corrupt politicians turn this Nation into the United States of Mexico without a shot being fired, to serve their demented, nefarious goals and lust for power!
Sheese - anything to help the Muslims - including assuming all 15 million illegal immigrants are "robbers, killers, and rapers".
Your education has been a waste.
www.MPP.org
www.LEAP.cc
And by the way, I could make a web site that would convince you your mother was Adolf Hitler's child if I wanted to, so enough of the BS.
The "WAR ON DRUGS" kills COPS AND KIDS!
www.LEAP.cc
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
These people are evil. It doesn't matter if you HAD free pot (like that would be a good thing - not). They would continue to export cocaine, crack, meth, and anything else to grow their coffers.
These people are a force to be eradicated. Like the vermin they are.