Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Was Mexican Coke Bust Just for Show?

US $1.4B aid package must be tied to police overhaul, expert says

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 11, 2007 4:48 PM CST

(Newser) – The timing of Mexico's biggest-ever coke bust was a little too perfect last week, Time says. Mexican police nabbed the nose candy—23.5 tons valued at $400 million—just as Congress was debating whether to send more drug-fighting aid. “We've seen this movie before,” grumbled one expert, who says US aid must be tied to changes with Mexico’s shady federal police.

The timing is right for change, experts say. New Mexican President Felipe Calderon has hit the country's drug cartels, and one of his ministers is vetting out corrupt cops. Now they need funds to pay police so they can resist drug industry temptation. Bush’s two-year, $1.4 billion proposal would also give them high-tech gizmos that the US has carefully guarded until now.

President Bush, right, shakes hands with Mexican President Felipe Calderon during the Security and Prosperity Partner Summit at Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello on Monday, Aug. 20, 2007, in Montebello, Canada.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Bush, right, shakes hands with Mexican President Felipe Calderon during the Security and Prosperity Partner Summit at Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello on Monday, Aug. 20, 2007, in Montebello,...   (Associated Press)
Navy officers guard cocaine seized from a ship last week in the port of Manzanillo, western Mexico and showed to the press Monday, Nov. 5, 2007 in the same city. The seizure, around 23.6 metric tons (26 tons) of cocaine, is considered to be one of the biggest drug...
Navy officers guard cocaine seized from a ship last week in the port of Manzanillo, western Mexico and showed to the press Monday, Nov. 5, 2007 in the same city. The seizure, around 23.6 metric tons (26...   (Associated Press)
Police officers stand next to packages of cocaine seized from a ship last week in the port of Manzanillo, western Mexico and showed to the press Monday, Nov. 5, 2007 in the same city. The seizure, around 23.6 metric tons (26 tons) of cocaine, is considered to be one...
Police officers stand next to packages of cocaine seized from a ship last week in the port of Manzanillo, western Mexico and showed to the press Monday, Nov. 5, 2007 in the same city. The seizure, around...   (Associated Press)
A police officer carries cocaine seized from a ship last week in the port of Manzanillo, western Mexico and showed to the press Monday, Nov. 5, 2007 in the same city. The seizure, around 23.6 metric tons (26 tons) of cocaine, is considered to be one of the biggest...
A police officer carries cocaine seized from a ship last week in the port of Manzanillo, western Mexico and showed to the press Monday, Nov. 5, 2007 in the same city. The seizure, around 23.6 metric tons...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

Blame Mexico's Calderon for Arizona's Law

DEA Nabs 175 Mexican Drug Cartel Suspects

US Cocaine Supply Plummets

Mexico's Bloody Toll in 2011: 12K

Helicopter Crash Kills Top Mexican Official


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne