Mexico City Replaces All Airport Cops After Shootout

New federal officers all passed rigorous background checks
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 20, 2012 8:19 AM CDT
Mexico City Replaces All Airport Cops After Shootout
Mexico's Federal Police officers arrive to the scene where a shooting took place in Mexico City's international airport on Monday, June 25, 2012.   (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)

Following the June airport shooting deaths of three federal officers, Mexico has taken the drastic step of replacing all 348 security officers at the Mexico City International Airport with federal police. Since the June shooting was perpetrated by three fellow security officers suspected of being involved in cocaine trafficking, just one of whom has been captured, the new federal officers assigned to the airport have been double vetted and passed background checks, the AP reports. They also passed psychological and drug tests, Reuters adds.

The original airport officers were reassigned. Drug cartels are known to use police, cargo companies, and airline personnel to transport drugs, and officers have been killed in the past in retaliation for cracking down on trafficking, CBS News notes. (More Mexico City stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X