Mexico Deploys Soldiers to Fight Drug War

Law-enforcement gaps, budget woes give traffickers upper hand

By Sam Gale Rosen, Newser Staff

Posted May 17, 2007 8:08 AM CDT

(Newser) – In its battle against drug traffickers, the Mexican army fights not just the cartels but also a lethal combination of corruption, power vacuums, and even geography. Desertion rates are high, salaries low, and the assignment difficult if not impossible. The LA Times visits Apatzingan, a drug-war hotspot whose police chief was shot in an ambush this week and promptly resigned.

Felipe Calderon has made the drug war a focus of his new administration, but critics worry that the deployment, which may not be legal, will stretch the army too thin and damage its good reputation. And many fear the power of a fat bribe. Says one observer: "The risk now is corrupting the last honest institution, the army."

Mexican army soldiers stand over a detained man after a gun battle that left 4 dead traffickers in the city of Apatzingan, Mexico, May 7, 2007. Mexican drug cartels armed with powerful weapons and angered... (Associated Press)

Mexican army soldiers run during a gun battle with drug traffickers in the city of Apatzingan, Mexico, May 7, 2007. Mexican drug cartels armed with powerful weapons and angered by a nationwide military... (Associated Press)

Mexican army soldiers stand guard 16 April 2007 at the entrance... (Getty Images)

Mexican President Felipe Calderon delivers a speech during the... (Getty Images)

Soldiers of the Mexican Army patrol at a checkpoint in the highway... (Getty Images)

Guns placed next to a Michoacan state map are seen at the Attorney General's Office building in Apatzingan, Mexico, Monday, April 30, 2007. President Felipe Calderon has sent some 6,000 soldiers to his... (Associated Press)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

15 Tons of Meth Seized in Mexico

Haul's street value a staggering $4B

(NEWSER) - Mexican authorities have busted a meth superlab and seized a staggering amount of pure methamphetamine—15 tons, more than double the amount of all meth seizures made at the border last year, and more than 100 times the biggest-ever meth bust in the USA. The sheer size of the bust—the drugs have an estimated street value of $4 billion—has alarmed experts, who believe Mexico's cartels are producing more meth than ever, and have moved beyond the US to supply users around the world, the New York Times notes. More»

15 Bodies Dumped at Mexico Gas Station

Cartels at war again in Michoacan

(NEWSER) - The drug war appears to be heating up again in Mexican President Felipe Calderon's home state. Some 15 semi-naked bodies were found in a pile outside a gas station in Zitacuaro, Michoacan state, the BBC reports. All of the victims were male and three were minors. Police say threatening messages were left next to the bodies, which showed signs of torture. More»

Feds Helped Mexican Drug Honcho Move Millions

Transferred cash, drugs across international borders

(NEWSER) - The New York Times last month revealed that undercover US agents have laundered and smuggled millions of dollars for Mexico's drug cartels—and today the paper shines a light on one such operation, in which federal agents helped one drug trafficker and his Colombian supplier move cash and cocaine across international borders. Over a period of months in 2007, US and Mexican agents worked with that supplier—Harold Mauricio Poveda-Ortega, aka "The Rabbit"—who fed cocaine to cartel leader Arturo Beltran Levya, the New York Times reports. More»

Mexico's Bloody Toll in 2011: 12K

Country sees increasing torture, beheadings, violence against women

(NEWSER) - The sixth year of Mexico's murderous war against drug cartels claimed a staggering 12,000 lives, according to bleak tallies being reported in the Mexican press that show upticks in beheadings, torture, and violence against women and children. There is no official number from Felipe Calderon's government, which the Washington Post notes has backed off promises to keep figures updated; Calderon's party faces elections this summer. More than 50,000 have now died since Calderon declared war on the cartels in 2006. A breakdown of the numbers: More»

Mexico Disbands Corrupt Veracruz Police Force

Navy takes over law enforcement after corrupt cops sent packing

(NEWSER) - Mexican authorities have stamped out corruption in the Veracruz police force by stamping out the Veracruz police force. The port city's police department has been disbanded, and all 800 officers and 300 administrative staff have been fired, the BBC reports. The Mexican navy is taking responsibility for law enforcement in the city of 600,000 people. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Mexico Deploys Soldiers to Fight Drug War

Law-enforcement gaps, budget woes give traffickers upper hand

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

drugs • Mexico • Felipe Calderon • drug trafficking • Mexican drug war • Mexican army

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

15 Tons of Meth Seized in Mexico

Haul's street value a staggering $4B

15 Bodies Dumped at Mexico Gas Station

Cartels at war again in Michoacan

Feds Helped Mexican Drug Honcho Move Millions

Transferred cash, drugs across international borders

Mexico's Bloody Toll in 2011: 12K

Country sees increasing torture, beheadings, violence against women

Mexico Disbands Corrupt Veracruz Police Force

Navy takes over law enforcement after corrupt cops sent packing

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?

Mexico Deploys Soldiers to Fight Drug War

Law-enforcement gaps, budget woes give traffickers upper hand

Bookmark & Share

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

drugs • Mexico • Felipe Calderon • drug trafficking • Mexican drug war • Mexican army

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

15 Tons of Meth Seized in Mexico

Haul's street value a staggering $4B

15 Bodies Dumped at Mexico Gas Station

Cartels at war again in Michoacan

Feds Helped Mexican Drug Honcho Move Millions

Transferred cash, drugs across international borders

Mexico's Bloody Toll in 2011: 12K

Country sees increasing torture, beheadings, violence against women

Mexico Disbands Corrupt Veracruz Police Force

Navy takes over law enforcement after corrupt cops sent packing

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?