Mexico Deploys Soldiers to Fight Drug War

Calderon launches troops to root out police corruption

(NEWSER) - Mexican soldiers and federal agents have arrested at least 25 police officers accused of links to drug trafficking operations, reports AP. The busts are part of an ongoing effort to stem the tide of drug violence. President Felipe Calderon has committed over 40,000 troops to combat the cartels. Calderon conceded that the Mexican police force has been compromised at all levels. More»

Authorities believe anti-military protesters are in the pay of drug cartels

(NEWSER) - Civilian protesters suspected of being in the pay of drug traffickers have blocked Mexican bridges to the US in recent days, demanding that the military leave their cities, the Dallas Morning News reports. Officials see the demonstrations—dubbed "narco-protests"—as a worrying new development amid a wave of violence already being likened to civil war. More»

(NEWSER) - During his two years in office, Mexican President Felipe Calderón has made a valiant attempt to expel corruption from his government, but many think his efforts are quixotic at best, the Christian Science Monitor reports. “I don't think there is ever a point that Calderón can claim 'mission accomplished,'” one expert said of the president’s internal probing. During his tenure, 11,500 state employees have been fined for corruption. More»

Top anti-drug agents accused of passing information to traffickers

(NEWSER) - Two senior officials from an elite Mexican anti-drug unit have been arrested and charged with spying for drug cartels, the Los Angeles Times reports, and dozens of agents have been fired following a tip-off from a captured informant. Prosecutors say the officials leaked information to the gangs they were supposed to be targeting in return for hundreds of thousands of dollars a month. More»

Tide of kidnappings and murders linked to drug gangs and corrupt cops

(NEWSER) - Thousands of protesters marched in various Mexican cities yesterday, demanding the government crack down on the nation's mounting crime. Mexico has been rocked by kidnappings and murders connected to drug-trafficking gangs and corrupt police, with an estimated 12,000 drug-related deaths so far this year, reports the Los Angeles Times. "We don't want promises—we want security," said a march organizer. More»