In Mexico, Corruption Is Rampant and Pervasive

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»

President deploys 45,000 troops into major cities

(NEWSER) - Mexican President Felipe Calderón yesterday defended his decision to deploy 45,000 troops in major cities in his fight against the drug cartels, reports the Washington Post. In a speech to the army, Calderón said the military would remain in place until it had regained control of the country's most violent regions; 650 Mexicans have died since the new year in drug violence. 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»

Former head of elite 'corruption-proof' unit accused of passing info to drug cartels

(NEWSER) - The former chief of Mexico's anti-drug operations has been arrested on suspicion of taking massive bribes from drug cartels, the Wall Street Journal reports. Noe Ramirez, accused of pocketing $450,000 for passing information on investigations to drug kingpins, is the highest-ranking official arrested so far in "Operation Cleanup," the Mexican campaign to root out corruption that has already fingered 35 high-ranking law enforcement officials. More»

(NEWSER) - As drug violence soars in Mexico, casualties are spreading to the Yucatan peninsula, a major tourist destination and spring break hot spot. Twelve decapitated bodies were found near the popular ruins of Chichen Itza this week, the Los Angeles Times reports. That's because a government crackdown has heightened “a kind of civil war among drug cartels,” said a drug-trafficking expert. And that violence is spilling over from the usual frontlines along the US border. More»