Mexican Drug Bucks Ensnare Texas County, Sheriff

(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»

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»

Investigators say US-funded force has been ferrying illegal weapons, too

(NEWSER) - The US military and the DEA are both investigating the Afghan Air Force, over allegations that it has been using its aircraft—most of which were funded with US cash—to ferry narcotics and illegal weapons around the country, officials tell the Wall Street Journal . Senior AAF and Afghan government officials have allegedly been involved in the flights, or else turned a blind eye to them. While there's no hard proof yet, the allegations come from "credible" Afghan and coalition personnel. More»

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»

Abdul Razziq keeps order in ways US can't

(NEWSER) - Abdul Razziq is illiterate and corrupt. His network skims custom duties, facilitates drug trafficking, and smuggles contraband across the Pakistani border. Yet the 32-year-old is also essential to the war effort, bringing the kind of security to the city of Spin Boldak that has so eluded the US elsewhere. “If we didn’t have him, we’d be screwed,” one US Army officer tells the Washington Post . “It wouldn’t be this quiet.” More»