Mexico - Mexican military steps up war on drugs

[Lunar Loops]

This from The Vancouver Sun:

Mexican military steps up war on drugs

Published: Saturday, March 29, 2008

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico -- Hundreds of camouflage-clad Mexican troops flew into the northern city of Ciudad Juarez on Friday to quell a surge in drug gang murders across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Part of a 2,500-strong army and federal police force set to descend on the dilapidated city over the next three days, the heavily armed soldiers streamed out of military planes and were trucked off to set up road blocks and launch foot patrols.

The troop convoys are opening up a new front in President Felipe Calderon's 15-month-old war on drug cartels. Already about 25,000 soldiers and federal police have deployed in hot spots across Mexico, especially along the U.S. border.

Ciudad Juarez, which has drawn worldwide attention because of a rash of brutal murders of women, has seen 200 people slain in drug-related violence so far this year -- 10 times as many as a year ago.

The overall death toll associated with drug gangs in Mexico has rise to more than 720 so far this year, well above the count this time last year. Mexico's drug wars killed more than 2,500 people in 2007.

The troops in Ciudad Juarez will raid houses, seize weapons and narcotics and purge local police forces accused of working with drug gangs, officials said.

The United Nations and Amnesty International have expressed concern about whether Mexico's use of soldiers against drug gangs risks human rights abuses, following a handful of civilian deaths last year.

Soldiers in Ciudad Juarez seized cocaine, marijuana and heroin bound for the United States and arrested 42 people this week suspected of links to drug gangs, army commanders said.

[stoneinfocus]

It fails to state, that most victims are corrupt police officers and their relatives, like bodyguards etc ..

Also, that these intervention is sponsored big-time by the USA and doesn´t address to the real society problems with the highest police officers being corupt and this follows murders by the drug syndicates.