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A Mexican Federal Police officer pauses during a ceremony to honor officers recently
killed in Mexico City. (AP)
killed in Mexico City. (AP)
Wave of Police Officers Killed in Mexico’s Ongoing Drug War
Six police officers are the latest casualties in Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s war on drugs. More than 500 officers have died since he began his offensive two years ago.
30-Second Summary
Police offices aren’t the only casualties in the national backlash against Calderon’s war on drugs. Civilians are targets, as well. The Washington Post reports that the “savage conflict between rival cartels and the federal government that has taken more than 7,000 lives in the past 2 1/2 years.”
But because part of Calderon’s plan involves an increased police presence, they are often targets.
Of the 500 officers killed, including dozens of commanders and soldiers, local police have been hit the hardest, reports the Los Angeles Times. The victims in the latest spate of violence include two top commanders in Michoacan, a senior investigator in Chihuahua and a deputy chief in Quintana Roo.
The situation has prompted some officers to quit or flee to the United States.
The reactive killing sprees have prompted some to say that Calderon’s methods—which focus on an amped-up military presence across the country, including at the airport and on highways—won’t work in the long run, Newsweek reported in April.
Others, like Juarez resident Bernardo Washington, say the intimidating message sent by soldiers lining the streets will work, little by little. “No one’s selling drugs in the streets anymore,” he said. “They’re scared of the power of the state.”
But because part of Calderon’s plan involves an increased police presence, they are often targets.
Of the 500 officers killed, including dozens of commanders and soldiers, local police have been hit the hardest, reports the Los Angeles Times. The victims in the latest spate of violence include two top commanders in Michoacan, a senior investigator in Chihuahua and a deputy chief in Quintana Roo.
The situation has prompted some officers to quit or flee to the United States.
The reactive killing sprees have prompted some to say that Calderon’s methods—which focus on an amped-up military presence across the country, including at the airport and on highways—won’t work in the long run, Newsweek reported in April.
Others, like Juarez resident Bernardo Washington, say the intimidating message sent by soldiers lining the streets will work, little by little. “No one’s selling drugs in the streets anymore,” he said. “They’re scared of the power of the state.”
Headline Links: Killings continue in Mexico
The Los Angeles times provides details on the officers killed this week. According to the story, “Many municipal and state officers also work as hired gunmen for drug traffickers and often are caught up in feuds between rival gangs.”
Source: Los Angeles Times
The Washington Post reports that police and public official aren’t the only ones being killed in drug-related violence anymore, and that, “in recent weeks, an increasing number of innocent bystanders have been gunned down by suspected drug cartel hit men here in Sinaloa, a cartel stronghold on Mexico’s Pacific coast, as well as in the brutally contested drug corridors along the U.S. border.”
Source: The Washington Post (free registration may be required)
Background: Calderon’s drug war
“The military has made strong gains since Calderon took office in December 2006, seizing record amounts of cocaine and extraditing 73 suspected drug traffickers to the United States for trial in 2007, but there is growing reason to believe the drug cartels are outfoxing the Army or, at the very least, outlasting its efforts,” Newsweek reports.
Source: Newsweek
In December 2007, the United States pledged $1.4 billion to provide equipment and training to Mexico’s “notoriously corrupt security forces.” At that point, one year into Calderon’s war on drug cartels, drug-related murders were at an all-time high.
Source: NPR
The New York Times wrote an account of Mexico’s “underworld war between drug gangs” in October 2006. According to the story, “Mexico’s law enforcement officials maintain that the violence is a sign that they have made progress dismantling the major organized crime families in the country.” But the wide scope and brutality of the drug war is something unprecedented, even in a country used to high levels of drug-related violence.
Source: The New York Times (free subscription may be required)
The Los Angles Times provides complete coverage of Mexico's drug war in a special section on its Web site called "Mexico Under Siege."
Source: Los Angeles Times
Key Player: President Felipe Calderon
The official Web site for the Presidency of the Republic includes a biography of Mexican President Felipe Calderon. His professional career includes working in the areas of civil and labor law, running a national banking institution and his appointment as Secretary of Energy under former President Vicente Fox.
Source: Presidency of the Republic
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