Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Mexico police caught between drug crackdown, cartels


MEXICO CITY - Poorly trained, badly paid and vulnerable to corruption, Mexico's legions of local police are increasingly caught in the crossfire as the Mexican government embarks on a crackdown on drug smugglers.


Dozens of municipal police have been killed in recent months in apparent drug hits, and several others, including the intelligence chief of Mexico City's Police Department, are under investigation, suspected of links to smugglers.


Last month, the Mexican government announced it was scrutinizing police commanders nationwide, and the Mexican army said it was disarming 300 police along the Texas border while prosecutors investigated them.




Many Mexican police officers have been killed in the war against drugs. Many are untrained, poorly paid, and not equipped for the job yet they still fight in this crackdown on drugs.

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