Mexican drug war

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Mexico Calls in Army as Drug War Escalates

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...

'Narco-Protests' Paralyze Mexican Border Crossings

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...

Mexican Gunmen Kill Elite Cop, 6 Kids

Several others killed as Mexico implodes

(Newser) - Mexican gunmen rained bullets on the home of an elite cop, killing him, six children in his extended family and five others. The officer was assigned to ferret out police corruption, reports the Los Angeles Times. The violence was unusual for oil-rich Tobasco, which has been largely immune from such...

Families of Missing Want 'Stew Maker' to Help

Man who dissolved bodies may be able to identify kidnap, murder victims

(Newser) - Families with loved ones missing in Mexico are hoping that "the stew maker" can give them closure, the Los Angeles Times reports. A day after the arrest of Santiago Meza Lopez—who confessed to dissolving at least 300 bodies for drug cartels—dozens of people lobbied Tijuana police...

Top Mexican Drug Fighter Murdered on First Day

Official tortured, shot 11 times within 24 hours

(Newser) - A retired army general appointed as Mexico's new top drug-fighting official spent his first day on the job being tortured and murdered, CNN reports. The corpses of the general, his aide and his driver were found in a pickup truck on a road near Cancun. The general's body showed signs...

Border Crackdown Can't Weed Out Mexican Cartels

Marijuana smugglers get creative, or turn to growing dope inside US

(Newser) - The Mexican marijuana trade is flourishing, and border-protection efforts do little to deter powerful cartels from working in the US, the New York Times reports. Smugglers drop ramps over border fences and drive across, or use a new tactic: planting the pot in the US. Cartels now function in 195...

'Stew Maker' Dissolved 300 Corpses in Mexico Drug War

Cartel branch paid $600 a week for disposal

(Newser) - A Mexican man has confessed to chemically dissolving 300 bodies produced by Mexico’s drug war, Reuters reports. A breakaway cartel faction paid Santiago “the Stew Maker” Meza $600 a week to dispose of bodies they brought him, he said. He dumped the bodies in industrial drums filled with...

Mexicans Eye Death Penalty to Stem Drug Murders

Politicians consider reinstating capital punishment to stave off tide of violence

(Newser) - Mexican lawmakers are considering bringing back the death penalty in the wake of an overwhelming tide of murders and kidnappings linked to drug cartels, reports the BBC. The Green Party, usually a staunch foe of capital punishment, is leading the campaign to reinstate it. Surveys show 70% of Mexicans want...

Marines Warned Tijuana Too Dangerous for R&R

Drug war prompts new rules to stop marines heading south of the border

(Newser) - The US military has warned their battle-hardened Marines that Tijuana is too dangerous a place for them to visit, USA Today reports. A surge in Mexican drug violence has resulted in military orders effectively placing the popular party town off limits to 44,000 leathernecks—including many who have done...

Crime-Plagued Mexico Pushes Toy Gun Ban

Politicians take aim at plastic weapons in war on violence

(Newser) - A bill proposed in Mexico takes aim at the production, sale and use of toy guns to reduce aggression among kids inundated by news of burgeoning drug-violence, the Guardian reports. Despite an earlier ban on realistic replicas, plastic weapons are still easy to find on the streets and used in...

Mexico's Drug Lords Target Reporters

Station attack comes with clear message to drop coverage

(Newser) - The epidemic of violence related to Mexico's drug trade has spilled over into media coverage of the situation, with drug lords attempting to scare journalists out of doing their jobs. Mexico is one of the most dangerous places in the world for reporters, reports the Christian Science Monitor: Eleven died...

In Mexico, Corruption Is Rampant and Pervasive

(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...

12 Headless Crimefighters Found Near Acapulco

Remains believed to be retribution for earlier shootout

(Newser) - Mexican police have found 12 headless bodies an hour away from Acapulco in the capital of Guerrero, a popular destination for Americans on holiday. The dead apparently included soldiers and a high-ranking police officer, reports the Los Angeles Times. Nine heads were bundled in plastic bags and dumped at a...

Savage Figure Lurks Behind Tijuana Killings

Mexican officials fear even posting Garcia Simental's photo

(Newser) - Many of the charred and maimed victims of Tijuana’s recent drug violence bear one similarity: the three-letter marker of Teo Garcia Simental, a shadowy crime boss authorities fear too much to hunt, the Los Angeles Times reports. A kidnapper and extortionist, Garcia operates a network that keeps victims caged...

Mexico Busts Former Drug Czar
 Mexico Busts Former Drug Czar 
Nov 22, 2008 7:26 AM CST

Mexico Busts Former Drug Czar

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,...

Mexico's Drug Violence Seeps Into US

Nearly 200 American cities affected by cartels

(Newser) - Mexico’s drug violence has been creeping northward into the US for the past several years, and officials now say that cartel-related crime has hit 195 American cities spanning every state except Vermont and West Virginia, the Los Angeles Times reports. Atlanta has emerged as a trafficking hub, but the...

Drug Kingpins Corrupt Elite Mexican Unit

Top anti-drug agents accused of passing information to traffickers

(Newser) - Two senior officials from an elite Mexican anti-drug unit have been arrested and charged with spying for drug cartels, the Los Angeles Times reports, and dozens of agents have been fired following a tip-off from a captured informant. Prosecutors say the officials leaked information to the gangs they were supposed...

US Shuts Consulate in Mexico After More Gunfire

Mexican police, FBI hunt for evidence

(Newser) - Officials shut down the US consulate in Monterey, Mexico, yesterday after shots were fired nearby, reports Reuters. The latest incident followed an attack last weekend when gunmen opened fire and lobbed a hand grenade at the same consulate. Mexican police swarmed the area and FBI officials gathered evidence to determine...

More Than 2 Dozen Killed in Mexican Drug Violence

Body of newspaper editor found as violence continues

(Newser) - Mexican gangs battling over drug routes to the US show no signs of easing up on the mayhem, the Los Angeles Times reports. In a spasm of violence over the last 2 days, gunmen raked patrons of a bar in Chihuahua and killed 11; a newspaper publisher was shot to...

Mexican Boutique Sells Bulletproof Duds

Specialty boutique sells protective shirts, jackets to anxious customers

(Newser) - As drug-related violence skyrockets in Mexico, anxious shoppers are buying bulletproof shirts and jackets for protection, the New York Times reports. A boutique in Mexico City sells only bulletproof garments, including leather jackets, polo shirts, windbreakers, and even tuxedo shirts. Who's willing to pay up to $7,000 for such...

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