Pubdate: Sun, 17 Sep 2006 Source: Charlotte Observer (NC) Copyright: 2006 The Charlotte Observer Contact: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/78 US, MEXICO TO ADDRESS DRUG VIOLENCE MEXICO CITY - Mexican and U.S. officials will meet Thursday to discuss U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza's concerns about growing drug violence in Mexico, the government here said. In a statement by the Foreign Relations Department late Friday, the Mexican government said it wanted to clarify "discrepancies" in a letter Garza sent a day earlier to the Mexican government. The ambassador advised U.S. citizens to exercise extreme caution when traveling in Mexico because of "the rising level of brutal violence." On Saturday, U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Judith Bryan didn't have details on the meeting. But she said: "We look forward to working with the Mexican government on this subject of great importance to both countries." The statements came amid a wave of drug-related violence that has claimed more than 1,500 lives this year across Mexico, many in states on the U.S. border. The bloodshed, which is attributed to rival gangs battling over smuggling routes into the United States, has included beheadings, grenade attacks and execution-style hits on several police chiefs. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine