Pubdate: Wed, 13 Dec 2006
Source: Bradenton Herald (FL)
Copyright: 2006 Bradenton Herald
Contact:  http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/58
Author: Ioan Grillo, Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/area/mexico (Mexico)

MEXICAN TROOPS ORDERED TO CRACK DOWN ON DRUGS

APATZINGAN, Mexico (AP) - Thousands of troops rolled into a key 
Mexican drug stronghold Tuesday to set fire to marijuana and opium 
fields and round up traffickers, sent by President Felipe Calderon to 
restore order in a region where smugglers have defied authorities 
with beheadings and large-scale drug production.

Navy ships were patrolling the Lazaro Cardenas port, a hub for drugs 
arriving from Central America and Colombia on their way to the United States.

Cornelio Casio, one of several generals overseeing the operation in 
the western state of Michoacan - Calderon's home state - said 6,500 
soldiers and federal police were deployed.

"We aren't going to lose any time," he said. "We are completely 
focused on this war."

The campaign echoes crackdowns by previous Mexican presidents who 
repeatedly ordered mass firings of drug-corrupted police, revamped 
courts, sent thousands of troops to battle traffickers and 
accelerated drug seizures - without making much of a dent in the 
quantity of narcotics crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

In an interview Tuesday with the Televisa network, Attorney General 
Eduardo Medina Mora said the operation was aimed at "reconquering 
territory" controlled by drug gangs.

"It's not just a war against drug lords," he said. "It's a war 
against the entire criminal structure."

Medina Mora acknowledged drug lords will likely just find another 
stronghold, saying, "It's a complicated war." But, he added, "It is a 
war we can win."

Calderon brushed aside concerns the crackdown could lead to 
violations of human rights and claim innocent victims.

"It's about recovering the calm, day-to-day life of Mexicans who live 
in the state," he said Tuesday.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom