Pubdate: Wed, 23 Jun 1999
Source: Associated Press
Copyright: 1999 Associated Press
Author: BEN FOX, Associated Press Writer

US, MEXICAN OFFICIALS DISCUSS DRUGS

TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) Mexican and U.S. officials are putting aside their
differences over drug smuggling at least for three days.

Mexican Health Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente and Barry McCaffrey,
director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, started a
three-day conference today in the border city of Tijuana, one of the centers
of the narcotics trade.

But they are focusing on treatment and prevention of addiction, not drug
trafficking.

"We are convinced that the center of our drug strategy and the center of our
drug cooperation is to reduce the consumption of drugs among young people,"
McCaffrey said after touring a treatment center.

De la Fuente and McCaffrey are the top officials at the second U.S.-Mexico
Drug Demand Reduction conference.

"The purpose is to send a very clear message to Mexican society and to U.S.
society that we are putting particular emphasis on prevention and
treatment," De la Fuente said.

Drug use in Mexico has risen 30 percent in the last 5 years, he said, citing
a greater availability of drugs and the influence of the U.S. drug culture
on Mexican citizens.

The highest concentration of the country's drug addicts are in Tijuana, said
Jesus Cabrera, president of the non-profit Center of Juvenile Integration,
an organization that runs drug treatment clinics in Mexico including the
facility toured by officials Wednesday.

Tijuana is believed to be the operation base for Ramon and Benjamin
Arellano-Felix, brothers who control one of Mexico's major drug cartels.

Ramon Arellano is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List and federal authorities
have offered a $2 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

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