Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Top News
Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day.
Subscribe
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
International
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Environment
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
Your View
The Great Debate
Blogs
Weather
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
Your View
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
U.S. anti-drug information leaked to Mexico cartels
Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:17am EST
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Mica Rosenberg
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Corrupt officials inside Mexico's security forces have leaked U.S. anti-drugs intelligence directly to drug traffickers to help them escape raids, a senior U.S. law enforcement agent said.
A recent anti-corruption sweep showed the infiltration of Mexican police forces had reached alarming levels, with several high-ranking investigators and a presidential guardsman arrested for selling information to drug cartels.
The U.S. agent said the arrests were an encouraging sign that Mexico's government is serious about stopping drug gangs from getting their hands on intelligence, some of which comes from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA.
"There have been occurrences where we have shared information and then found that the information we shared was compromised, given, provided, leaked to the very targets that were being investigated," the official told Reuters late on Wednesday on condition of anonymity.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has made fighting drug cartels his top priority, deploying thousands of soldiers and federal police to take on heavily armed traffickers, dominated by the Sinaloa federation and the Gulf Cartel.
The U.S. agent praised Calderon for fighting the drug gangs head on but said some operations have been frustrated as cartels flush with cash can pay massive bribes for information or use violence to intimidate police.
"There is no infallible system when you are talking about a $65 billion enterprise. Money talks," he said, referring to the estimated size of Mexico's drug trade.
Among those arrested last year were Mexico's liaison to Interpol as well as the country's organized crime chief Noe Ramirez, who is accused of taking at least $450,000 to pass secrets to crime gangs.
Mexican investigators could not comment on leaks of DEA information to cartels, a spokesperson from the attorney general's office said on Thursday, but one expert said it was a worrying sign.
"This could have consequences in bilateral cooperation if the United States becomes less willing to share information with Mexico. We are facing a crisis of confidence," Jorge Chabat at Mexico's CIDE think tank said.
U.S. AID IN DRUG FIGHT
The U.S. Congress approved $465 million in drug-fighting aid for Mexico and Central America in June, the first installment of a promised $1.4 billion package known as the Merida initiative to fund surveillance and detection.
"Merida recognizes that there is this level of corruption, so the point is to tighten up the institutional capabilities," University of Miami drug expert Bruce Bagley said, adding that U.S. aid will help in vetting Mexican forces.
"They will have urinalysis kits and lie detector tests ... they will also interdict government officials' phones, check out their bank accounts, because there has to be enhanced monitoring of all of the highest levels," Bagley said.
But even specially selected police units working directly with the DEA are not always immune to corruption. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
My Web
Facebook
LinkedIn
Also on Reuters
Who makes the Obamas dance? Stevie Wonder!
Older Americans postpone retirement as economy sags
Video
Video: Japan to launch eco-eye in the sky
More International News
Palestinians reel at war's toll
| Video
Iran students say time for U.S. to change policy
| Video
India keeps pressure on Pakistan over Mumbai
South Korea's Lee names hardliner to North post
Russia and Ukraine aim to sign gas deal
| Video
More International News...
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
Outrage at busty Virgin Mary models
Obama celebratory, solemn as he nears inauguration | Video
Will United States be forced to nationalize banks?
UK throws banks a lifeline as RBS posts record loss | Video
Man charged with threatening Obama on website
Obama faces big challenges with inaugural address
Palestinians reel at war's toll | Video
RBS shares slide to 23-year low on record loss
VIDEO: Hamas announces own ceasefire terms
Venezuela's Chavez says Obama has "stench" of Bush
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Stars come out for Obama concert
Hamas announces own ceasefire terms
CCTV captures U.S. plane splashdown
Europe gas deal goes ahead
Splashdown plane raised from river
Obama in triumphal train ride to DC
Kim Jong-il pictured on TV
Gaza devastated after onslaught
Japan's eco-eye in the sky
Israel plans Gaza ceasefire
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
the great debate
World Affairs:
In Gaza war, lions led by donkeys?
Bernd Debusmann
It's not often that a senior member of Washington's usually staid and cautious foreign policy establishment likens Israeli political leaders to donkeys and questions their competence. But the fighting in Gaza prompted Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies to do just that. Commentary
Blog: Reporting in Gaza: Striving for fairness
Reuters Deals
The global destination for corporate leaders, deal-makers and innovators
Knowledge to Act
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Interactive TV |
Labs |
Reuters in Second Life |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.