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Carlos Pascual: Mexico Army Needs Backup
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March 18, 2010
| | US ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, speaks in 2009. Washington does not have agents taking part in Mexico's stepped-up war against drug-trafficking, Pascual said late last month, rebutting a news report to the contrary. (AFP/Alfredo Estrella) | |
Mexico City – The ambassador of the United States to Mexico City, Carlos Pascual, said Wednesday that the events in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, show that it is absolutely critical to have complementary police forces to fight drug-trafficking.
During a press conference, the ambassador said that the United States supports the decision of the government of President Felipe Calderón regarding fighting crime because it is a necessary battle that will ensure the security of both nations.
He said, however, that the army should not be alone in the battle against organized crime and police forces should cooperate.
Ambassador Pascual stated that the Mexican government should be the one in charge of the battle and of carrying out crime-related investigations. “They are the ones who should provide answers and assess how to best face the problem,” he declared. If violence rates increase, he added, the government should examine all aspects of the problem and provide all the necessary resources to respond.
Drug-trafficking gangs are re-grouping and re-organizing. In this context, the coordination among police forces has become even more important because the government cannot allow criminals to roam the streets freely and to have control over the population.
He remarked that the decision to strengthen the Federal Police with 2,600 more policemen and 300 investigators, as well as the involvement of several state secretariats in Ciudad Juárez, “is the right choice and makes sense.”
Without referring directly to the murders of three people connected to the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juárez, Ambassador Pascual stated that it is critical to have complementary police forces and Mexico needs to lead the battle and make decisions.
The diplomat also commented on security strategies connected to the Merida Initiative and explained that it not only provides equipment to Mexican police forces, but also boosts the security and judicial system. Moreover, the Initiative also aims to improve the social and economic conditions of youth in order to stop the influence of gangs.
According to the ambassador, it is necessary to stop weapons-trafficking by means of the “e-trace” system, which allows tracking down the origin of illegal weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico.
Lastly, Ambassador Pascual acknowledged that currently no one really knows how drug cartels operate, but he stressed that it is of utmost importance to dismantle them.
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