“Even acting outside the limits of my role as mayor, I will end the kidnappings, extortions and drug trafficking. We are going to do this by whatever means, fair or foul.”
Asked if his new squad would operate outside the law, Mr. Fernández said: “In some ways, that’s right. What the criminals want is that they can break every law, but that we have to respect every law. Well, I don’t get that.”
*****
Los Pepes eat your heart out! lol Now if Mexico would use the Letter of Marque, we could have a full court press on these fools. I salute men like Mr. Fernandez and I truly hope he can get a handle on things in his town. –Matt
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Amid Rising Violence, Mexicans Fight Back
November 6, 2009
Government Efforts to Control Drug Turf Wars Aren’t Enough, Some Say; Mayor Promises to ‘Clean Up’ Organized Crime
By DAVID LUHNOW and JOSé DE CóRDOBA
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s war on drugs took a grim twist this week, as a prominent mayor said he had created an undercover group of operatives to “clean up” criminal elements — even if it had to act outside the law. Underscoring why the mayor may have felt compelled to take such steps, the new police chief in a neighboring town, a retired brigadier general, was shot and killed Wednesday, four days after taking up his post.
The events shed light on the state of Mexico’s battle to try to control powerful drug cartels and stop the turf wars between rival gangs that have killed an estimated 14,000 people since President Felipe Calderón took office in December 2006. Frustrated with the government’s approach, Mexicans are searching for other solutions.
Mayors and state governors across the country say they feel powerless to control the traffickers, who have corrupted local and state police to such a degree that they are considered part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. Mr. Calderón has sent 45,000 army troops to various Mexican states to try to stem the violence, but the killings have continued, with more than 6,300 people dead in drug-related violence so far this year, according to Mexican newspaper estimates.