Pubdate: Tue,  5 Nov 2002
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2002 San Jose Mercury News
Contact:  http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Author: Traci Carl, Associated Press

MEXICO'S FOX UNVEILS PLAN TO ESCALATE WAR ON DRUGS

Far-Reaching Effort To Target Supply, Demand

MEXICO CITY - President Vicente Fox pledged Monday to launch an all-out war 
on the drug trade, saying his administration would go beyond nabbing drug 
lords and take on drug consumption and production in Mexico.

Mexico has long been a haven for drug smugglers moving their goods into the 
United States. But since Fox took office two years ago, his administration 
has arrested several high-profile cartel leaders -- including one of the 
country's most-wanted criminals, Benjamin Arellano Felix.

Fox said Monday that officials must do more to halt the growing problem of 
drug abuse and cultivation in Mexico.

"This is a war that we have to fight on all fronts,'' he said. "It's not 
enough to attack the supply. We must also stop the growth of demand.''

Fox said his Cabinet would spend the next four years -- the remainder of 
his term -- working to stop smuggling at all levels, including arresting 
drug lords and preventing children from becoming users.

Authorities are targeting all drug cartels -- not just one region or one 
group, Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha said. In the past, 
corrupt officials have focused on fighting one group while taking bribes 
from others.

Macedo added that Mexico would work toward even greater cooperation with 
drug-enforcement agencies from the United States and other countries that 
suffer from the drug trade. U.S. officials have praised Fox's efforts to 
fight the drug trade.

Both Fox and his Cabinet promised to continue to purge corrupt officials 
from the government, arresting anyone caught helping the drug trade and 
forcing them to face justice.

On Friday, a military court convicted Gen. Francisco Quiros Hermosillo and 
Brig. Gen. Arturo Acosta of helping move cocaine and marijuana through 
Mexico. Fox called the convictions "without precedent in the history of our 
country.''

"Never before has a military court convicted such high-ranking officials of 
drug smuggling,'' he said. "With actions such as this, the army is 
demonstrating once again it is an institution of unquestionable integrity 
that is committed to transparency.''

For years, Mexican officials let the drug trade thrive, with the money it 
generated supporting everyone from the poor farmers who grew marijuana to 
cartel leaders who smuggled planeloads of cocaine into the United States.

Mexico's new war includes a focus on helping Mexicans who have long had 
little choice but to participate in the drug trade -- either for financial 
reasons or because of pressure from drug lords. Officials want to improve 
education and create jobs to lure people away from drugs or to prevent 
their use, Social Development Secretary Josefina Vazquez said.

"We must make sure that real opportunities exist and we must strengthen the 
social fabric, the autonomy and the dignity of people,'' she said.

While Mexico has long battled drug smugglers, drug abuse also has grown. 
The national program outlined Monday offered the first comprehensive effort 
at battling consumption -- something Mexico usually says the United States 
must do. Officials promised to do more to help addicts.

Macedo, the attorney general, said he would continue efforts at extraditing 
drug lords to the United States, while sharing information on the drug 
trade with authorities all over the world.

The fight is important not just to halt the drug trade, he said, but also 
to stop the underworld of terrorists and other illegal activity it creates.

"Never again will we be hostages to criminal organizations,'' Macedo said. 
"United we will triumph.''
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens