Pubdate: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2005 The Dallas Morning News Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117 Author: Alfredo Corchado, The Dallas Morning News Note: Belo Television Mexico Bureau Chief Angela Kocherga contributed to this report MEXICO'S DRUG WAR ENTERS 'NEW PHASE' Killing Of 6 Prison Workers Raises Fears In Border Towns REYNOSA, Mexico -- Truckloads of federal police wearing military-style jumpsuits and carrying assault weapons patrol the streets of this border town. In nearby Matamoros, army soldiers in tanks surround a maximum-security prison where drug traffickers are held. The killing of six prison employees last week and the government's swift response -- deploying hundreds of federal troops and police in towns along the Texas border -- have raised fears that the confrontation between Mexico's government and drug-trafficking organizations may be moving toward the kind of political violence that rocked Colombia's foundations in the 1980s and 1990s. "The real question is: What will the cartels do next? How will they respond?" said Jorge Chabat, an expert on organized crime at the Center for Economic Research in Mexico City. "I fear we're entering a new phase in the drug war in Mexico, much like in Colombia in the 1980s and 1990s, where judges, policemen and elected politicians became the target." Ana Marma Salazar, a former Clinton administration official and expert on the international narcotics trade, downplayed the Colombia comparison. "The differences between Mexico and Colombia remain huge," she said, "but that doesn't mean it's not a big concern for the Mexican government. It has to be." Turf wars Both experts agreed that the relatively peaceful coexistence of drug traffickers and the federal government in Mexico has been shattered, in part by what U.S. officials say is President Vicente Fox's success in bringing down several top cartel figures. As leaders have been jailed, bloody turf wars have ensued to fill the vacuum. Officials and local residents expressed concern that the escalating confrontation between the government and drug gangs will mean that public servants and "other targets of opportunity" could be caught in the crossfire. "Mexico has never been challenged like this before, so boldly and so blatantly by drug lords," said Omehira Lspez, a recently elected city councilwoman and member of the nongovernmental Center for Border Studies and the Promotion of Human Rights, based in Reynosa. Asked if she feared for her life, Ms. Lspez said, "The thought has crossed my mind, but I try not to think about it." Very much on the minds of residents was the killing of six prison employees last week in what authorities believe was a hit by one of Mexico's most powerful drug gangs, the Gulf cartel. The attacks took place after the government sent federal troops to reinforce security at a prison near Mexico City that houses some of the country's most notorious drug lords. After the attacks on the prison employees in Matamoros, the government responded by deploying 700 armed federal agents and troops and 30 tanks to patrol Reynosa, near Matamoros and its federal penitentiary where top drug lords are suspected of still conducting business from behind bars. Ghost town An eerie calm has settled on Reynosa, a normally bustling border town bordering McAllen, Texas, as convoys of federal agents in pickups whiz in and out of downtown and patrol main thoroughfares. In late afternoon, long lines of cars heading back to the United States clog the main streets as workers who live in Texas skip the usual after-hours drink or meal to return home, frustrating merchants and restaurant owners. To be sure, clashes between the government and drug cartels aren't new, and Mexicans have witnessed the presence of federal agents patrolling streets on other occasions. But to some residents, this time it's different. Zenaido Rammrez Lspez, a local policeman, looked up at the three trucks full of heavily armed federal agents passing by and pumped his fist in the air in support. He welcomes the high-profile security but said that an escalation of the conflict could put him and other public servants directly in the line of fire. "We're standing toe to toe with drug traffickers," Mr. Rammrez said as he directed traffic in front of City Hall. "But in this war, the men in uniform may end up paying the ultimate price." Since the killing of the prison employees, his wife has urged him to look for another job, "a job worth dying for," he said, quoting her. Low wages for police officers remain one of Mexico's thorniest issues. While politicians and their aides earn thousands of dollars a month, including health care benefits and other perks such as drivers and expense accounts, police officers remain near the bottom of the pay scale. Mr. Rammrez's biweekly paycheck is about $140. He has no health insurance and must pay for his uniform. He does not have a radio or gun, which is prohibited for traffic police. He wryly described trying to pull over "certain motorists." "They're shady characters in their shiny black Suburban," he said. "They laugh at me, sometimes shove me, or just ignore me and drive off. And if I try to say anything they simply show me their AK-47. We get no respect." Asked if he's ever been approached by drug traffickers with a bribe, Mr. Rammrez pondered the question and nervously shook his head. His fellow police officers, Francisco Sias, 45, and Jeszs Jaime Alejandro, 34, offered their perspective. "It doesn't take much to bribe a cop here," Mr. Sias said. "Often you don't have a choice: Take the bribe or a bullet," Mr. Alejandro added. "But now," said Mr. Ramirez, "you may get a bullet either way." - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager