Pubdate: Mon, 16 Mar 2009
Source: El Paso Times (TX)
Copyright: 2009 El Paso Times
Contact: http://www.elpasotimes.com/formnewsroom
Website: http://www.elpasotimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/829
Author: Ramon Bracamontes

RETIRED MEXICAN ARMY GENERAL APPOINTED SECRETARY OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN JUAREZ

EL PASO - A retired Mexican army general was appointed Monday as the
secretary of public safety in Juarez, the mayor said.

As the public safety secretary, Ret. Gen. Julian David Rivera Breton
will oversee the city's police department and report to Juarez Mayor
Jose Reyes Ferriz, who also named a new police chief on Monday.
Alfonso Cristobal Garcia Melgar, an infantry colonel with the Mexican
army, is the city's new police chief.

Also on Monday, the federal government sent a national defense
department official to Juarez to serve as the public safety adviser in
the border city that has become one of the most violent in North
America. The new security advisor is Mario Hernandez Escobedo.

Reyes Ferriz, in a statement, said all three of the appointments were
needed so that Joint Operation Juarez can continue. The Juarez
operation, along with Operation Joint Chihuahua, is a unified movement
by the city, state and federal government to rid the city of the drug
cartels that use Juarez to transport drugs into the U.S.

In the past year, more than 2,000 people have been killed in Juarez,
including several police officers and commanders. The city's police
chief resigned earlier this year, prompting the federal government to
send in more than 7,000 soldiers.

The new police commanders will work with the Mexican military to
continue to combat the cartels, Reyes Ferriz said.

Juarez city council representative Gustavo Munoz Hepo said that he
hopes the military control of  the city's departments will quickly
produce results.

"We understand this is an extreme and necessary step that must be
taken, but we implore that this be temporary," Munoz Hepo said.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin