WASHINGTON - U.S. officials and analysts say there are new signs that drug corruption is spreading within the Mexican military, an institution long regarded as more professional and less prone to criminality than the country's law enforcement agencies. In interviews, four senior U.S. officials, a senior Mexican intelligence official and three independent analysts all expressed concern about the expanding role of the Mexican military in the drug war. Some pointed to low pay among the middle and lower ranks as making military personnel vulnerable to offers from cartel leaders who may double or triple their pay. [continues 1307 words]
For years, Lt. John Speer fought the silence of gangs. Speer, commander of the gang unit for the Wichita Police Department, dealt with people who looked the other way when gang violence struck their neighborhood. He had seen witnesses to killings forget everything but their own name. They became blind to the flash of gunfire, deaf to the slang of drug dealings, and dumb to police questions about what had happened on the streets outside their homes. [continues 1226 words]
BAN HUAY RUA, Thailand - At dawn, two men with close-cropped hair arrived at Sairung Chuwong's farmhouse in a black sedan, claiming they had a search warrant. When the woman's husband, Sompong, came outside, one of the men shot him three times with an M-16 rifle. The second man pulled out a pistol and finished the job with bullets to his skull and neck as Sairung clung to her husband's body. The men left without identifying themselves. [continues 799 words]
A city worker fired Tuesday morning by West Helena Mayor Johnny Weaver fired back at last night's city council meeting, claiming he had been "done wrong" by the mayor. During the public forum at the meeting, Larry Smith, a 15-year veteran of the city street department claimed the mayor went back on his word when Smith was fired for violating the city's drug policy. Smith, who was under investigation by police on suspected possession of drugs, said that the mayor had agreed to give him a warning instead of terminating his services. [continues 766 words]
