U.S., Mexico to Unite in Drug War Efforts

Mexico and the United States agreed Friday on closer ties in the war on drugs, including joint operations to halt cross-border trafficking, Attorney General Dick Thornburgh said.

Thornburgh reached the agreement with Mexican Attorney General Enrique Alvarez del Castillo, days after Mexico captured Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, one of Latin America’s top drug barons.

“It is my hope that as a result of this meeting, we can begin to strengthen our ties in helping to eradicate what President Bush has called the scourge of drugs,” Thornburgh said after the meeting.

Mexico is the largest single source for heroin entering the U.S. market, the second-largest source for marijuana and a leading transit point for cocaine.

In recent years the U.S. Congress had strongly questioned Mexico for failing to take action to limit the flow of drugs from its territory into the United States. But President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, who took office in December, has begun to take strong action against drug traffickers.

Thornburgh said the two countries had agreed to closer cooperation in fighting drugs.

“Specifically, we agreed to work together on joint operations where possible and for the United States to further assist the Mexican government in the training of its police and drug enforcement agents,” he said.