Baker Praises Mexico’s Crackdown on Cocaine Traffic, Urges Certification
Secretary of State James A. Baker III on Tuesday strongly praised Mexico for its actions against drug trafficking, calling the government’s new crackdown on cocaine smugglers “unprecedented.”
“Mexico has taken some very significant steps,” Baker told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “There shouldn’t be a lot of debate and doubt about certifying Mexico (as aiding in U.S. anti-drug efforts).”
Baker pointed to the arrest April 8 of Mexican drug kingpin Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo as a sign of the country’s new toughness toward drugs.
His comments reflected increased confidence by the Bush Administration in the government of Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, in contrast with the more critical U.S. view of the previous government of Miguel de la Madrid.
Meanwhile, the Senate panel delayed a vote on President Bush’s nominee as ambassador to Mexico because of unresolved questions about secret U.S. aid to Nicaragua’s Contras during the Reagan Administration.
The nominee, John D. Negroponte, was ambassador to Honduras in 1985, when Reagan aides sought to pressure the Honduran government into helping the rebels in exchange for accelerated U.S. aid.
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