Mexican Leader Assails U.S. Drug War Conduct

In an unusually blunt criticism of U.S. conduct in the war on drugs, Mexico’s President Carlos Salinas de Gortari said Thursday that “the fight against drug trafficking cannot be used as a pretext for violating the law nor the territory of another country.”

His harsh words were aimed in part at the alleged role of the United States in abducting a Mexican doctor from Guadalajara to face charges in Los Angeles for the 1985 torture-murder of U.S. drug agent Enrique S. Camarena.

“We will not permit anyone -- not drug traffickers nor their pursuers -- to violate Mexican law,” Salinas said in a speech in Ixtapa, Mexico, to an Organization of American States conference on illicit drug use.

Salinas’ speech -- a copy of which was made available in Washington -- appeared also to reflect resentment over the conduct of the United States in other recent anti-drug operations, including the use of U.S. spy satellites to survey marijuana production in Mexico.

Citing concerns over sovereignty, Mexican officials contended that the United States should have informed Mexico that it intended to deploy the satellites. More recently, they conveyed their outrage to U.S. officials when details were published of joint U.S.-Mexican anti-drug operations that the Mexicans had insisted be kept secret.

Atty. Gen. Dick Thornburgh, speaking at the same conference, did not mention the controversial apprehension of Dr. Humberto Alvarez Machain, who was arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration agents in El Paso April 3. Alvarez was abducted from his Guadalajara medical office and taken by car and plane to El Paso by men alleged by Mexican officials to be working for the DEA.

A DEA spokesman said that no DEA agent was present when Alvarez was taken from his office and later put on a plane headed for El Paso. Thornburgh has asked DEA for a full report on the incident.

In his speech, Thornburgh hailed “the renewed vigor and commitment of Mexico’s government and people to the war on drugs.”

But after Salinas’ speech, Thornburgh held a second private meeting with Mexico Atty. Gen. Enrique Alvarez del Castillo. he described the meeting as “cordial.”

A spokesman for Thornburgh said he indicated that cooperation between the United States and Mexico on drug enforcement cases would continue.

Salinas, in his speech, said that while more coordination and exchange of information between governments is needed in the drug fight, “international cooperation must be based on unrestricted respect for the sovereignty of each nation. . .”

“It is inadmissible and imprudent to try to give authority to judicial organs from one country outside its borders,” Salinas added.

Staff Writers Marjorie Miller in Mexico City and Douglas Jehl in Washington contributed to this report.