An ‘Honest’ General Takes a Fall : Arrest of Mexico’s drug czar deepens concern about cartels

Mexican Gen. Jesus Gutierrez Rebollo knew how to catch drug lords. The list of arrests he made in his long career is impressive. It is also selective and shows there were no serious blows to one drug outfit: the so-called Ciudad Juarez cartel, whose boss is Amado Carrillo Fuentes. This conspicuous absence could have been detected before Gutierrez was appointed Mexico’s drug czar. But it wasn’t.

Everyone in Mexico, from President Ernesto Zedillo down, believed he was a tough, honest military officer. Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the White House drug czar, lauded Gutierrez for his “reputation of impeccable integrity.”

Now Gutierrez’s arrest on suspicion of taking bribes to protect the Juarez cartel has raised serious concerns about Mexico’s ability to shield its anti-drug forces from the corrupting power of the narco forces. We can only wonder how deeply the cartels have penetrated Mexico’s security apparatus.

Overwhelmed by the rampant corruption of the police forces, Zedillo turned to the army for help and found Gutierrez. Now the general has betrayed the president and the country. Where can Zedillo turn to find a security chief who hasn’t been corrupted by the drug lords? There are many honest generals and cops in Mexico who could do the job, but all applicants should be required to undergo intense screening.

These new revelations of corruption come at a particularly delicate time. On March 1, President Clinton will send Congress his annual report certifying other nations’ cooperation with the U.S. in controlling the drug trade.

Political forces on the far right and left can be expected to demand that Clinton decertify Mexico, making it subject to economic penalties. That would be an unfair and unfortunate decision. Even under adverse circumstances, Mexico has cooperated with U.S. officials in trying to solve the problem.

The White House should emphasize, now more than ever, the value of cooperation in redefining a binational policy to combat the drug menace. This is not a time for recrimination. Only steady pressure will resolve the problem.