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Guatemala trains elite anti-drug unit amid threats
03 Mar 2009 02:25:01 GMT
 Source: Reuters
GUATEMALA CITY, March 2 (Reuters) - Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom swore in a new unit of elite anti-drug police on Monday, just days after suspected members of a Mexican drug cartel threatened to kill the Central American leader.

A police spokesman said the roughly four dozen policemen and soldiers entering the squad received part of their training from U.S. agents and military personnel under the Merida Initiative, a U.S. aid program that promises $1.4 billion to help Mexico and Central America fight drug cartels.

Unknown callers telephoned police on Saturday and said hitmen from Mexico's Gulf cartel would try to kill Colom later on that same day, Interior Ministry spokesman Nery Morales told Reuters.

No assassination attempt was reported that day, although security around the president was tightened.

Guatemala, a key transit point for South American cocaine into Mexico and the United States, is seeing growing drug violence between gangs vying for smuggling routes into Mexico as Mexican gangs move deeper into the country. (Reporting by Herbert Hernandez, editing by Vicki Allen)


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Last updated:Tue Mar 3 02:27:49 2009