Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

US frees up $197 mln in aid for Mexico's drug war
04 Dec 2008 01:16:53 GMT
 Source: Reuters
MEXICO CITY, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The United States made available on Wednesday $197 million to pay for helicopters and other equipment needed by Mexico to fight violent drug cartels, the first part of an anti-narcotics aid package promised almost two years ago.

U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza, signing documents for the Mexican aid, said another $136 million in military and economic support will follow immediately.

"The governments of the United States and Mexico will continue fighting against the scourge of drugs and drug trafficking, but to be successful we will need support from people on both sides of the border," Garza told reporters.

The U.S. Congress approved $465 million in drug-fighting aid for Mexico and Central America in June, the first installment of a $1.4 billion package pledged by U.S. President George W. Bush during a visit to the Mexican city of Merida in March 2007.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has urged Washington to support his army-led crackdown on powerful drug gangs whose hitmen have killed around 4,500 people this year, armed with illegally smuggled U.S. guns.

Calderon has sent some 36,000 troops across Mexico to try to restore law and order, spending around $7 billion on the three-year military crackdown.

The so-called Merida Initiative should pay for inspection equipment like scanners, helicopters and surveillance aircraft as well as drug detection dogs. It should also fund training and technical advice to support law enforcement operations in Mexico.

Congress attached conditions on some of the Merida funds, saying they can not be released until the U.S. government can report that the Mexican military has made progress in respecting human rights.

Political analysts say the United States wants to ensure the equipment does not end up in the hands of drug lords or Mexico's corrupt police forces. (Reporting by Miguel Angel Gutierrez, writing by Noel Randewich, editing by Anthony Boadle)


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

NGO latest

•  ADRA's 2009 Really Useful Gift Catalog; Available Now
ADRA - International

•  Act From the Heart: Join ADRA in Commemorating World AIDS Day
ADRA - International

•  CWS, NCC call on U.S. government to stop workplace immigration raids
CWS

•  The Women's Commission Calls on the United States to Uphold the Rights of Migrant Children
Women's Commission - USA

•  Tea Fire: Direct Relief, Santa Barbara Public Health Plan Second Mask Distribution for Saturday, Nov. 15
DRI - USA

MORE >>

Latest news

•  US frees up $197 mln in aid for Mexico's drug war

•  US must halt spread of nuclear, bio weapons - Biden

•  Libya accuses Israel of piracy by blocking aid ship

•  Mexico aims to cut emissions, boost carbon trades

•  Record number of Americans using food stamps-USDA

MORE >>

AlertNet news is provided by

Background information

Facts & figures
Mexico United States of America

Related articles

Breaking stories
 US frees up $197 mln in aid for Mexico's drug war (1 minute ago)

US must halt spread of nuclear, bio weapons - Biden (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 Experts call for better data on climate change migrants (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 ADRA's 2009 Really Useful Gift Catalog; Available Now (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Obama and Darfur - What to Expect (1 minute ago)

Maps
 MAP: Mexico_ Tabasco- Flood situation along River Usumacinta- November 2, 2008- Overview map (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-11-14T220259Z_01_HNR03_RTRIDSP_2_MEXICO-CRASH_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/HNR03.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-11-14T220144Z_01_HNR02_RTRIDSP_2_MEXICO-CRASH_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/HNR02.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-11-14T220047Z_01_HNR01_RTRIDSP_2_MEXICO-CRASH_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/HNR01.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-11-09T022214Z_01_HNR09_RTRIDSP_2_MEXICO-URIBE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/HNR09.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-11-09T014814Z_01_HNR06_RTRIDSP_2_MEXICO-URIBE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/HNR06.htm

A man holds up an image from a surveillance camera that shows a plane (R, top) during a news conference in Mexico City, November 14, 2008. Turbulence from a nearby aircraft, ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Thu Dec 4 01:18:57 2008