Fort Huachuca soldiers told to stay out of Mexico

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — The Army’s top officer in southern Arizona on Friday ordered soldiers at Fort Huachuca not to travel into Mexico because of recent drug-related violence across the border.

Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast, commander of the Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca, issued the order after a drug cartel assault force overran the town of Cananea on Wednesday.

The attackers killed seven people, including five police officers, before police and army troops hunted down and killed 16 of the assailants in ensuing mountain gunbattles.

“In view of the recent increase in drug-related violence just across the Mexican border near the towns of Cananea and Naco, until further notice, I am directing that all military personnel and strongly advising all Department of the Army civilian personnel and their families to restrict their travel by avoiding the border towns of Mexico,â€