May 17, 2005

El Salvador, Mexico Call for Summit on Criminal Gangs
The Associated Press


MEXICO CITY (AP) - The presidents of Mexico and El Salvador, Vicente Fox and Tony Saca, on Tuesday called for a regional summit on ways to fight criminal youth gangs.

Following a meeting at Fox's presidential residence, Saca said the summit of Central American and Mexican leaders could be held around the end of June, though he did not say where. He said American officials of "the highest level" also would be invited.

The gangs, known as "maras," have increasingly alarmed officials in Central America, Mexico and the United States.
Fox said it was "a strategic topic and important for us."

Following their meeting, Fox and Saca signed an agreement to make Mexican deportation of illegal migrants from El Salvador safer and more orderly. Many Salvadorans pass through Mexico while trying to emigrate to the United States.

AP-ES-05-17-05 1535EDT

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