Mexican Military Disarms Police in Border Cities
Tuesday , January 29, 2008 Posted: 07:08 PM
STRATFOR Report.flv

Weapons checked for links to crimes or drug cartel

MATAMOROS, Mexico - The Mexican army is stripping police officers of their weapons. The special forces agents are searching for corrupt officers in cities like Matamoros, Reynosa, Progreso, and Laredo.

"They're disarming cops, so they can't be used to get the bad guys out of town," explains Fred Burton of STRATFOR Intelligence, a private intelligence agency in Austin.

He tells us part of the Mexican government's plan to stop the drugs war is to disarm the police officers.

"How do you put together a strategy when you don't know who's on who's side?" says Burton.

We learned the police officer weapons will be checked to see if they've been used in crimes or can be linked to a drug cartel.

This was mentioned in an intelligence report about security in Mexico. The same report also warns about possible retaliation.

Burton says it involves corruption on both sides of the border.

He tells us, "People fail to recognize that the sheer scope of corruption is also on the Texas side in the United States."

Meanwhile, some Mexican police officers will be given drug tests. Others may have to take polygraphs, just to figure out who's on the cartel payroll.

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