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04-12-2008, 03:03 AM #1
DEA reassures NM border residents
DEA reassures NM border residents
By Jose L. Medina Sun-News reporter
Article Launched: 04/11/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
LAS CRUCES — The area's top Drug Enforcement Administration agent said his agency is trying its best to keep the wave of violence in Mexican border cities from spilling over to the U.S. side, including southern New Mexico.
"We're very prepared for it and I can assure you; you won't see an increase in violence in Las Cruces. We're all over it," special agent in charge Jack Riley said. He heads the DEA in the El Paso sector, which includes New Mexico.
Riley requested to be interviewed in an effort to respond to inquiries from the public and legislators about the agency's role.
"The public needs to know this is not something that has caught us by surprise," he said.
Violence along the border is likely to "get worse before it gets better," he admitted, and it will be difficult to prevent all incidents.
"We've been effective in stopping this and we're continuing to do that, but it's hard to bat a thousand," he said.
The Mexican border cities of Juárez, across from El Paso, and Palomas, south of Columbus, N.M., have seen recent spikes in crime as rival drug gangs battle for territory and distribution routes.
Juárez has seen more than 200 murders since the beginning of the year.
More than 2,000 Mexican troops are now patrolling the city of 1.3 million.
Palomas was recently left lawless after its remaining police officers abandoned their jobs and the police chief sought political asylum in the United States.
More DEA resources have been moved into the Palomas area, Riley said.
Luna County officials, as well as representatives from U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman's office, will meet April 17 with area law enforcement and Mexican officials to discuss ways to deal with border violence issues.
According to Luna County sheriff's Capt. Arturo Baeza, there is good cooperation between U.S. and Mexican authorities.
When there's something in Palomas that could present a problem for Luna County, Mexican authorities notify the Border Patrol, which in turn calls the sheriff's office, Baeza said.
"The same if it works the other way," he said.
Riley said as dire as the situation may seem, the violence south of the border could be worse and could have already spread north of the border if not for the work of his agents who have been able to better cooperate with their Mexican counterparts.
He said agents have thus far been able to disrupt murder and kidnapping plots in El Paso, though he would offer few details so as not to compromise ongoing investigations.
The plots have mostly been aimed at El Paso residents involved in the drug trade, he said.
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04-12-2008, 03:09 AM #2
- Join Date
- Jan 1970
- Posts
- 27
The Mexican law enforcement is on it? That should be very comforting.
The best thing they could do for fighting border violence would be to ditch their Governor. He does a great job of representing his people. The only problem is...who is that again?
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05-04-2024, 10:39 AM in illegal immigration News Stories & Reports