Thousands of Mexican soldiers pour into the country's most violent city

Thousands of Mexican soldiers pour into the country's most violent city in crackdown on drug gangs

By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 1:11 PM on 03rd March 2009




Armed to the hilt, they came from land and air, determined to restore order to Mexico's most violent city.

Nearly 2,000 Mexican soldiers and armed federal police poured into the border town of Ciudad Juarez last weekend.

The city - just across from El Paso in Texas - has been ravaged by drug gangs. Just this month 250 people were killed there by hitmen fighting for lucrative smuggling routes.
Enlarge War zone: Federal police check their guns as they get ready to board a plane from Mexico City to the lawless border town of Ciudad Juarez

War zone: Federal police check their guns as they get ready to board a plane from Mexico City to the lawless border town of Ciudad Juarez
Enlarge Bringing out the big guns: Armed federal police prepare to patrol the streets as they arrive in Ciudad Juarez yesterday

Bringing out the big guns: Armed federal police prepare to patrol the streets as they arrive in Ciudad Juarez yesterday

Enlarge Between federal police and Mexican Army soldiers up to 4,000 law enforcement officers swarmed the streets of Juarez over the weekend

Between federal police and Mexican Army soldiers up to 2,000 law enforcement officers swarmed the streets of Juarez over the weekend to join the 2,500 already there - and there are more to come

The soldiers' mandate is clear - and ambitious.

'This is to reinforce the operation in general ... to eradicate kidnappings, extortion, assaults and homicide,' army spokesman Enrique Torres said.

The soldiers are the first contingent of as many as 5,000 troops and federal police being sent to Juarez.
Enlarge The deployment is part of a five thousand man troop increase planned for this city - given the unlucky title of Mexico's most violent

The deployment is part of a five thousand man troop increase planned for this city - given the unlucky title of Mexico's most violent

Enlarge The deployment is part of a five thousand man troop increase planned for this city - given the unlucky title of Mexico's most violent


Almost 2,500 soldiers and federal police have been there for nearly a year, but they have failed to curb the violence plaguing the city of about 1.6 million people.

President Felipe Calderon's military operation is supported by the United States, which is concerned the violence could destabilize Mexico, a key trading partner, and spill over the border.

Mexico has deployed some 45,000 troops across the country to try to crush drug gangs, but clashes between rival cartels and security forces killed around 6,000 people last year.
Enlarge The soldiers and police were flown in by air as well as driven in

The soldiers and police were flown in by air as well as driven in

Enlarge The soldiers and police were flown in by air as well as driven in

Obama Rulz wrote:The article conveniently leaves out the fact that the past few months have seen a huge increase in weapons sales in the US and that many of these are being re-sold to the Mexican drug gangs. Just a bunch of right wing business men making a profit of the death and misery of others.