Mexico

Thirty dead in drug war, after US announces crime-fighting aid

Article published on the 2008-12-05 Latest update 2008-12-05 14:33 TU

A police officer stands guard during a drug raid in Guadalajara.
(Photo: Reuters)

Thirty people were found dead Thursday in Mexico, including 13 people tied up in a bus in the north-western state of Sinaloa, in the latest wave of murders in a drug war that has been plaguing the country. Earlier this week, the US gave the green light to an aid plan to help Mexico fight the violence that has killed more than 4,500 people this year alone.

In the northern Chihuahua state, which is a major drug-smuggling corridor to the United States, 17 other people were killed, including a police investigator who was ambushed in his car and shot more than 60 times.

This latest round of violence came the day after the United States announced that the first 197 million dollars (155 million euros) of a wide-ranging anti-crime aid package would be released to Mexico.

The Merida Initiative will provide a total of 1.6 billion dollars (1.2 billion euros) to Mexico and other Central American and Caribbean nations over three years to combat organised crime.

“The basic message is that Mexico and the United States are committed to fully co-operating against a common enemy, organised crime,” Mexican Ambassador Carlos Rico told RFI.