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MEXICAN CONGRESS, OTHERS SEEK WEAPONS-CONTROL PROVISION IN U.S. DRUG PLAN FOR MEXICO.

Article Excerpt
The free flow of weapons into Mexico has become a major concern in the debate on US President George W. Bush's proposed drug-assistance program for the Mexican government. In October, Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderon's administration confirmed US plans to provide as much as US$1.4 billion to Mexico for drug-interdiction efforts (see SourceMex, 2007-10-17). The plan has become the subject of debate in both countries, with critics calling for the initiative to include tight control on weapons exports to Mexico. Many in Mexico are also worried that the plan, known as Plan Merida or Iniciativa Merida, forces the country to surrender to the US its sovereign rights.

The US Congress must approve the initiative proposed by the Bush administration because it requires an allocation of funds. It is not certain when the drug proposal would come before US legislators.

AK-47s and other assault weapons obtained easily in US

Many critics are blaming the extreme violence associated with the drug trade on the easy access that cartel leaders have to high-caliber and assault weapons. The major drug-trafficking organizations are not only using the weapons against each other but have started to target the Mexican police and military, particularly in response to Calderon's moves since the start of 2007 to crack down on drug operations (see SourceMex, 2007-01-24 and 2007-05-30).

Dozens of journalists in Mexico have also been attacked because of their coverage of the drug trade (see SourceMex, 2005-04-20, 2006-02-15 and 2006-12-06).

The concerns came to the forefront in early November, when a dozen armed men thought to be affiliated with the Gulf cartel engaged members of the Mexican Navy in a gun battle during a routine patrol in Tampico. There were no casualties in the exchange of fire, which lasted about 20 minutes.

Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora said there was evidence that the attack on the Navy personnel might have been in retaliation for the government's move to seize 11.7 tons of cocaine in that port city in early October.

In an earlier violent incident against a law-enforcement officer, an elite member of the Baja California state police was assassinated in a hail of bullets fired from AK-47 assault rifles.

The perpetrators, connected to a local drug-trafficking organization, later used their weapons to fire on the headquarters of a police unit that had been assigned to Calderon's federal anti-drug operations in Tijuana. There were no casualties in that second attack.

Federal anti-drug officials said the high-powered weapons used in both cases originated in the US and were part of...