The Army took control of the second-largest city in Tabasco on Friday after federal authorities arrested the municipal police chief and five of his
top deputies on suspicion of ties to drug traffickers.
Officials for the city of Cárdenas said that Chief Carlos Guzmán Correa was in federal custody along with five other senior officers of the
more-than-150-strong municipal force. The arrests came after soldiers seized the police armory in the city of 120,000 people, located 40 kilometers
south of the state capital of Villahermosa.
Federal officials had not released a formal statement by press time.
The move follows public accusations last month by Tabasco Gov. Andrés Granier Melo that police forces in 11 of the southern state´s 17 municipalities
had been infiltrated by organized-crime gangs. He said federal officials knew about the problem, and he challenged them to act.
That announcement followed allegations by anti-crime activists who said they had audio proof that the state´s former attorney general and a close ally
of Granier Melo was in league with drug traffickers while in office.
Granier Melo, a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, vehemently denied the charges.
Last week, state Public Security Secretary Héctor Sánchez Gutiérrez said officials had uncovered new evidence showing that narcotics gangs were paying
off policemen in several Tabasco cities.
Tabasco police forces have already dismissed some 200 officers so far this year on suspicion of colluding with criminals.
The Gulf state has witnessed increasing violence, including decapitations, that has been attributed to rivalries among drug-trafficking groups over
access to smuggling routes.
A traditional PRI stronghold, Tabasco is known for a history of political corruption.
Tens of thousands of people around the nation - including many in Villahermosa - took to the streets last Saturday to protest against growing crime
rates and demand that the government take action.vandenberg - 9-6-2008 at 09:26 AM
And how does this relate to Baja ??CaboRon - 9-6-2008 at 09:36 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by vandenberg
And how does this relate to Baja ??
"The head bone's connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone's connected to the collar bone,
The collar bone's connected to the breast bone, etc.,etc."
CaboRonELINVESTIG8R - 9-6-2008 at 10:21 AM
Good one Ron!Bruce R Leech - 9-6-2008 at 12:14 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by vandenberg
And how does this relate to Baja ??
Good one Ron!