Mexican agents detain border city police chief for allegedly
protecting drug cartel
The Associated Press
Published: April 18, 2008
E-Mail Article
Listen to Article
Printer-Friendly
3-Column Format
Translate
Share Article
Text Size
MEXICO CITY: Mexico's military performed checks on all city police
weapons in the border town of Reynosa on Friday after federal
officials detained the police chief for questioning about possible
links to drug traffickers.
Reynosa Police Chief Juan Jose Muniz Salinas was whisked off to Mexico
City by federal authorities late Thursday for questioning on "evidence
that links him to organized crime and fomenting drug trafficking," the
federal attorney general's office said in a statement.
City officials said soldiers were conducting a routine check of city
police weapons in Reynosa, which is near the Texas city of McAllen.
Such inspections have been carried out in the past to determine if any
of the weapons are unregistered or linked to crimes.
But Miguel Angel Garcia Ahedo, the city council secretary, said in a
news release that the detention had not affected city operations.
"The city is calm, and we are operating normally with police patrols
in all parts of the city, in coordination state and federal
authorities," he said.
Today on IHT.com
Rescuers in China struggle to reach quake survivors
Icahn said to weigh Yahoo proxy fight
Robert Rauschenberg, prolific American artist, dies at 82
Federal prosecutors have less than four days to either charge Muniz
Salinas, release him or ask a judge to place him under house arrest
without formal charges.
Last month, soldiers arrested nine police officers from Ciudad Juarez,
across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas, for allegedly carrying
drugs in their patrol cars.
The Gulf cartel is based in Tamaulipas state, where Reynosa is
located.
|
