Mexican army takes over for police along South Texas border


Houston Chronicle:

Mexican troops have taken over the policing of the largest cities in the state bordering South Texas as officials try once again to fix their corruption-crippled municipal forces.

Some 2,300 soldiers, bolstered by state police units, replaced most civilian officers in 22 Tamaulipas cities and towns, including Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, Matamoros and smaller border towns as well as Tampico and the state capital, Ciudad Victoria. The soldiers will stay while the municipal officers are vetted for possible participation in crime and corruption, and either fired or reinstated, officials said.

In addition, the army is establishing three battalion-strength bases: in the embattled border town of Ciudad Mier, upriver from McAllen; in San Fernando, where gangsters have killed hundreds of innocent migrants and others over the past 10 months; and in Ciudad Mante.

...
This is an area that has been dominated by the Zetas since the split with the Gulf Cartel. Law enforcement in the area has been at best ineffective. It is an area where the cartels have told officials to take the money or take a bullet.

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