FBIS4-33188
"drlat107_c_94005"
FBIS-LAT-94-107
Daily Report
31 May 1994
MEXICO
Four Groups Control Drugs, Have `Corruption Mattress'
Four Groups Control Drugs, Have `Corruption Mattress'
PA0206172494 Paris AFP in Spanish 1632 GMT 31 May 94
PA0206172494
Paris AFP
Spanish
BFN
[Text] Mexico City, May 31 (AFP) -- Mario Ruiz, the deputy
attorney general of the Republic, stated this Tuesday, that drug
trafficking in Mexico is controlled by four large groups that
have "all the economic and technological resources to conduct
their activities."
In an interview given to the Monitor newscast, the official
admitted that the powerful Mexican traffickers have a
"corruption mattress" among the police and they also have "ties
with international capos."
The Mexican capos are the Arellano Felix brothers of the
Tijuana cartel, Hector Palma of the Sinaloa cartel, Juan Garcia
Abrego of the Tamaulipas cartel, and Amado Cardillo of the
Juarez cartel, the deputy attorney general stated.
Ruiz, who recently gave Federal Judicial Police [PJF]
members
a one-month ultimatum to arrest the drug chieftains, said the
Attorney General's Office (PGR) is attempting to break the
intermediate structures of the banks. He pointed out that until
the capos are arrested, the authorities will attempt to
interrupt the flow of money and drugs to the cartel chieftains.
The deputy attorney general said getting to the capos is
very
difficult as they have a "corruption mattress" as well as "all
the economic and technological resources to move about and even
to leave the country and return. It is, thus, very difficult to
search for them." He added, however, "when we arrest
intermediate drug traffickers, they will give us information
that will allow us to achieve bigger objectives."
Ruiz admitted the struggle against drug trafficking is an
endless war, but as long as the institutions and the PGR
continue to battle they will be able to control the situation
and, in principle, stop drug-trafficking activities from growing.
Last weekend, Ruiz demanded that the PJF in charge of the
fight against drug traffickers arrest the drug chieftains. Ruiz
said that if the PJF does not make arrests, they will be charged
with negligence or complicity and they will be subjected to
justice. He explained there is evidence tying policemen with
organized crime but he asserted that most of the PJF members are
honest. He said the PGR is determined to get results, such as a
large quantity of drugs seized and the arrest of more drug
traffickers.