MEXICO MURDERS

December 6, 1999
		After this background report, Ray Suarez talks to U.S. Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey and Mexico's attorney general about the drug war efforts between their two countries.

The NewsHour's Coverage of Politics in Mexico Dec.6, 1999: A discussion on the U.S.-Mexican drug war. Nov. 8, 1999: Examining the PRI's first presidential primary Nov. 8, 1999: A look at the practice of "el dedazo." Oct. 21, 1999: Flood victims blame corrupt zoning codes for deaths. Aug. 2, 1999: The U.S. campaign to curb drug use amongst teens Jan. 12, 1999: Crime waves threaten the popularity of Mexico City's mayor. Browse the NewsHour's coverage of Latin America     The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)	JIM LEHRER: Finally tonight, the Mexican graves mystery, and to Ray Suarez. RAY SUAREZ: After a week of searching, U.S. and Mexican authorities have found the remains of six bodies just south of the U.S.-Mexico border. They've combed four desert ranches looking for as many as 200 people who have been missing. Some may be Americans. The search began after an FBI informant said the area contained bodies of people killed by drug lords. The six bodies are all men between the ages of 35 and 50. One had been shot in the head. The sites are between ten and 20 miles south of Ciudad Juárez, which sits on the Rio Grande just across the border from El Paso, Texas. Last week, President Clinton commented on the discovery of the graves. PRESIDENT CLINTON: It's a horrible example, apparently, of excesses of the drug dealing cartels in Mexico. And I think it reinforces the imperative of our not only trying to protect our border, but to work with the Mexican authorities to try to combat these. You know, we had a lot of success a few years ago in taking down a number of the Colombian drug cartels. And one of the adverse consequences of that was a lot of the operations were moved north into Mexico.
	The Mexico cartels
	RAY SUAREZ: Just a few years ago, Juárez was the headquarters for one of Mexico's largest and most violent drug cartels. Law enforcement officials believe the Juárez cartel was responsible for shipping tons of Colombian cocaine and marijuana from Mexico to the United States. Its leader, Amado Carillo Fuentes, was Mexico's number one cocaine trafficker until his death two years ago following botched plastic surgery. It was suspected Carrillo was trying to change his appearance to evade police. 600 Mexican soldiers have secured the area as work goes on, unearthing bones and bits of clothing. An iron and concrete barrier topped with razor wire keeps reporters and others away from one ranch. Some of the soldiers wear ski masks to protect their identity from drug lords. A team of 65 FBI agents and forensic experts based in El Paso are assisting in the investigation. The remains will be sent to Washington for DNA testing. The appearance of such a large group of American officials on Mexican territory has stirred resentment there. On Thursday, the Mexican Congress voted to prevent President Ernesto Zedillo from going ahead with a planned visit to Washington. Mexico's attorney general, Jorge Madrazo and FBI Director Louis Freeh toured one of the ranches Friday. Both men denied that FBI participation infringed on Mexican sovereignty. LOUIS FREEH: The FBI, when it makes such assistance here, of course, has no jurisdiction. We are neither carrying out any law enforcement function or conducting any investigation under our own authority. We are here simply as partners and invited guests and in this case technical experts. RAY SUAREZ: At the site of the search in Northern Mexico, authorities believe it could take months to unearth all the remains and identify the victims.

REGIONS TOPICS RECENT PROGRAMS ABOUT US FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS / FEEDS:

Support the kind of journalism done by the NewsHour...Become a member of your local PBS station.
PBS Online Privacy Policy Copyright ©1996- MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. All Rights Reserved.