Foreigners invade Mexican drug trade

In yet another sign of the increasing militarization of Mexico’s drug trade, comes this report from the Mexican media: Three Colombians were detained on Wednesday in the region of Apatzingan, a city in the southern state of Michoacan, suspected of being brought to the area to train hit men for a drug trafficking group. The three men arrived in Mexico City a few days ago, on a flight from the Colombian city of Medellin via Panama, says Reforma (subscription required).

The newspaper Excelsior says that the three Colombians, along with two Mexicans, were detained in the town of Tepalcatepec, during the search of a suspected drug-cartel safe house. Excelsior says locals in Tepalcatepec alerted the army to the presence of foreigners in the house.

Some 150 soldiers of the Mexican army entered Tepalcatepec this week, in tanks and Hummers, according to Excelsior. The Times wrote on the entry of the Mexican army into Apatzingan last week and on the “paramilitarization” of Mexico’s drug wars on Sunday.

Posted by in Hector Tobar Mexico City