Death toll in Mexico's drug war raised to 28,000

At least 28,000 people have been killed in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched a campaign against organized crime and drug traffickers 3 1/2 years ago, the director of Mexico's national security agency said Tuesday (link in Spanish). Guillermo Valdes, director of the agency known by its Spanish acronym CISEN, offered the number during an official Dialogue on Security with Calderon present.

"It's inevitable that we must accept that violence keeps growing," Valdes said, according to a transcript.

CISEN's figure on deaths in Mexico since December 2006 significantly raises the previous government figure of 24,000, used last month by the federal attorney general.

-- Daniel Hernandez in Mexico City

Comments

[John]

If we want this to stop the US should stop financing the drug war that is going on in Mexico. The US is the main consumer of drugs that come from Latin America especially cocaine (which 90% of it comes from Colombia) and also it is the main supplier of illicit weapons to Mexico. We need to fight the narcotraffic together. Mexico is fighting back and because of this more people is dying. We need the help of the US to stop this war.

[Patty]

How many people have been murdered in the US over drugs?I would imagine more than 28,00 in the last 3 1/2 years

[ThinkAboutIt]

Just stop buying drugs. Or legalize them.

[TheChairman]

We need to bring our troops home from the Middle East and INVADE 50 miles inside Mexican territory, because -THAT- is the biggest threat to our security!

[joe]

You need your countrymen, Mexico.

Demand that the U.S. force your citizens' return and have a mandatory service to your country in your military - both men and women.

Why allow your citizens to hang out in our country and create ill-will -when they could be fighting - and winning - your drug cartel war?