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Agencia el Universal / GDA via AP
President Felipe Calderon named Tomas Angeles Dauahare deputy defense minister upon taking office in December 2006.
Two Mexican generals, including the former deputy minister of defense who helped lead the escalation of the country's war against drug gangs, are being investigated for ties to the drug trade, according to local reports on Wednesday.
Mexican soldiers on Tuesday detained Tomas Angeles Dauahare, who served as the army's second in command until he retired in 2008, and Roberto Dawe Gonzalez, who led an elite unit in the state of Colima, and turned them over for questioning to the country's organized crime unit, officials told Reuters.
Violence, including the discovery of 49 mutilated bodies near the U.S. border, is reaching new levels in the ongoing drug war in Mexico. NBC's Mark Potter reports.
"The generals are making a statement because they are allegedly tied to organized crime activities," the official at the attorney general's office told the news service on condition of anonymity.
President Felipe Calderon named Dauahare as deputy defense minister upon taking office in December 2006, and the general retired in March 2008, according to a military spokesman, who said no arrest warrant had been issued for the two generals and said they were only being questioned at this point.
Mexico's drug war: No sign of 'light at the end of the tunnel'
Dauahare, who once was considered a potential minister of defense, left the military in "through the back door" in 2008 under a veil of secrecy, according to Spanish-language news agency EFE (Link in Spanish). Francisco Armando Meza replaced Dauahare, according to Mexican newspaper Cronica (Link in Spanish).
EFE reported that in January, 2008, Dauahare said in a speech that groups of criminals had been recruiting members of the army and air force, in particular deserters.
Desertion, he said at the time, "has always happened. It has increased as of this decade, with workload, absence from home, wages, contributing to the phenomenon," EFE reported.
Calderon has staked his reputation on bringing Mexico's drug gangs to heel, sending in the army out to fight them at the beginning of his term.
Jorge Castaneda, former Mexican foreign minister and NBC News Latin America policy expert, talks about the latest developments in Mexico's drug war where this week 49 mutilated bodies were found near the U.S. border.
Violence has spiraled since then and around 55,000 people have fallen victim to the conflict, eroding support for Calderon's conservative National Action Party (PAN), which looks likely to lose power in presidential elections on July 1.
On Tuesday, a former Mexican law enforcement official who worked closely with U.S. authorities in the drug war pleaded guilty in federal court in San Diego to aiding members of a violent Tijuana-based cartel, including helping traffickers get away with a double homicide in 2010.
18 beheaded bodies found near popular Mexico tourist site
Jesus Quinonez was convicted of participating in a federal racketeering conspiracy and could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
In his plea, Quinonez admitted sharing confidential information with the Fernando Sanchez Arellano drug gang while he worked as an international liaison for the Baja California state attorney general's office.
He is the highest-ranking of four former or current Baja California law enforcement officials arrested in the case and was a primary contact in Baja for U.S. law enforcement agencies.
A total of 43 defendants were named in the federal racketeering complaint alleging murder, kidnapping and other crimes. Four are still fugitives, and one is awaiting trial. About half of those arrested are U.S. citizens, U.S. Assistant Attorney James Melendres said.
Msnbc.com’s F. Brinley Bruton, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Just do like our washington folks do - refuse to answer.
Legalizing drugs would go a long way to reducing corruption in Mexico and police brutality in the US.
Bad laws attract bad people to enforce them.
Do you even know why hallucinogenic drugs were outlawed in the first place? Do you believe in learning from your mistakes so that they are not repeated? Pick up a damn history book and read about why addictive drugs like cocaine and opium were outlawed. Its not just because the government wanted to be mean. Society was breaking down and something had to be done.
NO!!.....Say it ain't so Calderon!
Well this was totally unexpected. Welcome to Mexi-hole!
make a deal with the cartels allow them to move freely within mexico that will move the war to the first place they find resistance the US.
I am a Canadian living in Mexico and every time I visit Canada I smell the pot in the streets, I see drug addicts living it up while here innocent people die, people live scared, lives are destroyed.
Its just plain silly fighting a war that is provoke by addicts in US and Canada.. You use and glorify drugs pay the price by having the drug war on your own streets!
Margaret. You are right but you will never convince Americans (or maybe Canadians) that this is the case. It is much easier to blame those damn Mexicans for selling the drugs than blame themselves for buying the drugs and providing a market. As long as there is a market for anything. someone will find a way to sell it. Kill the market and the drug war is over. In the meantime "let's build that fence, put troops on the border, keep out those damn Mexicans and everything except don't come after me for buying and using drugs"
Once the drug war moves to the US you will see how your politicians will crumble too under corruption.
Here the cartels tell the government officials to either play along or have yourself and family killed. Look up how many officials have gotten killed here in Mexico for not playing along.
They are too powerful and are handsomely armed by our US neighbors its not a winning war.
Allow me to make a small correction or three; The United States Attorney General is overseeing the arming of Mexican drug cartels from our side of the border. Eric Holder does not represent anyone except the president. Holder was not elected to office. Some members of congress are doing all that they can to bring Attorney General Holder to justice for arming your drug cartels but they are fighting against President Obama, his political party and his administration. Second point; in America, organized crime takes unnoticeable second place to corporate entities. CEOs don't consider cartels as, even, a passing annoyance. In fact, they don't give drug kingpins any consideration at all. Corporations eventually own all of our national politicians, judges and law enforcement leaders. Corporate America is far richer than your cartel leaders will ever become. Third point; most Americans legally own firearms and a sufficient percentage of those folks know how to shoot rather well, consequently, we don't frighten as easily as your Mexican neighbors do. This statement is not intended to be disrespectful. Mexican/American citizens in this country will stand against the crooks with the same armed resolve as the local hunters, rednecks, ex-cops or retired soldiers next door. Change your laws. Allow your people to keep and bear arms for personal protection. Crooked cops, judges, politicians and neighborhood punks will gain renewed respect for the citizens who they now prey upon. Wouldn't you rather read of liberals who cry about hoodie wearing, drug using, gang bangers getting shot by the neighborhood watch instead of scores of your citizens suffering brutal dismemberment then being dumped along your highways?
@bjnalaska -Please expand on your thoughts. You are Mexican? American? Canadian? Your rant skews threat in my mind, sir. Frankly, if the Mexican government wasn't so corrupt, we (Americans) would have already locked up those murderous bastards. Any "government", illegal or not, deserves to burn in the hell they make for their own people. Karma, my friend, is a bitch. This "war" isn't about drugs. It's about money and power. Boycott the power, take away the money. American products for American people, illegal or not.
I'm shocked that there is any corruption in Mexico. If these guys start talking, Janet could have a problem.
Follow the money.
Case almost closed.
Viva la Mexico
Is this even news anymore? A high ranking Mexican official taking bribes;Say it ain't so. The entire country is rife with corruption from the local municipal police and politicians all the way to the Federal Police and Calderon's political cabinet. It's no wonder the Mexican people want to flee this beautiful country as they know their own government is a P. O. S. that is just as culpable as the Narco gangs.
Like our P.O.S. government is any different.
Can you imagine that, the Mexican government is involved in the drug trade.
Next investigation: Afghanistan.
Maybe we should start to question President Felipe Calderon as well!?
He will invoke Mexicalibust 5th amendment after he announces "It is America's fault".
That's hilarious! Who's probin' him? Most likely more then half the prober's should be probed as well.
Why am I not surprised.
Probe them all!!! Then probe the prober's.
A little off topic?
This article is about the War on Drugs, not the War on Women.
I wouldn't want Calderon's problems for all the tea in China. The situation is starting to look hopeless. I've never been for legalizing drugs, but now I'm not sure anymore. At least with regard to cannabis, legalizing it and turning it into a cash crop in the United States could, theoretically, rob the cartels of at least the cannabis market. I'm still uncomfortable with the idea, but I don't think the drug war in Mexico is working.
legalize weed for everyone over 19. Give the brain a few years to develope. Then , fry it.
America should send shock troops into Mexico and solve this ourselves. Moreover we should either create a buffer, or take more of Northern Mexico for ourselves as a secondary set of commonwealths. Mexicans have had long enough. They cannot be dissuaded from greed and a greased palm- they resemble Greeks, Spaniards, Italians - all the romantic languages (plus Greece) have greater problems with character, always have, always will.
I'm so shocked! I'm so shocked! I'm shocked! I'm shocked! I'm shocked!
MY thoughts EXACTLY! I'm sooooooooo Shocked!!
OK, enought of the "I'm shocked" comments.
And one should think twice about sending in 'Shock Troops', whatever that is. I think Iraq and Afghanistan have proven the lie about us going in and cleaning up Dodge City. Personally, I don't want to go to Mexico, and I don't want my sons and daughters going there to fix their problems.
Beef up our borders (seriously, this time), and let's ensure that their sh!t doesn't become our sh!t. Then, just wait; everything eventually changes. Hell, we're doing business with VietNam! And I can remember getting shot at by those bastards!
Yet another reason off a Million reasons this War on drugs is NOT WORKING, that is unless you are 1 of the 1% making BILLIONS from it!!!
Prohibition isn't like a disease where we're still waiting for the cure to be discovered - we already know the cure. This isn't like putting a man on the moon or inventing the Internet; it doesn't take some stroke of genius or feat of technology. We have everything we need right now to end this moronothon. -- Rarely in the history of mankind have we encountered a problem of such magnitude and consequence that is so eminently solvable.
Ending prohibition will see the largest share of criminal profits go up in smoke. These are the very profits that enable them to establish sophisticated networks, buy military hardware and airplanes, build submarines and tunnels, recruit thousands of foot soldiers, or bribe and threaten government officials. Those very same vast profits are also what makes all the murderous violence these entities employ worth all their trouble.
HMM, Let's see, During the bush administration we have seen an attack on american soil and millions of illegal immigrants crossing the border since 911 and still going on. An almost bi monthly visit to the bush ranch by then El Presidente and the border is still wide open and cartels are murdering in mass numbers. Now there is ANOTHER artice about a mexican official on the take?. Better check the DEA, Homeland unsecurity and a few other departments looking the other way whuile drugs and people are being smuggled into this country
Meanwhile, the legal drug alcohol continues to cause more death, destruction, misery and broken marriages than all other drugs combined. Legalize the possession and consumption of marijuana, a drug far less harmful than alcohol, and you will eliminate an astronomical amount of problems and stop the imprisonment of people who deserve better.