HOUSE GOP TO FIGHT MEXICO CERTIFICATION

WASHINGTON - Leading House Republicans, citing new allegations that
senior Mexican military and political officials are involved in drug
trafficking, announced yesterday they will seek to overturn President
Clinton's decision to certify Mexico as a full partner in the fight
against illicit drugs.

The allegations were laid out yesterday by William Gately, a retired
senior Customs Service official, who, under oath before the House
Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources,
said undercover investigations last year found evidence that the
Mexican defense minister, Gen. Enrique Cervantes, was trying to
launder $150 million. Senior members of the office of the presidency
in Mexico were also trying to launder undetermined amounts, he added.

Clinton certified on March 1 that Mexico was "fully cooperating" in
fighting drug trafficking. Congress can overturn the certification
decision if both houses approve doing so within 30 days of the initial
announcement.

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the subcommittee, and Rep.
Benjamin Gilman, R-N.Y., chairman of the International Relations
Committee, co-sponsored a bill that would decertify Mexico but allow
the president to waive the economic penalties accompanying such a decision.

Congressional staffers said the resolution was receiving broad
bipartisan support in the House, but the Senate was cooler to the idea.

Gately said a large money-laundering investigation was shut down last
year under political pressure. The shutdown came despite 15 audio and
video cassettes that showed drug traffickers wanted to launder $1.15
billion more, he charged.

The Mexican government has expressed outrage at the allegations and
said they were false.