MEXICAN GOVERNOR NAMED IN DRUG PROBE DEFIES INVESTIGATORS

MEXICO CITY -- One of the highest-ranking Mexican politicians ever named
directly in a drug-trafficking probe thumbed his nose at prosecutors
yesterday, skipping a scheduled meeting with federal investigators. Mario
Villanueva, governor of tourist-rich Quintana Roo state in southern Mexico,
told prosecutors that if they wanted to talk, they could find him in his
statehouse office in Chetumal, about 150 miles south of Cancun.

The combative governor's defiance is the latest salvo in an unusually
public investigation into Mexican official corruption. Mexican prosecutors
normally wait until they are ready to indict a major drug suspect before
going public with their accusations.

But the case against Villanueva is said to be unusually strong. He has long
been rumored to be a target of federal drug investigators for allegedly
using his office to help drug traffickers move ever-increasing amounts of
U.S.-bound cocaine through Cancun and along Mexico's Caribbean and gulf
coasts.

With a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on whether to certify Mexico's
fight against drug traffickers scheduled to begin tomorrow, the case
against Villanueva has become the most public pursuit yet of a top-ranking
politician with alleged ties to traffickers. Under U.S. law,
decertification would trigger trade sanctions and block some aid. For
several years, as U.S. politicians have turned closer scrutiny on the
effectiveness of Mexico's efforts against drug trafficking, rumors -- as
well as anonymous statements by drug agents in the United States and Mexico
- -- have implicated several state governors and federal officials. Even the
nation's defense minister was recently named as a potential
money-laundering suspect by a former U.S. drug agent.

Most recent allegations against Mexican officials have led nowhere, but
Mexican prosecutors are said to be confident their case against Villanueva
will stick.

Mexican prosecutors "have an extremely strong case against Villanueva,"
said a U.S. congressional investigator who has spoken with Mexican
prosecutors about their case against the governor. "What Mexicans are now
showing is the political decision to no longer tolerate this type of
behavior in public office."

Mexican Attorney General Jorge Madrazo said publicly this month that
Villanueva was an investigative target. Within judicial circles, it is
widely thought that prosecutors are close to seeking Villanueva's
indictment, perhaps on charges of money laundering or abuse of power.

Mexican law-enforcement sources have said privately in recent months that
Villanueva has business partners who are close to traffickers and that he
allowed a state-owned aircraft hangar to be used by suspected traffickers.
It has also been revealed that several Cancun-area hotel owners were taken
in for questioning about their relationships with drug traffickers and
Villanueva.

Villanueva shot back publicly at prosecutors yesterday, saying their
investigation was baseless and politically motivated. In a letter to
prosecutors, Villanueva accused them of making errors in their summons and
of not showing him the evidence they have gathered, thereby depriving him
of the legally required information he needs to defend himself.

"How can one present proof [ of innocence ] without knowing the elements of
the accusations?" asked Villanueva, who through a spokesman declined to
comment further. The spokesman said Villanueva was busy preparing for his
annual state of the state address.

Prosecutors declined to comment on their next move.

"This openness is doubly important," said Raul Plascencia, an analyst with
the Institute for Judicial Research in Mexico City. "This may alter the way
prosecutors go after elected officials in the future. But it's also very
important because of the serious nature of the charges against an elected
official like Villanueva."

But such openness could backfire on prosecutors, said Plascencia, who said
he would have waited until an indictment was ready before demanding that
Villanueva show up to defend himself.

"I don't understand why they're handling the case this way. By issuing this
summons, under Mexican law, the defendant has the right to not show up and
instead demand that prosecutors reveal their evidence against him. That
slows down the case," Plascencia said.

Analysts speculated that prosecutors are trying to show the Mexican public
- -- and indirectly, U.S. lawmakers -- that they are being getting tough with
corrupt government officials.

Mexican authorities "know Villanueva is one of the bad guys down there.
It's great that they want the public to know that as well," said the U.S.
investigator, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "But the big test For
the Mexicans will be the difference between knowing he's guilty and proving
it in a Mexican court."