MEXICO'S EX-DRUG CZAR SENTENCED

U.S. senators, meanwhile, criticize nation's fight against narcotics

MEXICO CITY -- A Mexican court sentenced the former head of the country's
anti-drug program to 13 years and nine months in jail Tuesday, even as U.S.
senators moved to punish Mexico for its performance in fighting narcotics
trafficking.

The separate actions in Mexico and Washington, D.C., raised the specter of
last year's ugly fight between the neighbors, which nearly resulted in the
United States' No. 3 trading partner being stripped of its status as a U.S.
ally in the fight against drugs.

That dispute broke out after Mexico's anti-drug czar, Gen. Jose de Jesus
Gutierrez Rebollo, was arrested on charges of aiding a drug cartel.

On Tuesday, a district judge in Mexico announced that the general had been
convicted of illegal possession and transportation of arms, as well as
abuse of authority. Gutierrez Rebollo promptly appealed. The general still
faces trial on drug-trafficking allegations, which could result in a longer
sentence.

Gutierrez Rebollo, a well-regarded military commander of the Guadalajara
area, had been in the military for 42 years when he was appointed drug czar.

Mexican authorities have called the criminal proceedings against Gutierrez
Rebollo evidence of their commitment to weed out drug corruption. He is the
highest-ranking Mexican official to be tried on narcotics-corruption
charges, and one of the few senior members of the military -- a near
sacrosanct institution here -- to face a criminal trial.

But the U.S. Senate on Tuesday challenged anew Mexico's commitment to
fighting drugs.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Sen. Paul Coverdell, R-Ga., introduced
a resolution that would withdraw President Clinton's recent certification
of Mexico as a full partner in fighting drugs. The move seemed sure to
reignite last year's showdown between the U.S. Congress and the
administration over the annual report card on various countries'
cooperation with American anti-narcotics actions. Feinstein complained that
"gaping holes" in Mexico's anti-drug efforts "badly undermine the effort to
keep the scourge of drugs off our streets."

The senators called for waiving the economic sanctions that accompany the
so-called decertification of a country. But they did say they would be
willing to impose the sanctions if that's what it takes to remove what they
called an undeserved stamp of approval.

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., plans to introduce similar legislation in the House
today.

Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday, Feinstein said: "There has been no
demonstrable action on any -- I repeat, any -- of the benchmarks outlined
by Congress" last year to judge Mexico's performance.

Among the key areas she named: dismantling the drug cartels; strengthening
the relationship between the two countries' law enforcement officials;
extraditing Mexican criminals for prosecution in the United States;
implementing money-laundering laws; ousting corrupt Mexican officials; and
eradicating illegal drug crops.

But a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity disagreed
with Feinstein's conclusions. He said Mexico "set a record" for eradicating
drug crops last year, increased seizures of cocaine heading for the United
States by 47 percent, and doubled the number of extraditions of criminals
to 27.

In addition, the country "tore down and began to completely rebuild" its
anti-drug police force, the source said.

Copyright 1998 Houston Chronicle News Services