CARTEL VIOLENCE: MEXICAN GOVERNMENT SEEMS IMPOTENT

Far from being beaten into submission by government "crackdowns,"
Mexican drug cartels are becoming even more brassy. In El Paso, we
tend to be focused on what's happening in Juarez, because it's close
and what's happening there could have an effect on El Paso,
particularly if the violence spills over the border.

But there are cartel-related violence problems elsewhere in Mexico.
Last week, in the west-central state of Michoacan, a man claiming to
be Servando "La Tuta" Gomez, called CB Television. Gomez -- if it was
Gomez -- heads up the La Familia cartel and on the air he offered a
pact with the government.

The government of President Felipe Calderon immediately rejected the
proposed pact. But the incident gave the frightening impression of a
government negotiating a truce with another government. Despite
everything the government attempts, the cartels only appear to be
getting stronger. More troops, more law enforcement presence --
nothing is working.

When La Familia's operations chief, Arnoldo Rueda, was arrested last
weekend, the cartel immediately initiated bloody reprisals, including
12 federal agents being tortured and killed, and six federal police
officers and two soldiers also killed.

This is tragic proof that the cartels can and do operate with
impunity, not worrying a whole lot about what the authorities can or will do.

After the carnage in Michoacan, the government sent a thousand more
federal police officers to the state along with at least three Black
Hawk helicopters and three armored vehicles. Unfortunately, it's not
likely to help.

Sending troops and police hither and yon in response to violent
outbreaks hasn't worked. Calderon sent thousands of troops and police
to Juarez and while violence slowed for a while, it's now back with
increased ferocity; more than 1,000 people have been killed so far this year.

More than 11,000 people have been killed in drug war-related violence
since Calderon assumed the presidency in 2006.

Both the will and ability of the Mexican government to suppress
cartel-related violence must be questioned. Meanwhile, the ordinary
and innocent Mexican citizens suffer and in many places are in imminent danger.

With an impotent government, there is little reason for hope.