JUAREZ VIOLENCE: WHATEVER THE REASON, KILLINGS CONTINUE

Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz told an audience at UT Austin Monday
that street gangs, not drug cartels, are currently causing most of the
murders in his city.

That could be just wishful thinking. Or it could be an attempt to calm
fears about the ongoing violence. Or it could be true.

Whatever the reason, the killings continue, the State Department has
re-issued a travel warning pinpointing Juarez, and a cartel has taken
"credit" for the Sunday evening fatal shooting of a woman.

The bottom line is, the killings continue -- no matter who the killers
are.

If there's any good news, it's that the killings have slowed somewhat.
According to Reyes Ferriz, Juarez was averaging about 12 murders a day
in August 2009. In March 2010, there were about six killings daily.
That translates to 2,190 murders a year -- which is still a cause for
concern.

During his talk, Reyes Ferriz said, "Sovereignty shouldn't be an issue
stopping us from working jointly with the U.S. The U.S. has the
technology, the expertise, the police department."

Mexico's jealously guarded sovereignty has often been a stumbling
block to U.S. cooperation with Mexico in the drug war.

But this supply-and-demand problem involves both countries -- supply
in Mexico, demand in the U.S. -- and it will take close cooperation by
both countries to solve the drug-smuggling and violence problems.

Mexico also must make a dedicated, serious effort to root out
corruption at the various levels it infests, whether it's elected
national officials or local police.

Gangs or cartels, there's still a serious problem in Juarez and other
parts of Mexico.

There's no certainty that the deadly battling between drug cartels is
over or that it won't flare up again. The violence continues, and it's
too soon to declare victory -- by anyone.