DESERVED PRAISE FROM DRUG CZAR

There's good news from the front line of the war on drugs.

Visiting Tijuana, a dangerous crossing point for trade in narcotics, U.S.
drug czar John P. Walters last week praised the Mexican authorities for
cracking down on the cocaine cartels and said, "From two years ago, there's
no question that Mexico is moving ahead."

Mr. Walters, who was sworn in as director of the White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy only eight months ago, was giving deserved
credit to Vicente Fox, Mexico's first truly democratically elected
president, for purging corrupt police officers and government officials.

The visit of the drug czar to Tijuana, his second foray into the area,
signaled that at long last Mexico has become a true ally of the United
States in dealing with the scourge of narcotics.

Since he took office two years ago, President Fox has dealt blow after blow
to the cartels. The breakup of the notorious Arellano Félix organization
began with the arrest in March of Benjamín Arellano Félix, the leader of
the multibillion-dollar cartel.

Joint investigative work and Mexican cooperation also led to the arrest of
Consuelo Marquez, a former account representative in a New York financial
company, who was charged with money laundering.

In the past, Mexican authorities at national and state levels spurned U.S.
offers to help in enforcing anti-drug laws, and some Mexican officials
secretly worked for the drug lords.

That has changed. The day before Mr. Walters' visit to Tijuana to address a
meeting of the Inter American Press Association on the media's role in
fighting drugs, Mexican Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha told
journalists how he was working to make Mexican law enforcement professional
and corruption proof.

President Fox ordered federal police and the military to make arrests in
areas where local law enforcement officers were in the pay of the drug lords.

In Tijuana alone more than 100 police officers have been charged with
taking bribes and working for the drug cartels. They were detained by
federal police and the Mexican army and flown to Mexico City under heavy guard.

Mr. Walters is on record as saying, "The tempo and magnitude of disruption
and arrests of leaders of these organizations is like we have never seen
before - in any country."

According to the Mexican government, well over 11,000 drug-trafficking
arrests have been made since President Fox assumed office in December 2000.

At least a dozen drug lords and some 200 of their lieutenants, hit men and
financiers are in custody in Mexico or the United States. Drug Czar Walters
was quick to say,

"I'm not saying the job's done, that's obviously not true," but he made it
clear that he is satisfied that the Mexican authorities are pulling their
weight.

And he pleased the Mexican press by acknowledging that the root of the drug
problem is to be found in the voracious demand of American consumers. That,
too, is a sign of progress.