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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | December 2006 
Mexico Military Destroys 2,100 Marijuana Farms
 Bloomberg
| | Based on a price of 18,000 pesos a kilo — the market rate north of the border with America — the marijuana, seeds, and other drugs destroyed have a value of about $619.2 million. |
A Mexican military assault on marijuana farms in the state of Michoacan destroyed 2,116 growing operations in a week, the defense minister said.
Troops took out crops on 586 acres and found other drugs in the raids, Defense Minister Guillermo Galvan said yesterday in Mexico City.
Based on a price of 18,000 pesos a kilo — the market rate north of the border with America — the marijuana, seeds, and other drugs destroyed have a value of about $619.2 million, Mr. Galvan said.
President Calderon is using the military to escalate Mexico's drug war and make good on his campaign promise to reinforce the rule of law. Mr. Calderon, who took office December 1, sent more than 5,000 troops to conduct anti-drug raids in Michoacan on December 11.
Authorities have detained about 45 people, including Alfonso Barajas, accused of being the main operator for the Gulf drug cartel in Michoacan, and Jesus Raul Beltran, accused of being a leading member of the Sinaloa drug cartel. Valencia, a suspected head of the Valencia cartel, was arrested along with four other people Friday at a mountain ranch near the town of Aguililla in Michoacan state.
However, the massive military presence and wave of arrests have not stopped the violence plaguing the state.
Michoacan state police released a statement reporting that they found one bullet ridden corpse in the town of Apatzingan and another in they nearby Uruapan on Monday. Police did not comment on a motive for the killings.
In other matters, prosecutors announced the arrest in central Hidalgo state of Alberto Barragan, who had allegedly kidnapped 21 people and lopped the fingers off some of his victims. |
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