U.S. House panel debates whether U.S. troops should fight Mexican drug war
Drug cartels have changed into terrorist groups that now pose a threat to Mexico’s viability.Mexico is in danger of becoming a failed state controlled by criminals.Stepping up its involvement in Mexico's drug war, the Obama administration has begun sending drones deep into Mexican territory to gather intelligence that helps find major traffickers and follow their networks, according to U.S. and Mexican officials.The Pentagon began flying high-altitude, unarmed drones over Mexico last month, U.S. military officials said, in hopes of collecting information to give to Mexican law-enforcement agencies. Other administration officials said a Homeland Security drone helped Mexican authorities find several suspects linked to the Feb. 15 killing of Jaime Zapata, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.President Obama and his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderón agreed to continue the surveillance flights. The American assistance has been kept secret because of legal restrictions in Mexico and the heated political sensitivities there about sovereignty, the officials said.Before the outbreak of drug violence in Mexico that has left more than 34,000 dead in the past four years, such an agreement would have been.unthinkable.
