As the US government tries to recover money granted to AIG, the Mexican government is trying to recover sovereignty over Ciudad Juarez. The city on the US-Mexico border is currently occupied by more than 7,000 Mexican troops. Relative to the total size of armed forces, this is equivalent to a deployment of 41,000 US soldiers. Not only has the Mexican government positioned an immense number of forces in the city, but it has also taken over its local law enforcement agencies. A few days ago, several active and retired high ranking officers took oath as heads of the city’s department of public security, municipal police, and special police forces, among many others. This action effectively ends the city’s autonomy in the law enforcement dimension. These events suggest that the situation in this old border town is dire. Perhaps for this reason the US military has been considering whether and how to help its Mexican counterpart. The visit of President Obama to Mexico in April should clarify to what extent is the US willing to participate in the fight against drugs in Mexico.
