Mexico turns to navy to bolster flagging drug war (Mexican navy commando)

Reuters ^ | 12/18/09 | Robin Emmott

[TigerLikesRooster]

Mexico turns to navy to bolster flagging drug war

Robin Emmott

MONTERREY, Mexico

Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:57pm EST

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Faced with ever-worsening drug cartel violence, Mexican President Felipe Calderon is turning to elite navy troops to help reignite his floundering army-led drug war.

WORLD

The navy scored the biggest victory yet of Calderon's three-year struggle to stem drug violence when its special forces killed a top drug lord this week, showing how it is breaking out of its traditional role and moving inland.

Naval troops shot dead Arturo Beltran Leyva, aka "The Boss of Bosses," in a raid at a luxury apartment complex in a city near the capital. The heavily armed troops in ski masks pinpointed Beltran Leyva's location, descended from helicopters to surround him and opened fire in the operation known only to a handful of government officials.

The strike followed a string of successful navy operations across Mexico, including the killing of a top Gulf cartel hitman in the northern city of Monterrey this month.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Mexico has been bobbing up and down for who knows how long. Now it seems to be going down to the deep end.

[KoRn]

I’ve never heard of the Mexican navy.

Does it consist of a Ranger Bass boat with an M14 mounted somewhere on it?

[rolling_stone]

IN the last week 50 people were killed in Tijuana, Mexico. 3 Were hung from bridges.

[volunbeer]

Give credit where credit is due. They took this guy down with a large number of troops without being compromised. That is a pretty enormous step for Mexican forces. Good riddance to him.

It’s still a bloody mess though.

[rolling_stone]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Navy

[John-Irish]

I must confess I never knew Mexico had a navy. What has it ever done and what do they think it’s going to do now?

[umgud]

The navy scored the biggest victory yet of Calderon's three-year struggle to stem drug violence when its special forces killed a top drug lord this week...... Naval troops shot dead Arturo Beltran Leyva, aka "The Boss of Bosses," in a raid at a luxury apartment complex...... The heavily armed troops in ski masks pinpointed Beltran Leyva's location, descended from helicopters to surround him and opened fire......

Glad to see them do this, but could you imagine our Navy dropping in on a drug boss in Los Angeles?

[stboz]

I’ve never heard of the Mexican navy. Does it consist of a Ranger Bass boat with an M14 mounted somewhere on it?

Me either, but give credit where credit is due.

As Dizzy Dean said, "It ain't braggin' if you can do it."

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

Mexican SEAL

[Vendome]

That’s cute. LOL