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U.S. praises Mexico's war on drug gangs
01.23.07|mercurynews.com

President Felipe Calderón called on the political opposition Monday to share ``co-responsibility'' for fighting the drug war, and senior U.S. officials praised Calderón's ``stunning'' leadership in extraditing alleged Mexican drug lords to the United States.

At a meeting of his security Cabinet, Calderón outlined an eight-point plan that calls for the creation of a national criminal database and higher standards for law enforcement officials.

Friday, Mexico extradited 15 criminal suspects, including four alleged drug kingpins from the nation's three top cartels, to the United States. In doing so, Calderón struck a blow against warring cartels, which killed about 2,500 people last year and turned large areas into lawless badlands.

The alleged drug traffickers were brought Monday before a federal magistrate in Houston before being shipped to several states to face charges, including New York, Colorado and California, as well as Texas, officials said.

Since taking office in December, Calderón has sent troops and elite police units to tackle drug gangs and halt a surge in violence as rival cartels fight over smuggling routes and drug fields.

In Washington on Monday, senior U.S. officials praised Calderón. John Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the Bush administration is prepared to ``look at added resources'' to help strengthen Mexican security.