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Gunmen kill second top Mexican crime officer in two days
Esteban Robles headed the anti-kidnapping unit of the Mexico City police department. He was shot several times outside his home on Friday.
- - Compiled from agencies
- Published: 23:37 May 10, 2008
Mexico: City Gunmen in Mexico have killed another top Mexican police official - just one day after the head of the national anti-narcotics effort was shot dead.
Esteban Robles headed the anti-kidnapping unit of the Mexico City police department. He was shot several times outside his home on Friday.
Robles was flown to a nearby hospital, but died shortly afterwards.
The news came as Mexico's president was attending a memorial service honouring three other senior police officers.
President Felipe Calderon said these latest attacks would not deter his efforts to continue his government's campaign against the drugs trafficking cartels operating in the country.
"We have to come together to confront this evil, we Mexicans have to definitively and categorically say 'That's enough!'," he said.
Meanwhile, a fierce struggle between rival drug gangs and police in Mexico is drenching the country in blood, with violence becoming especially intense in the capital and along the border with the United States.
Over the past week about 100 people have been killed, including several key crime-fighting officials, according to authorities. So far this year, more than 1,100 have lost their lives.
The new wave of violence shows no sign of being quelled, despite a massive military operation targeting the deadliest zones.
Mexico City, previously spared the worst of clashes, has now been swept up in the conflagration, which is also deeply unsettling the United States.
On Friday, the White House called on the US Congress to approve funds for a $1.55-billion (Dh5.7 billion) logistics and equipment programme to help Mexico and Central America fight the illegal drug trade.
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