Key agricultural program aids drug traffickers

The primary government program for supporting poor farmers, Procampo, was shown to be paying support funds to many of the top drug traffickers and their families, as well many prominent political families, according to an investigation carried out by CIDE and Fundar and reported by El Universal. Among the drug traffickers (and their families) who have gotten Procampo financial support: ‘El Mayo’ Zambada (Sinaloa cartel), ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán (Sinaloa cartel), Amado and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes (Juárez cartel), and Juan Garcia Abrego (Gulf Cartel).  Procampo was created 15 years ago to assist small farmers adjust to the opening of agricultural trade as part of NAFTA.  The investigation estimates that the top 20% of recipients have gotten 80% of the Ps. 171 billion in grants over the life of the program, while the average small farmer receives only Ps.700 per year.  In response, Secretary of Agriculture Alberto Cárdenas promised an immediate scrubbing of the list of beneficiaries, but said it was the responsibility of the Justice Ministry to weed out drug traffickers. (Universal 7/27, 7/29, Proceso 7/31)

Juárez cartel creates own paramilitary squads

According to the organized crime directorate SIEDO, the Juárez cartel led by Vicente Carrillo Fuentes has created its own paramilitary hit squads, recruited from among members of the Army’s elite units.  The ‘Lynxes’ are thought to number at least 80 men, operating in 4 or 5 man cells, and are the cartel’s answer to Los Zetas, the paramilitary wing of the Gulf cartel. The Lynxes are thought to be behind the attempt against Chihuahua governor José Reyes Baeza last February. (Universal 7/20)