Chihuahua Governor Criticizes Federal Police Presence in Chihuahua

President Enrique Peña Nieto (PRI) signed a bill in December 2017 enhancing the role of federal police forces in assisting state and local law enforcement in areas of heightened violence.  Federal Police began arriving in Juárez last month, and are expected to be deployed to Baja California Sur, Colima, and Cancun, as well as Juárez.

Chihuahua Governor Javier Corral (PAN) today challenged the constitutionality of the law, objecting especially to the requirement that state governments must pay for the troops that have been
sent.  In 2008 the federal government, in an agreement with state and local authorities, sent more than 10,000 army troops into Juarez to combat the huge spike in drug-related violence, which culminated when Juarez, in 2010, became the most violent city in the world.  The troops came with limited intelligence information or capabilities and their presence coincided with a gut-wrenching wave of non-drug-related criminal activity.  Many citizens believe the inability of federal troops to dampen the drug-related violence encouraged criminals to heighten their activities, leading to a wave of kidnappings and extortion.  In 2010 the troops withdrew, relinquishing their authority to the newly-created Federal Police agency.

Governor Corral argues that the newly created Internal Security Law violates the constitutional rights of states to control their internal security.