US envoy defends cooperation with Mexico in the fight against drugs

MEXICO CITY — The U.S. ambassador to Mexico on Friday defended cross-border cooperation in the fight against drugs after Mexican prosecutors publicly complained that American officials were not providing them with enough information.

The Mexican government was embarrassed by the surrender of two Mexican drug lords who arrived at an airport near El Paso, Texas, in July aboard a mysterious flight. Mexican officials say they were not even aware of the operation.

Mexico's Attorney General's Office took the unusual step of asking Interpol for information about the flight on Thursday. Normally, such matters are handled directly between the two neighboring countries.

US Ambassador Ken Salazar said on Friday that cooperation in the fight against drug-related crime remains good.

Salazar stressed that even U.S. officials were surprised by the arrival of the private flight carrying drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman, in July.

Both belong to rival factions of the Sinaloa drug cartel, and authorities say the younger Guzmán apparently tricked Zambada into attending a meeting where he was kidnapped and flown to the United States.

The younger Guzmán had apparently been negotiating with US authorities for some time about a self-disclosure, but had not mentioned that he might also bring Zambada with him.

Addressing a contentious issue in Mexico, Salazar said he liked one aspect of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's proposed reforms to the justice system. One of those reforms is that all judges would have to run for election.

López Obrador has frequently clashed with the judiciary, and many Mexicans fear that such elections could weaken the independence of the judiciary.

Salazar did not comment on that part of the reforms, saying the decision is up to Mexicans. But he said he supported a proposed change that would shorten the length of trials in Mexico, which can sometimes take decades as suspects endlessly appeal.

Salazar referred to two extradition proceedings against the leaders of the once notorious Zetas cartel and noted that the US extradition requests had still not been decided after almost a decade.

“First of all, we should introduce deadlines for decisions, I think that’s a good idea,” he said.