Global General

Obama calls Mexican president over killing of US agent

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-02-24 13:05

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama on Wednesday evening called his Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon over the killing of a US agent in Mexico, saying he looked forward to meeting him next week at the White House.

Obama thanked Calderon for Mexico's efforts to bring to justice the murderers of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agent Jaime Zapata, including the arrest on Wednesday of one of his alleged killers, the White House said.

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Obama said "neither the United States nor Mexico could tolerate violence against those who serve and protect our citizens, as special agent Zapata did so selflessly through his own life," the White House said.

Zapata and another ICE agent, Victor Avila, came under fire on Feb 15 in Mexico while driving from the northern city of San Luis Potosi to Mexico City. Zapata's death, the first of a US agent on Mexican soil since 1985, provoked outrage in the United States. Avila was injured in the shooting and is recovering.

Since taking office in December 2006, Calderon has boosted efforts to fight drug traffickers by mobilizing troops and police. Official figures show some 32,000 people have died since in the drug war.

In an interview on Tuesday with Mexican daily El Universal, Calderon criticized US agencies for failing to do their part in the fight against powerful drug cartels, alleging that the US had failed to curb drug consumption or the flow of weapons into Mexico, even as it is spending $1.4 billion in training, equipment and other aid to help combat Mexico's drug cartels.

He also said that recently leaked cables from US diplomats have hurt and distorted the relationship between the two nations and that the diplomats "pour lots of cream on their tacos." He was accusing the diplomats of exaggeration.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said early Wednesday that Obama "is deeply committed to the strong partnership that the United States has with Mexico."

Carney told reporters that "We admire the commitment and sacrifices of the Mexican people as they confront the criminal organizations that have brought so much violence to Mexico."

In his phone call to Calderon, Obama said he looked forward to welcoming him to the White House next Thursday to discuss "our important bilateral relationship and key global issues."

As a major drug producing and transit country, Mexico is the main foreign supplier of marijuana and a major supplier of methamphetamine to the United States.