ALIPAC reprints a McClatchy article on U.S. military assistance in Mexico. They lead with the warning that failure to aid Mexico in their fight against drug cartels will mean “You’re going to see heads being rolled down American streets!”

Two key graphs:

“On the Mexican side, the military has taken on an unprecedented role in fighting the drug cartels. President Felipe Calderon has dispatched troops to hot spots throughout the country to try to contain the violence. Drug cartel leaders have hit back with widespread kidnappings, murders and beheadings. The death toll since last year: 7,000 people.

The U.S. has tried to help Mexico contain the violence by launching the Merida Initiative, an anticrime aid measure that is expected to total $1.4 billion over three years. Under the Merida Initiative, the Pentagon is providing five helicopters, a maritime surveillance aircraft, handheld ion scanners, as well as personal protective equipment, rigid hull inflatable boats and night vision devices. In addition, the Defense Department has trained 150 Mexican officers from Oct. 2006 to Sept 2007. Last year, Mexico and the United States also signed an agreement to share intelligence.”

The violence in Mexico has also renewed calls for a physical border fence. Three dozen Republican lawmakers have written to President Obama, calling on him to complete the fence.

Crossposted from Immigration Policy Daily