US, Mexico and Guatemala Form Anti-Crime Alliance
The governments of the United States, Mexico and Guatemala formed a special body to fight drug trafficking and organized crime.
The Trilateral Security Desk evaluates intelligence and border risks to combat human trafficking and the smuggling of illegal weapons and drugs in the region, Guatemalan Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez said.
During the group's first meeting, at a hotel in Guatemala City, officials set a roadmap to meet security objectives, said Yahoo News.
"The important thing is that we are discussing joint problems. This trilateral work strengthens our relationships and creates a new shared vision," said US Assistant Secretary of International Affairs and Chief Diplomatic Officer for the Department of Homeland Security Alan Bersin.
To fight crime together, officials from the three countries agreed their police forces should establish protocols on information exchange and the flow of migrants, said Yahoo News.
Guatemala is suffering from a wave of violence that has caused about 6,000 deaths, nearly half of them attributed to drugs and the operations of powerful Mexican cartels supported by local drug lords, said Yahoo News.
In Mexico, turf wars between rival gangs have contributed to drug violence that has left more than 77,000 people dead in the past seven years, said Yahoo News.
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