Death threats cause Mexico police chief to stand down

The chief of police in Mexico’s most violent city, Ciudad Juarez, has stepped down following threats from violent gangs to kill police officers.
Roberto Orduna stepped down hours after a policeman and a prison guard were killed in the city, which has been wracked by drug-related violence.
Last week, criminal gangs issued warnings that they would kill at least one police officer every two days until Mr Orduna resigned. Two days later, police officer Cesar Ivan Portillo was found dead. A note was taped to his body and that of a murdered prison guard declaring the deaths were a fulfilment of the threat.
Police officers have been placed on high alert following the incidents. More than 50 police officers were murdered last year in Ciudad Juarez, which is located on the US border and is a key staging post for drug trafficking.
Before Mr Orduna vacated his post, Mayor José Reyes insisted the city would not back down to criminal gangs.
However, speaking after the two murders he said Mr Orduna’s departure was the only way the authorities could protect police officers.
“These events took place despite the measures that we took to protect the municipal policemen,” he said. “That is the reason why the decision was taken.”
Mr Orduna said his decision to step down was made because he did not want to endanger any more lives.
“We can’t allow men who work defending our citizens to continue to lose their lives,” he said. “That is why I am presenting my permanent resignation.”
Mr Orduna had only been in the post since May; he took over after his predecessor was forced to flee across the border to Texas following death threats.
His replacement would be found in the next few weeks, the city’s authorities said.
According to reports, the resignation is the latest evidence that drug gangs are exercising control over parts of northern Mexico.
Recent widespread anti-army protests in the region are believed to have been organised by drug cartels.
Crime figures show that almost a third of the 6,000 people killed in drug-related violence last year died in Ciudad Juarez.
Up to 40,000 troops have been deployed across Mexico since 2006 to battle cartels which make billions of dollars a year exporting cocaine and other drugs to the US.
While this campaign has resulted in record drug seizures, it has also provoked a dramatic escalation in violence, as the gangs fight both one another and the federal forces.