MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican officials said on Sunday the government was set to unleash a new wave of troops to crack down on criminal groups in regions where a surge in violence led to more than 25,000 murders last year.
National Security Commissioner Renato Sales said federal police troops will work with local officials to round up known major criminals and bolster investigations.
The aim was "to recover peace and calm for all Mexicans," he said. He did not provide details on the number of federal police to be deployed.
More than 25,000 murders were recorded last year as rival drug gangs increasingly splintered into smaller, more blood-thirsty groups after more than a decade of a military-led campaign to battle the cartels.
Violence is a central issue ahead of the presidential election in July. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party is trailing in third place in recent polls. ...
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