MEXICO CITY, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto announced Monday a 10,000-member paramilitary police force will be created to wage the war against drug violence.
Pena Nieto, sworn in Dec. 1, also said Mexico's espionage and intelligence agencies will play a more prominent role in the fight against the drug cartels that are behind thousands of murders in recent years, news website Fronteras reported.
Pena Nieto said Mexico will be split into five security regions with the paramilitary police force replacing army troops in the streets. He said he also wants to create special units to fight kidnapping, extortion and other crimes against the country's middle and upper classes.
Azteca Noticia reported Pena Nieto said his strategy also includes strengthening human rights, funding crime-prevention efforts, and developing clear and transparent law enforcement.
