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“It’s not the law, but it’s the will of the state government,” governor says.


Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna Millán, left, with Gen. Gilberto Hernández Andreu, the new commander of Mexico’s Second Military Region at Tijuana's Morelos military base on Monday. — Gonzalo González/Estado de Baja California

By Sandra Dibble | SDUT
9:06 P.M.JAN. 7, 2013

TIJUANA — Following this month’s rotation of military commanders in Baja California, the Mexican army will continue to lead crime-fighting efforts in the region, Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna Millán said Monday.

In an interview at the Morelos military base near downtown Tijuana, the governor said army commanders will coordinate the state’s campaign against both common crime and organized crime under a strategy known as mando único, or unified command.

“It’s not the law, but it’s the will of the state government,” Osuna Millán said.

The collaboration of the military and civilian law enforcement agencies in Baja California in recent years has put the state in the national spotlight as an example of success in fighting drug violence. But critics of the military's role have said it came at a cost, an increase in human rights abuses, and some say that the decrease in violence is due to a pact among drug trafficking groups.

The general previously at the helm, Alfonso Duarte Múgica, has been reassigned to Mexico City. His replacement is Gen. Gilberto Hernández Andreu, who as commander of Mexico’s Second Military Region oversees the army in Baja California, Baja California Sur and much of Sonora.

The general on Monday joined the governor, Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante and other civilian officials who gathered at the base to witness the the swearing-in ceremony of Gen. Gabriel García Rincón, the new head of the Baja California’s Second Military Zone, which covers much of the state of Baja California.

source

Is this is big surprise?

Nope !

A very close friend of the family who is a 2 star general in the Mexican Army and was part of this recent turn around commented that all these changes, which includes himself are/will be the norm.
The max. time for postings will be 2 years.

Not sure if people here are aware but there were some issues in the La Paz area a few months ago that got cleaned up rather quickly.
All I can say about the clean up is it worked and that it came with some help from above that some people were possibly not happy about ........
Our issues are GONE.

Hopefully the argument for public safety/security wins over tourism interests...