Mexican Drug Kingpin Skips Jail

In the latest in a series of embarrassments in Mexico’s struggle to battle its powerful narcotics cartels, two federal agents were under arrest Saturday after the brother of convicted drug kingpin Juan Garcia Abrego “inexplicably” walked out of a federal police lockup.

The attorney general’s office said it is continuing to investigate Humberto Garcia Abrego’s mysterious escape last week, which authorities did not announce until midnight Friday - well after President Clinton announced Mexico is doing its share to prosecute the multibillion-dollar drug trade that supplies up to 75 percent of the cocaine sold in the United States.

Clinton, who faced congressional and law enforcement pressure not to certify Mexico’s counternarcotics efforts, defended his decision during his weekly radio address Saturday.

Clinton acknowledged that Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo faces hurdles in his government’s effort against powerful drug trafficking gangs that have corrupted the federal police, the judiciary and even factions of the Mexican military.

“Mexican President Zedillo is fighting a tough, uphill battle against the drug cartels which corrupt Mexico’s law enforcement agencies,” Clinton said. “But President Zedillo has taken brave action.”

The escape of Humberto Garcia Abrego appeared to be yet another setback in that battle. Garcia Abrego, who was jailed last July on charges he laundered millions of dollars in drug proceeds for his brother’s cartel, simply “left” the jail cell at an antidrug agency office, federal authorities confirmed Saturday.