NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico – The tank that has stood at the entrance to this Mexican border city since 2008 was not here on Christmas Eve. Neither was the machine gun turret that pointed down this gritty town’s main street.But the masked soldiers remained. Residents say it is a sign that little law enforcement appears to exist except for the military officers who patrol the streets.That could change, however, under policies announced recently by Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexico’s newly inaugurated president.via In Mexico, a New Plan to End Drug Violence — Texas-Mexico border | The Texas...

In his first month as Mexico’s new President, Enrique Pena Nieto has promised a different strategy to fight the so-called war on drugs.More than 60,000 people have died in Mexico’s drug violence since 2006 and politicians are looking for new solutions, as sending the military to fight the cartels has not reduced the carnage.Nieto has cited new marijuana laws in the US states of Colorado and Washington as further evidence that Mexico needs to rethink its drug war policy.The two states approved the commercial production and distribution of marijuana in statewide referendums on November 6.The impact of the new US marijuana laws on Mexico is being weighed in terms of the financial impact on drug gangs and the political impact on the Nieto administration.via US drug legislation to slow Mexico violence? – Features – Al Jazeera...