MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mexico to impose strict limits on cash transactions to fight organized crime

In the latest chapter of the ongoing fight the bodies of 58 men and 14 women were found killed by drug-cartels

Following the discovery of 72 bodies in northern Mexico, allegedly illegal immigrants heading for United States killed by one of the country’s main drug-cartels, Mexican President Felipe Calderon proposed Thursday a new package of measures against money laundering to help fight organized crime.

The ”national strategy” measures include limiting cash transactions over 100,000 pesos (7,700 US dollars) at a time in the purchase of luxury items, controlling purchases of real estate in cash, and requiring vendors to monitor suspicious activities, among others.

The package also proposed improving the use of intelligence information to supervise concrete operations in international transactions.

Calderon said these measures were aimed at expanding Mexico's capacity to limit big-ticket cash purchases of illegal money in Mexican pesos or U.S. dollars.

“With this strategy we are taking a transcendental step to weaken criminal activities. It is about cutting financing to the criminals, as they require a lot of economic resources to finance their activities,” Calderon said.

Organized crime and drug trafficking are among the most urgent concerns in Mexico and tackling these problems has become a priority of Calderon's administration since its inauguration in December 2006.

The bodies of 58 men and 14 women were found on the ranch in Tamaulipas state bordering the southern state of Texas. It appears to be the largest drug-cartel body dumping ground found in Mexico since an offensive was launched against drug trafficking in late 2006.

The Mexican Army said in a statement the discovery of the bodies came after troops manning a checkpoint on a highway in Tamaulipas were approached by a wounded man who said he had been attacked by drug cartel gunmen at a nearby ranch.

When the troops arrived there, the gunmen opened fire on them and tried to flee. In the ensuing shootout, one marine and three suspected gunmen were killed.

The navy seized 21 assault rifles, 6,649 cartridges of different calibres, four bullet-proof vests and four SUVs, and detained a minor, according to the statement.

More than 28,000 people have been killed in violence linked to Mexico's drug war since President Felipe Calderon launched the offensive in late 2006, according to local media