Goddard Says Assassination in Mexico Underscores Need to Focus on Cartel Crime

(Phoenix, Ariz. -- June 28, 2010) Attorney General Terry Goddard today issued the following statement in response to the assassination of a leading Mexican gubernatorial candidate by a presumed drug cartel:

"I am saddened and outraged by the assassination today of Rodolfo Torre, who was widely expected to be elected governor of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, together with the shooting deaths of several of his staff members and bodyguards. I offer my condolences to their families and to the people of Tamaulipas, who have suffered a significant blow to their democratic process.

"These murders are a tragic demonstration of escalating cartel violence that has spread along the U.S.-Mexico border. Coupled with the near-fatal shooting last week of Erick Landagaray Macias, the chief of police in Rocky Point, these bloody ambushes just south of the border make clear the need for U.S. law enforcement to commit more state and federal resources to fight cartel-related crime and increase border security.

"I have been warning of the dangers posed by drug cartels for years. Our federal and state governments need to recommit to addressing these threats. The safety of our families and communities is at stake."