Mexican Official: Drug War Has Made Cartels More Violent

Capturing leaders has made groups more dangerous

The top national security official for Mexico's new president has delivered a blistering critique of the country's U.S.-backed anti-crime policy, saying the strategy of capturing drug cartel leaders has fragmented their organizations and made them more violent and dangerous.

Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong opened a meeting of the National Security Council on Monday with a grim recitation of statistics on crime that surged under former President Felipe Calderon. He told military and civilian leaders that "financial resources dedicated to security have more than double but unfortunately crime has increased."