We know from our trips to Mexico City and our interviews with the Mexican Attorney General Medina-Mora, that the Calderon administration is committed to fighting the cartels.

In fact, from his first day in office back in 2006, President Calderon has sent nearly 25,000 federal troops into cities like Tijuana, Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Juarez. These are places that just a few years ago were filled with tourists, but nowadays can look more like a war zone.

But now the United Nations has stepped into the battle and is pressuring the Mexican government to pull out the troops. That worries many on both sides of the border, who have seen security and cooperation improve with the troops arrival and the corrupt or afraid police forces removed. This picture was taken during our recent trip to Mexico when we went with their officers on undercover drug raids.

ATF Special Agent in Charge Bill Newell tells me:

Any gains that we have made collectively, not only U.S. and Mexico in addressing the violence by the drug cartels, I would say they would be very very reluctant to go back to past days and we are going to make sure here at ATF to everything we can to keep that from happening.

Also, U.S. Border Patrol Deputy Chief Robert Boatright says:

On the day that they draw out, you may have an influx. We will prepare for that. That’s good actionable intelligence that we base our operations on to make sure that information is in the hands of the front line troops as it happens and as close to as it happens.

What did the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights say? Well in part Louise Arbour said:

I acknowledge the dilemma faced by the authorities in discharging their responsibility to protect. However, recourse to the military remains problematic as it is fundamentally unsuited–in training, philosophy, equipment, and outlook–to perform civilian law enforcement functions.

President Calderon says he will begin to withdraw the troops, but there is still some “cleansing” of the police forces left to do. Agents on both sides hope that wont happen any time soon.

Click over to read Adam Housley’s blog, Housley in the House >>