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Seven Years On, U.S. Investigators See Need for Long-Term Extension of Mérida Initiative

By Brian Monroe

A U.S. program supplementing Mexico's efforts to clamp down on drug trafficking and money laundering should be extended for years to come, American investigators say. In a hearing Wednesday by the House Committee on Homeland Security, lawmakers and other U.S. officials discussed needed improvements to America's fight against drug trafficking. As part of that effort, Congress should extend the M?©rida Initiative, an aid package for Mexico and Central America begun in fiscal year 2008, according to Alan Bersin, an assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. "There seems to be sufficient funding [for the program] for this fiscal year...

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