Mexico Arrests 25 Tijuana Police Officers For Having Drug Cartel Connections

TIJUANA, Mexico – Mexico arrested 25 Tijuana police officers and two civilians on organized crime charges for alleged drug gang ties, the federal attorney general's office said Friday.

The suspects are accused of helping alleged Arellano Felix cartel leader Teodoro Garcia, one of Mexico's 24 most wanted drug suspects, the office said in a statement.

They were jailed at a federal prison in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit. The statement did not say when the men were arrested or give further details.

The Mexican government says Garcia and another alleged cartel boss are fighting for control of Tijuana, across the border from San Diego.

Authorities have arrested scores of police officers suspected of protecting cartels since the government launched an organized crime crackdown in 2006.

President Felipe Calderon has sent more than 45,000 soldiers to drug hotspots. More than 10,750 people have died in drug violence since then.