Mexico turns to army, increasingly uses drones for security

MEXICO CITY – The Mexican government say it is increasingly using the army and drones in security patrols, reducing the role of Marine forces.

In an annual report on the state of the nation submitted to Congress Monday, President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration said army patrols had increased 52.2 percent in the nine months ending in July compared with the same period the year before.

The number of marine patrols decreased 28.3 percent in the same period. The marines have made some of the biggest arrests of major drug lords.

The government also gave a detailed accounting of its use of drones, saying it had flown 149 drone missions with over 581 hours of flying time.

The report said homicides, especially those relating to organized crime, had dropped over the last year.