By Andrew L. Jaffee

What a surprise: Tijuana’s police force is corrupt and involved in drug-trafficking. American kids have been visiting the town to “partay” as a strange right of passage for years. Gilbert Shelton’s adventures of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, especially the “Mexican Odyssey,” published in the late 60s, is probably required reading at the U.S. DEA. I digress. My point is that Tijuana’s lawlessness has been common knowledge forever. Mexican cops have been on the drug biz take — probably since soon after Cortez brought down the Aztecs.

All the violence and illicit activities apparently were not enough to prompt Mexican authorities to take action. But business — that’s a different story:

The entire police force in the Mexican city of Tijuana is to be investigated on suspicion of being involved in drug trafficking and organised crime.

In an unprecedented move, the authorities say it is the only way to clean up the force. …

Dozens of people have been killed so far this year in violent turf wars in the city. …

The drastic move is believed to have been the result of pressure from businesses in Tijuana.

They set up an association to campaign against the influence of gangs in the city.

They threatened to move their companies elsewhere if nothing was done, a potentially devastating move in a city whose population is just over one million.