Mexico Drug War: Court battle over US drugs war 'top secret' data

AFP: The US government Wednesday denied it was hampering the case of an alleged senior member of the Sinaloa cartel by refusing to hand over top secret data on the American fight against drug-trafficking. Jesus Vicente Zambada-Niebla, son of one of Mexico's most-wanted drug kingpins, is on trial in Chicago for trafficking huge amounts of heroin and cocaine and could face life if convicted.

But he has contended since his 2009 arrest and 2010 extradition from Mexico that he is covered by an immunity deal with the United States under which the cartel's top leadership supplied information on rival gangs. His lawyers say under the deal with the US Drug Enforcement Agency, Zambada and his cartel members were offered protection from prosecution, and argue the charges should be dropped.

Although the war on drug-trafficking particularly over the joint US-Mexico border is a top concern of President Barack Obama's administration, prosecutors staunchly deny any such deal was ever struck"

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